Fall 2025 Course Offerings Now Available

Here is our list of exciting courses on deck for Fall 2025 as they pertain to our undergraduate major and minor degree requirements. We also offer additional courses toward your general elective credits,
see https://classes.rutgers.edu/.

Core Requirements:

• Introduction to Psychology (50:830:101)
• Methods and Theory (50:830:255)
• Statistics (50:830:250)
• Experimental Psychology (50:830:381) with Lab (50:830:380) must take both in one semester

Area Requirement #1: Brain, Mind, and Biological Perspectives courses

Drugs and the Brain
Psychology of Consciousness
Physiological Psychology
Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience
Special Topics: Image and Mind (description below)
Vision and Art

Area Requirement #2: Developmental and Life Course Perspectives courses

Psychology of Aging
Psychology of Childhood
Human Development
Special Topics: Risk and Resilience in Child Development (description below)

Area Requirement #3: Society, Health, & Clinical courses

Abnormal Psychology
Careers in Psychology
Diagnostics and Assessment of Addictions
Health Psychology
Personality Psychology
Trauma, Risk and Resilience
Special Topics: Psychology of Motherhood (description below)

Area Requirement #4: Diversity Perspectives courses

Cultural Psychology
Special Topics: Contemporary Social Problems
Special Topics: Psychology of Prejudice

Descriptions of our Special Topics courses:

Special Topics: Psychology and Film (taught at Rutgers – Camden)

This course examines the relationship between human beings as we best we understand them based on psychological research, and how they are portrayed in narratives about film characters. In contrast to lived human experience, both psychological theories (and the data produced by psychological research) and film narratives are representations, and may be relatively accurate or inaccurate. Psychological research is based on empirical observation of actual human participants, though sometimes in artificial laboratory studies; film narratives are often fictional creations, but are typically more experience-near. Fictional creations may sometimes represent and explain aspects of reality, and the experience of reality, in ways that psychological theories may miss. The course asks students to (a) compare the accuracy or veridicality of portrayals of particular aspects of human experience in psychological theories vs. narrative films; (b) consider the extent to which particular films facilitate the formation of theories and hypotheses that could be tested by research; (c) reflect on the extent to which films, as well as psychological theories, can suggest how to live better lives. Each week students view a film and read one or more articles from the psychological literature that are relevant to a psychological phenomenon or process depicted in the film.

Special Topics: Psychology of Motherhood (taught at Rutgers – Camden)

Motherhood, like adolescence, is a time of massive transition both physically and psychologically. This special topics course will cover the biopsychosocial changes women experience through matrescence; the transition into motherhood.  This course will discuss the current research on motherhood across disciplines as well as explore the underdeveloped gaps in the literature. Some topics will include pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and mental health.

Special Topics: Contemporary Social Problems (taught at Camden County College)

This course examines major social problems in American society, including family issues, physical and mental illness, crime, delinquency, drug abuse, poverty, and discrimination based on race, sex, and age. In addition, students will take a detailed look at these various issues by analyzing causes, effects, and policies and remedies associated with these societal problems.

Special Topics: Risk and Resilience in Child Development (taught at Camden County College)

This course explores child development through a risk and resilience framework. To that aim, we identify adversities faced by children within both micro- and macro- levels (e.g., familial relationships and dynamics; cultural and societal contexts). We consider how fundamental adaptive systems can work to promote resilience, limitations in current research, and directions for future research.

Special Topics: Image and Mind (taught at Atlantic Cape Community College)

This course will introduce you to the basics of neuroimaging and cognitive neuroscience, with the goal of being able to critically evaluate neuroscience in the media. We will use articles from the popular press as starting points for the lectures, covering a variety of topics in psychology.  

Special Topics: Psychology of Prejudice (online course)