Applied Psychology
Where sociology studies communities and societies, psychology is the study of the individual. Humans are complex beings, and this field focuses on understanding the characteristics, qualities, and behaviors that make us who we are, and impact how we interact with the world around us. With everything going on in the world, there’s a growing need for psychologists and mental health professionals who can help people process sociopolitical conflicts, economic uncertainty, unpredictable effects of climate change and the struggles of daily life.
Learning about the mind can also expand your own. Students of psychology also have opportunities to explore and conduct research in a wide range of specializations including human development, personality, intelligence, and substance abuse, among many, many others. The skills learned here give students a strong foundation in research, analysis, communication that apply to any role that involves working with or helping people.
You can choose to major or minor in Psychology.
750+ Course Options
The Coppin State University Academic Catalog has a wide variety of skill-building courses designed to inspire and prepare you to be in-demand professionals and transformational leaders.
Applied Psychology at Coppin
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology must complete 120 credit hours to graduate. These credit hours split among General Education Requirements (GERs), course prerequisites, and required major courses. Regardless of concentration, students must take 47 credit hours within the Department.
The Applied Psychology major has 2 concentrations:
- Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counseling
- Psychological Services
Remember! You must complete all major and prerequisite requirements with a grade of C or better.
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Concentration
There is a relationship between substance abuse and mental health. This specialization focuses on learning about this relationship, and teaches students how to connect individuals struggling with substance abuse behaviors to help that can save lives. With roughly 20 million U.S. adults reporting struggling with substance abuse, addiction is a national problem that isn’t going away. Students graduate ready for immediate employment and with knowledge of community, state, and federal resources available to assist individuals with substance abuse disorders.
Graduates may also be eligible to apply course credits toward certification by the State of Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.
What You'll Learn
Students specializing in Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counseling learn how to:
- Engage individuals struggling with substance abuse with sensitivity
- Demonstrate understanding of alcoholism and other addictions
- Apply knowledge of socioeconomic and environmental factors to understanding of alcohol abuse and other addictions
- Demonstrate specialized skills in counseling individuals struggling with substance abuse
- Apply knowledge of psychological development, interviewing, assessment and evaluation, behavior modification, abnormal psychology, and clinical psychology to help individuals struggling with substance abuse
- Analyze statistical data and prepare psychological reports
Required Courses for the Concentration
Please note: PSYC 201 is a prerequisite for all other PSYC courses.
| Course | Credits | Name |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 207 | 3 | Basic Statistics in Behavioral Sciences* |
| PSYC 233 | 3 | Psychological and Physiological Aspects of Substance Abuse |
| PSYC 306 | 3 | Personality |
| PSYC 335 | 3 | Developmental Psychology |
| PSYC 341 | 3 | Psychological Assessment and Evaluation |
| PSYC 342 | 3 | Psychological Report Writing |
| PSYC 343 | 3 | Psychological Research** |
| PSYC 352 | 3 | Counseling in Groups |
| PSYC 411 | 3 | Abnormal Psychology |
| PSYC 440 | 3 | History and Systems of Psychology |
| PSYC 347 | 3 | Alcohol Abuse and Other Addictions in the Inner City and Other Communities |
| PSYC 354 | 3 | Foundations of Effective Alcohol Abuse and Other Addictions Counseling |
| PSYC 451 | 3 | Field Placement I |
| PSYC 452 | 3 | Field Placement II |
*PSYC 207 requires one of the following prerequisite courses: MATH 110 – College Algebra or MATH 125: Mathematics for Liberal Arts
**PSYC 343 requires PSYC 207 as a prerequisite
Sample Degree Plan
This plan is only for example purposes. Your academic journey may be slightly different from another student’s journey, so be sure to always communicate with your academic advisor before finalizing your course schedule.
Fall Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| ENGL 101 | English Composition I |
| PSYC 201 | General Psychology |
| MATH 125 | Math for Liberal Arts |
| ORIE 101 | Freshman Seminar |
| HIST 205 | African-American History I |
| IDIS 102 | Music and Dance |
Spring Semester
| course | name |
|---|---|
| ENGL 102 | English Composition II |
| PHSC 103 | Technology and Human Affairs |
| SPCH 105 | Speech |
| MISY 150 | Technology Fluency |
| HIST 206 | African-American History II |
Fall Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| PHIL 102 | Introduction to Logic |
| PSYC 207 | Behavioral Statistics |
| WLIT 207 | World Literature |
| BIOL 101 | Biological Sciences |
| ANTH 207 | Cultural Anthropology |
Spring Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| PSYC 233 | Psychological and Physiological Aspects |
| PSYC 306 | Personality |
| PSYC 335 | Developmental Psychology |
| PSYC 347 | Alcohol Abuse in the Inner City |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
Fall Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| PSYC 341 | Psychology Assessment |
| PSYC 354 | Addiction Counseling |
| PSYC 351 | Counseling Techniques |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
Spring Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| PSYC 343 | Psychological Research |
| PSYC 352 | Group Counseling |
| PSYC 342 | Psychological Report Writing |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
Fall Semester
| Course | credits | name |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 411 | 3 | Abnormal Psychology |
| PSYC 451 | 3 | Field Placement I |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
Spring Semester
| Course | Credits | Name |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 440 | 3 | History and Systems |
| PSYC 452 | 3 | Field Placement II |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
Psychological Services Concentration
While there are some entry-level career opportunities for undergraduate psychology majors, more professional opportunities become available after pursuing graduate study. This concentration is both career-focused, and preparation for graduate research and study.
What You'll Learn
Students specializing in Psychological Services learn how to:
- Apply knowledge and training of interviewing, psychological assessment, abnormal psychology, and research methods to professional opportunities or graduate study
- Demonstrate understanding of human needs and issues
- Develop competencies for communicating and reporting psychological data and statistics
Required Courses for the Concentration
Please note: PSYC 201 is a prerequisite for all other PSYC courses.
| Course | Credits | Name |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 207 | 3 | Basic Statistics in Behavioral Sciences* |
| PSYC 210 | 3 | Applied Psychology |
| PSYC 306 | 3 | Personality |
| PSYC 335 | 3 | Developmental Psychology |
| PSYC 341 | 3 | Psychological Assessment and Evaluation |
| PSYC 342 | 3 | Psychological Report Writing |
| PSYC 343 | 4 | Psychological Research** |
| PSYC 351 | 4 | Counseling Techniques |
| PSYC 352 | 3 | Counseling in Groups |
| PSYC 411 | 3 | Abnormal Psychology |
| PSYC 440 | 3 | History and Systems of Psychology |
| PSYC 345 | 3 | Behavior Modification |
| PSYC xxx | 3 | Psychology Elective |
| PSYC 451 | 3 | Field Placement I |
| PSYC 452 | 3 | Field Placement II |
*PSYC 207 requires one of the following prerequisite courses: MATH 110 – College Algebra or MATH 125 – Mathematics for Liberal Arts
**PSYC 343 requires PSYC 207 as a prerequisite
Sample Degree Plan
This plan is an example only. Be sure to consult your program advisor about course options before finalizing your schedule.
Fall Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| ENGL 101 | English Composition I |
| PSYC 201 | General Psychology |
| MATH 125 | Math for Liberal Arts |
| ORIE 101 | Freshman Seminar |
| HIST 205 | African-American History I |
| IDIS 102 | Music and Dance |
Spring Semester
| course | name |
|---|---|
| ENGL 102 | English Composition II |
| PHSC 103 | Technology and Human Affairs |
| SPCH 105 | Speech |
| MISY 150 | Technology Fluency |
| HIST 206 | African-American History II |
Fall Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| PHIL 102 | Introduction to Logic |
| PSYC 207 | Behavioral Statistics |
| WLIT 207 | World Literature |
| BIOL 101 | Biological Sciences |
| ANTH 207 | Cultural Anthropology |
Spring Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| PSYC 210 | Applied Psychology |
| PSYC 306 | Personality |
| PSYC 335 | Developmental Psychology |
| PSYC xxx | Program Elective |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
Fall Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| PSYC 341 | Psychology Assessment |
| PSYC 345 | Behavior Modification |
| PSYC 351 | Counseling Techniques |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
Spring Semester
| Course | name |
|---|---|
| PSYC 343 | Psychological Research |
| PSYC 352 | Group Counseling |
| PSYC 342 | Psychological Report Writing |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | General Elective |
Fall Semester
| Course | credits | name |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 411 | 3 | Abnormal Psychology |
| PSYC 451 | 3 | Field Placement I |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
Spring Semester
| Course | Credits | Name |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 440 | 3 | History and Systems |
| PSYC 452 | 3 | Field Placement II |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
| XXXX xxx | 3 | General Elective |
Related Behavioral Health Programs
Psychology
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling
Professional Counselor Licensure
Interdisciplinary Studies is in the Department of Applied and Political Sciences in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.