Purdue North Central Honors Course Proposal
Submission Date:
(Date sent to Honors Program
Subcommittee)
April 16, 2013
Document No:
12-H-22
(Leave blank)
Submitting Dept:
Course number and title:
PSY 350 Abnormal
Psychology
Reviewed by Department:
(Date reviewed by
department)
Reviewed by Honors
Subcommittee: (Leave blank)
4/15/13
(Name of
dept/pgm)
Course instructor:
(Name & Title)
4/16/13
Approval by
Faculty Senate:
Department of Social Sciences
John M. Spores, Ph.D., J.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
April 19, 2013
(Leave blank)
Unless marked “Leave blank” all parts of this form must be filled in before sending to the Honors Program Subcommittee.
Current catalog description of course. (For new courses, or changes to current catalog descriptions or course objectives, a
curriculum document must also be submitted) Various forms of mental disorder from the standpoint of their origin, treatment, prevention,
social significance, and relation to problems of normal human adjustment.
Current course objectives.
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the modern study of psychological disorders in terms of theories,
integrated models, and research methods.
2. Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of psychological assessment, testing, diagnosis, and
treatment planning.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental categories of psychological disorders, including
core and secondary symptoms, course, prognosis, and evidence-based effective treatments.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the major ways the law and mental health field interact, and the
legal and psychological issues involved in such matters (e.g., competency to stand trial; involuntary
commitment).
Provide a description of the honors component of the course, showing how the course will meet PNC’s
definition of an honors course. Honors students shall be required to select and develop an intensive case
study in abnormal behavior. This case study shall be both in written form and presented orally to the class in
more summary form. Such case study shall address the following minimum issues: (a) core presenting
symptoms and the most accurate DSM multiaxial diagnoses (including estimated prognosis and reasons
therefore; (b) identification of key developmental facts in formulating an integrated model of causation; (c) any
additional testing that would further elucidate key diagnostic and treatment issues in the case; and (d)
development of a detailed treatment plan with supporting evidence of the effectiveness of such treatment
interventions for the psychological disorder(s) manifested in the case. Such assignment shall require readings
supplementary to the text assigned to the course, including a case study book and discretionary library
references, in addition to supplementary meetings with the professor to discuss and clarify complex issues and
monitor progress on the case study project. Such assignment and its components address all four criteria for
an honors course as defined by Purdue University North Central.
Describe how the honors version of the course will meet course objectives in a more complex, challenging, or
enriching way. First, such assignment shall require ongoing dialogue and collaboration between professor and
student. Second, such assignment requires supplementary readings with more in depth analyses regarding
assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and other issues covered in the non-honors version. Third, such assignment
requires integration and synthesis at several points, including integrating presenting symptoms into a multiaxial
diagnosis, and synthesizing the developmental data into a coherent integrative causal model. Fourth, and
finally, it is unequivocal that such assignment is much more complex an enriching as it requires application of
acquired knowledge to an actual case.
Describe how honors students’ work will be evaluated. Honors students shall earned points for (a) the
written portion of the case study, (b) the oral presentation to the class, and (c) the quality of collaboration with
the professor in completing this assignment.
Please also submit a syllabus for the non-honors version of this course.
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