Every semester, the school offers special topics courses that are either irregular offerings or have not yet been approved as permanent courses. We encourage students within and outside the school to consider taking these courses, as they offer unique opportunities to explore and develop expertise outside of the standard curriculum. Below, you can find the list of special topics courses the school plans to offer next semester, complete with course descriptions, syllabi where available, and contact information for the instructor if you'd like to learn more.
This semester, the school is offering courses focused on:
- Mental Health
- Computation & Cognition
- Decision Science
- Engineering Psychology
- The Brain & Neuroplasticity
- Quantitative Methods
Check out the information below for more details on each course offering!
Mental Health Focused Courses
PSYC 2803 - Intro to Counseling and Clinical Psychology
Instructor: Dr. David Winograd (david.winograd@studentlife.gatech.edu)
Click for syllabus
Description:
Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology will provide a broad overview of the professional issues and activities of clinical practice in the mental health field, with an emphasis on clinical and counseling psychology. This course is open to all students and is particularly suitable for those interested in or considering a career in the mental health field. Students will develop a rich understanding of clinical practice within the broader field of psychology and gain a strong grasp on available career paths at both the masters and doctoral levels. We will delve into the practical activities and practices of licensed counselors and psychologists, including clinical interviews, various forms of clinical assessment, approaches to therapy (i.e., theoretical orientations), impact of technology on practice, and subfields of clinical practice. My hope is that students will leave this class with a clear understanding of what clinical practice looks like in the "real world", both as a consumer and potential provider of mental health services.
Prerequisites: None
Note: This course is pre-approved to count toward the Minor in the Science of Mental Health and Well-Being
PSYC 3803 - Foundations of Counseling Skills
Instructor: Dr. Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman (tiffiny.hughes-troutman@psych.gatech.edu)
Click for syllabus
Description:
Unlock the keys to effective communication and personal growth in our course: 'Foundation of Counseling Skills.' Dive into the art of understanding, supporting, and connecting with others on a deeper level. This course provides you with an opportunity to develop valuable life skills. Join us and embark on a journey towards greater self-awareness and meaningful connections.
Prerequisites: None
Note: This course is pre-approved to count toward the Minor in the Science of Mental Health and Well-Being
Computation & Cognition Focused Courses
PSYC 3803 - Programming for Brain & Behavior
Instructor: Dr. Eunbee Kim (eunbee.kim@gatech.edu)
Click for syllabus
Description:
This course will give students a basic toolkit for computationally analyzing data related to brain and behavior using python and R. The course will begin with an introduction to programming in python (variables, control statements, functions) then move on to data manipulation and statistical analysis. The content will be aimed at undergraduate students in psychology, biomedical engineering, and neuroscience. No prior programming skills are required but it would help to have some background in linear algebra. Course meetings will be a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and lab assignments.
Prerequisites: MATH 1553 or similar recommended
PSYC 3803 - Computational Neuroscience
Instructor: Dr. Ratan Murty (ratan.murty@psych.gatech.edu)
Click for syllabus
Description:
This course introduces the foundational principles of computational neuroscience, focusing on how neurons and neural circuits process information. Through hands-on simulations, students will explore both biological and artificial neural networks, gaining practical experience with computational tools like MATLAB. No prior programming experience is required.
Prerequisites: None
Decision Science Focused Courses
PSYC 3803 - How to Think
Instructor: Dr. Doby Rahnev (rahnev@gatech.edu)
Click for course outline
Description:
Most courses teach you what to think — this one will teach you how to think. Through hands-on activities, reflections, and projects, you’ll practice spotting biases in your own thinking, applying logic and statistics, and making better decisions in everyday life.
Prerequisites: None
PSYC 3803 - Science of Decision Making
Instructor: Dr. Mark Himmelstein (mhimmelstein3@gatech.edu)
Click for course outline
Description:
How do humans make decisions? How should humans make decisions? And why don't we always make the decisions we should make? This course will begin with a historical tour of how early humans learned to make better choices: to win at games of chance. We will explore how those early insights later grew into our modern notions of probability and statistics. We will then turn to contemporary models of rational choice, which have applications in research, business, and everyday life. We will then circle back to psychology to examine how humans actually make decisions in practice, including how, why, and when their behaviors adhere to or violate these notions of rationality.
Prerequisites: None
Engineering Psychology Courses
PSYC 4803 - Engineering Psychology I
Instructor: Dr. Mengyao Li (mengyao.li@gatech.edu)
Click for syllabus
Description:
Basic methods used to study human-machine systems including both system analysis and human performance evaluation techniques. These methods will be applied to specific systems.
Prerequisites: PSYC 2270 or Instructor Permission
Brain & Neuroplasticity Focused Courses
PSYC 4803 - Neuroplasticity in Atypical Development
Instructor: Dr. Woon Ju Park (woonju@gatech.edu)
Click for syllabus
Description:
This course will focus on how the human brain adapts under diverse developmental conditions, such as blindness, deafness, ASD, and schizophrenia. Students will gain insights into the mechanisms of plasticity, accompanying behavioral and neural changes, and potential targeted interventions.
Prerequisites: None
PSYC 4803 - Neuroscience of Aging & Related Dementias
Instructor: Dr. Tammy Tran (tammy.tran@gatech.edu)
Click for course outline
Description:
Learn how the brain changes with age and disease—linking neural mechanisms to cognitive behavior and decline in aging, and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s disease and more!
Prerequisites: None
Quantitative Methods Courses
PSYC 4803 - Psychometric Theory
Instructor: Dr. Audrey Leroux (aleroux@gatech.edu)
Description:
This course prepares students in statistical theory and techniques relevant to becoming professionally involved in the construction, analysis, and evaluation of tests and measurement instruments. Coverage includes foundational topics such as scale development, item writing, item analysis, reliability, and validity of a test. More advanced topics such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory, test bias and fairness, standard setting, and equating will be discussed.
Prerequisites: PSYC 2020 or instructor permission
