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Biopsychology Program

Biopsychology website: http://vassun.vassar.edu/~biopsych/

Biology
Office:
302 Olmsted Hall, Website: http://depts.vassar.edu/~biology, Phone: (845)437-7441, e-mail : biology@vassar.edu

Psychology
Office:
115 Blodgett Hall, Website: http://depts.vassar.edu/~psych, Phone: (845)437-7366, e-mail: psychology@vassar.edu


Faculty: see Biology and Psychology.

Biopsychology is an interdisciplinary program which applies the perspectives and techniques of both biology and psychology to the study of the brain and behavior. Biopsychologists are interested in how the interactions of brain, body, and environment contribute to animal (including human) behavior. Biopsychologists study the structure and function of the nervous system, the development and evolution of neural and behavioral systems, and interactions among behavior, environment, physiology, and heredity.

This program is ideal for those students with interests in the biological and psychological sciences. A concentration in biopsychology can prepare students for graduate study in either biology or psychology, particularly in the neurosciences.

Requirements for Concentration: 13 units; all students must take:

Biology 151 The Evolution of Biological Diversity (1)

Biology 152 The Cellular Basis of Life (1)

Psychology 105 or 106 Introduction to Psychology (1)

Psychology 200 Statistics and Experimental Design (1)

Psychology 241 Principles of Physiological Psychology (1)

Biopsychology 201 Models and Systems in Biopsychology (1)

Psychology 229 or 249 Research Methods in Learning and Behavior
or Research Methods in Physiological
Psychology (1)

Biopsychology 301 Seminar in Biopsychology (1)

After consultation with the major adviser, five other courses not taken as Required Courses (see list above) should be chosen from the following list. Three of these courses should be at the 300-level. Of these three courses at the 300-level, at least one should be from the biology department and one from the psychology department.


Approved Courses

Intermediate

Psychology 211 Perception and Action (1)

Psychology 215 Knowledge and Cognition (1)

Psychology 221 Learning and Behavior (1)

Psychology 223 Comparative Psychology (1)

Psychology 243 Topics in Physiological Psychology (1)

Psychology 262 Abnormal Psychology (1)

Psychology 264 Behavioral Genetics (1)

Psychology 229 or 249 Research Methods in Learning and Behavior
or Research Methods in Physiological Psychology (1)

Biology 226 Animal Structures and Diversity (1)

Biology 228 Animal Physiology (1)

Biology 232 Developmental Biology (1)

Biology 238 Principles of Genetics (1)

Biology 272 Biochemistry (1)


Advanced

Entry into particular 300-level courses may be constrained by prerequisites: see course descriptions for the individual courses listed under Biology and Psychology.

Psychology 323 Seminar in Comparative Psychology (1)

Psychology 341 Seminar inPhysiological Psychology (1)

Psychology 343 Seminar on States of Consciousness (1)

Psychology 364 Seminar in Gender and Psychology (1)

Biology 316 Neurobiology (1)

Biology 323 Cell Biology (1)

Biology 324 Molecular Biology (1)

Biology 340 Animal Behavior (1)

Biology 350 Evolutionary Biology (1)

Recommendations: Students are strongly recommended to complete Chemistry 108-109 and 244-245 and would benefit greatly from coursework in mathematics, physics, and computer science. Students are advised to take in their freshman year: Biology 151, Biology 152, and Psychology 105 or 106.

Advisers: Mr. Bean, Ms. Christensen, Mr. Cynx, Ms. Gray, Mr.Hemmes, Mr. Holloway, Mr. Long, Mr. Straus, Ms. Susman, Mr. Suter.


Course Offerings

See biology and psychology.

201. Models and Systems in Biopsychology (1)

A multidisciplinary approach to the methods, issues, empirical findings and literature of biopsychology. The course explores selected topics from a variety of theoretical and empirical models, from behavioral, evolutionary, social/environmental, physiological and cellular/molecular levels of analysis. The ways in which the different methods of analysis inform each other are a focus of the course. Biopsychology faculty.

Prerequisites: Biology151, Biology 152, Psychology 105, and Psychology 214.

Three 50-minute periods, one 4-hour laboratory.

301. Seminar in Biopsychology (1)

Explorations in the primary literature of topics to be selected annually. Biopsychology faculty.

Prerequisite: by permission of instructor.

399. Senior Independent Work (1/2 or 1)

By permission of the adviser and the instructor who will supervise the work. Library, field, or laboratory projects. The biology and psychology departments.




2000 / 2001 Catalogue Index

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