COURSE SYLLABUS

PSY 101: Applications in Psychology

FACULTY INFORMATION

NAME: Pamela R. Riggs, BA, MAEd.

OFFICE LOCATION: No on campus office/available virtually

OFFICE HOURS: Virtual office hours as announced

PHONE: N/A

EMAIL: pamela.riggs@umo.edu

School of Arts and Sciences/Assistant Dean: Dr. Jill Mills

CHAIR PHONE: (919) 332-4086

EMAIL: JMills@umo.edu

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FACULTY INFORMATION

COURSE INFORMATION

COURSE MATERIALS

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

DEPARTMENTAL/PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOs)

COURSE GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

ATTENDANCE

PARTICIPATION

ASSESSMENT AND GRADING

COURSE SCHEDULES

ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES

ACADEMIC RESOURCES

COURSE INFORMATION

WEBSITE: PSY 101/LECT/OF01-2024/SU/Adult Programs - Applications of Psychology

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Discussion of current research in the field of psychology and how that can be applied in various clinical and experimental settings. Emphasis on using critical thinking skills.

COURSE CREDITS: 3 semester hours

COURSE PREREQUISITES: PSY 100

COURSE CO-REQUISITES: None

COURSE SEMESTER: Summer 2026

COURSE SECTION: OF01

COURSE LENGTH: 6 weeks

CLASS MEETING TIMES: online

CLASS LOCATION: online

COURSE FORMAT: online

GER CATEGORY FULFILLED: none

COURSE MATERIALS

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

Required and part of the First Day Program: Helms, J. L., & Rogers, D. T. (2022). Majoring in Psychology (3rd ed.). Wiley Global Research (STMS). https://bookshelf-activate.vitalsource.com/books/9781119723820
Suggested: Publication Manual 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association Seventh Edition. You will use your APA book for writing papers in every course throughout your psychology courses.

REQUIRED RESOURCES: none

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: none

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Moodle Classroom & Email

HARDWARE RECOMMENDATIONS: University of Mount Olive’s IT department provides technology recommendations for computer hardware.

SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY:

Moodle and MyUMO

Adobe Reader (for reading PDF files)

Zoom

Office 365

Course specific applications: none

E-MAIL AND MOODLE COMMUNICATION

UMO e-mail is the only acceptable form of e-mail communication for students and instructors. Students may expect messages from the instructor on this account. Failure to check your UMO e-mail account and Moodle shell is not an acceptable excuse for missing messages.

Please use PROPER e-mail etiquette. This means you:

1. provide a subject in the subject line of every email (Question on Reading Assignment),

2. begin your email with a salutation (Example: Hi, Professor Shields),

3. identify yourself (Example: This is Amanda from your Psychology Class)

4. do NOT use text abbreviations such as u, ur, etc.

The Instructor will reply to your email within 24-48 hours as long as you follow this etiquette. Please allow me this timeframe before you send another email or attempt another form of communication on your issue. Response times may be longer if you reach out over the weekend or during a holiday.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES:

PLO #

PLO Statement

PLO 1

Knowledge Base in Psychology – Describe key concepts, principle, themes, content domains, and applications of psychology

PLO 2

Scientific Inquiry & Critical Thinking – Demonstrate scientific reasoning, problem solving skills, research literacy, and the ability to interpret and professionally communicate psychological phenomena and findings

PLO 3

Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World – Demonstrate ethical standards, interpersonal relationships, and community values at the local, national, and global levels

PLO 4

Communication – Demonstrate effective and professional writing, presentation, and collaboration skills across psychological settings

PLO 5

Professional Development – Develop self-efficacy, self-regulation, project management, and professional communication skills to career and graduate goals

Note: Psychology program learning outcomes are taken from the APA Outcomes for Undergraduate Psychology and are represented in any course with PSY abbreviation.

COURSE GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

COURSE GOAL: The content areas covered and learning activities in this course are intended to provide psychology majors with a broad foundational knowledge of the field of psychology. This knowledge includes writing in APA format, annotated bibliographies, future careers in the field, options for graduate school, and ethics.

TEACHING STRATEGIES: This online course delivers all learning materials, activities, and assignments through Moodle, a secure and easy to use online learning platform.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

SLO #

SLO Statement

Linked PLO(s)

SLO 1

Describe applications of psychology

PLO 1

SLO 2

Demonstrate psychology information literacy

PLO 2

SLO 3

Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice

PLO 3

SLO 4

Demonstrate effective writing for different purposes

PLO 4

SLO 5

Develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation

PLO 5

ATTENDANCE

Teaching and learning are at the heart of the University of Mount Olive (UMO). Learning involves a serious commitment on the part of both faculty and students. The faculty takes pride in the quality of their instruction. Students who choose to come to UMO do so because they believe the instruction they receive will be of great benefit to them. Students therefore take responsibility for their learning, which includes attending all classes. In accordance with your student handbook, class attendance is expected and mandatory. Any time a student does not attend class, for whatever reason (excused or unexcused), he/she is still responsible for the content covered in that class.

Absences for reasons of religious holidays, serious illness, death in the student’s immediate family, or required participation in a University-sponsored event are, with the appropriate documentation, excused absences, and students will be given an opportunity to make up class examinations or other graded assignments. Health Services, physician and dental appointments, etc., other than emergency related, are not acceptable reasons.

Note Athletic practice is considered an unexcused absence, however, participation in an officially sanctioned athletic event is considered excused with appropriate notice by the coach AND the student.

For unexcused absences and/or students who are absent from scheduled examinations may be refused permission to take the examination on a later date and will receive a failing grade for the missed examination. Further, absence from class (excused or unexcused) on a day when an assignment is due does not excuse the student from the obligation to have the assignment turned in on time.

For online courses that are 100 % asynchronous, participation is imbedded within the attendance policy (see above). As such, participation is reflected in the submission of coursework as described.

PARTICIPATION

At the University of Mount Olive, we believe that physically being present (attendance) in class is not enough to promote effective learning. Instead, showing up to learn means that you must be mentally present and available to engage during class sessions. To that end, students are expected to engage in the classroom environment (online and seated) through the learning activities designed for the course.

ASSESSMENT AND GRADING

ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTIONS

Assessment Type

Assessment Description

Linked SLO(s)

Syllabus quiz

10 points

This quiz will ensure that the student understands their responsibility as a student in this course. The quiz will also count as a check in the first 3 days of class and will be recorded as an attendance value due by Sunday night at 11:59pm.

Discussion Boards

6X 50 pts each

Students are assigned a topic each week and will post their responses to the forum for all students to see and comment on.

SLO 1,2,3,4,5

Reading reflections 2x 50 points each

Students are assigned a minimum of two chapters to read per week and submit reflections as assigned by the instructor

SLO 1,2,3,4,5

Assignments

5x 100 points each

Assignments are posted each week in various formats as indicated by the instructor.

SLO 1,2,3,4,5

Portfolio

100 points

The student will create a digital portfolio and add to it throughout the course. A final version of the portfolio will be graded during the last week of the course. Students should continue to add to this portfolio throughout their academic career.

SLO 1,4,5

GRADING POLICY

Assessment

Weight or Points

Syllabus quiz

10 pts

Discussion boards (6 at 50 each)

300 pts

Reading Reflections (2 at 50 each)

100 pts

Assignments (5 at 100 each)

500 pts

Final Portfolio (100)

100 pts

Total

1010 pts

GRADING SCALE:

Course Grades will be determined by:

Letter Grade

Numerical Grade

Quality Points

Letter Grade

Numerical Grade

Quality Points

930.0 - 1000.0

4.00

C+

770.0 – 790.9

2.30

A-

900.0 - 920.9

3.70

700.0 - 760.9

2.00

B+

870.0 - 890.9

3.30

600.0 - 690.9

1.00

830.0 – 860.9

3.00

<= 590.9

0.00

B-

800.0 – 820.9

2.70

ADDITONAL GRADING POLICIES:

LATE ASSIGNMENT POLICY

Course Assignments should be submitted on time. The assignments are listed with appropriate submission deadlines for the entire course on day one so it is the students’ responsibility to be aware of these deadlines and submit your work on time. If the student is unable to complete an assignment on time, then he or she must contact the instructor immediately by email. An assignment is considered “late” if it is not submitted by the posted due date/time. For example, an assignment is late (and subject to deductions) if submitted at 11 pm with a 10 pm due date and time.

Assignments that are submitted after the due date without prior approval from the instructor will receive point deductions.

COURSE SCHEDULES

CLASS SCHEDULE:

The following schedule is tentative and subject to change. Please reference updated course schedules posted on Moodle.

Course Start Date: 5/18/26

Week 1

Week

Mondays-Sundays

Chapter Reading

Learning Activity/Demonstration

SLO(s)

Week 1

Chapter 1

Researching jobs in the field

Why major in psychology?

Ideas for the future

SLO 1,2,4,5

Week 2

Chapter 2

Exploring options for graduate schools

Perfect job paper

SLO 1, 2, 4,5

Week 3

Chapter 3-4

Basics of APA format and plagiarism

Annotated bibliographies

Creating a portfolio

SLO 1, 2, 4, 5

Week 4

Chapter 5

Peer reviewed journal articles

Preparing for jobs

Interviewing professionals in the field

SLO 1, 2, 4, 5

Week 5

Chapter 6-7

Creating a resume

Writing in APA format

SLO 1, 2, 4, 5

Week 6

Chapter 8-16

Generations in workplace and professionalism

Subfields in Psychology

Ethics

Potential careers and future goals

Final portfolio

SLO 1, 2, 4, 5

SCHEDULE OF EXAMS AND ASIGNMENTS

Assignments.

Due Date

SLO(s)

Discussion boards

Wednesday nights by 11:59 pm (initial post)

SLO 1,2,3,4,5

Reading and reflections

Sunday nights by 11:59 pm

SLO 1,2,3,4,5

Assignments posted on Moodle

Sunday nights by 11:59 pm

SLO 1,2,3,4,5

Final portfolio

Week 6, Thursday by 11:59pm

SLO 1,4,5

ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES

ACADEMIC CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS

All academic issues must be first brought to your professor. Your professor’s contact information is at the top of this syllabus. In the event that you and your professor cannot resolve an issue, the next step is to contact the Department Chair. The Department Chair’s contact information is also at the top of this syllabus.

HONOR CODE:

All acts of Academic Dishonesty, to include but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, falsifying reports or assignments, are subject to review and disciplinary action in accordance with the University of Mount Olive Honor Code as described in the UMO Academic Catalog section titled; Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures. Violations of Academic Integrity are subject to penalties of a grade of F on an exam or assignment, a grade of F in the course, and referral to the Academic Integrity and Appeals Committee disciplinary action including Academic Integrity Probation and/or separation from the University of Mount Olive.

NETIQUETTE [Online courses only or seated classes who also use discussion boards]

Effective communication is key to success in online education, including discussion boards. Netiquette refers to using courtesy and politeness when communicating with others online and through discussion boards. The rules for online learning and classroom learning are virtually the same: You have to study, take notes, attend classes and participate in discussions. In the classroom, your words, gestures, posture and facial expressions communicate your thoughts and observations to your classmates and teachers. In the online learning environment, the written word is the predominate mode of communication to convey your thoughts and observations and those written words can positively or negatively impact classmates. In collaboration with the faculty, students are expected to foster a supportive and positive online academic environment.

Here are some rules of netiquette that will help you successfully communicate as you learn online.

Be Careful With Your Tone: When we speak face to face and are misunderstood, we have an on-the-spot opportunity to rephrase our words. In writing, we must strive twice as hard to be understood, as we do not have the benefit of modifying or elaborating in real time. All caps (“I’M SHOUTING”) and exclamation points (“Give me a break!!!”) can be misinterpreted as intense anger or humor without the appropriate context.
Make sure identification is clear in all communications. Begin with a salutation and end with your signature. Although using the proper title for your professor should be understood, many people tend to forget it once classes are online. As a result, a certain amount of formality is a vital part of netiquette guidelines for students. Unless, the professor states otherwise, you should always refer to them professionally.
If you wouldn’t say it face to face, don’t say it online. When you’re working online, you’re safe behind a screen, but that’s no excuse to be ill-mannered or say things you would never say in public.
Avoid Sarcasm and don’t assume everyone understands where you’re coming from. Sarcasm and wit is often the spice of in-person conversation, but in online discussion, it cannot only lose its edge, it can bite! Your online classroom is made up of people of all ages and cultures who have varied backgrounds, lifestyles and geographic locations. With this in mind, review what you wrote before contributing to the conversation.
Don’t spam. Please don’t take advantage of your connection with the other students in your online classroom to forward emails and links regarding your political/spiritual beliefs or to sell your services.
Use emoticons. In casual chatroom settings, emoticons can help convey feelings that may otherwise get lost in translation, including humor, exasperation, exhaustion and even confusion.
Respect others’ privacy. Don’t give out another student’s personal email address without permission.
Remember, if it’s on the internet, it’s everywhere. Don’t share personal information about yourself in a public online forum, especially something that could put your safety or security at risk.
Follow the rules. Just as the university posts guidelines related to academic integrity and student expectations, online forums also have rules of conduct. Make a point to read them every time, as they can vary from class to class.
Forgive and forget. If you’re offended by something another student says online, keep in mind that you may have misunderstood their intentions. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

COPYRIGHT

Course materials utilized may be protected by copyright law. This material is only for the use of students enrolled in this specific course and must be used following the United States Copyright Act, Title 17 of the U.S. Code. Protected materials in this course may not be retained on the user’s computer or other electronic storage devices for longer than the duration of this course for which they are assigned, nor further disseminated by the user to any other persons.

ACADEMIC RESOURCES

ACCOMODATIONS AND STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY

“The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodations for their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability that requires accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility at (919) 658-7487 or https://my.umo.edu/pages/learning-commons-student-accessibility, or studentaccessibility@umo.edu for assistance. Appropriate documentation is required and accommodations cannot be initiated retroactively.

LEARNING COMMONS

The University of Mount Olive is committed to student success and offers academic support to assist you. Within the Learning Commons, clinics, peer tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, writing support, and individualized study skills consultations are available for free to UMO students. To receive academic help, visit the Academic Resource Center (ARC) (ARC@umo.edu or 919-658-7868) and/or Writing Center (WritingCenter@umo.edu or 919-658-7544) on the first floor of the Moye Library or virtually on MyUMO.