Course Description

Compulsory Courses

32905   Special Topics in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology 

This course deals with the various higher mental processes such as perception, thinking, remembering, attention, processing information within the brain, the mechanism of brain function, the effect of distorted cognition on memory and individual behavior, forgetting and its various applications in public life, and studying recent trends in cognitive psychology, especially with regard to human brain functioning, the effect of distorted perception on information storage, the effect of thinking on brain functioning and its reflection on individual behavior. It also deals with human behavior's characteristics, theories, and influencing factors.

32901   Advanced Analytical Statistics 

This course aims to review the statistical methods that are based on the analysis of variance in research problems related to the designs of experiments. It also addresses the statistical methods used in analyzing the data of the completely randomized design (CRD), the repeated measures design, the group processors design, the global designs, the split-plot design, the Latin square design, and the method of ANCOVA.

32902    Contemporary Issues in Psychology 

This course is concerned with presenting a group of locally and internationally common contemporary issues in psychology. It aims to familiarize students with how to deal with all modern psychological issues, resulting from the rapid changes and developments in world nowadays. This course provides a set of modern strategies in dealing with psychological and social issues, situations and cases so that students will be able to understand, analyze and describe human behavior, predict expected changes as a result of rapid developments, identify the motives responsible for these behaviors, and design developmental, preventive and treatment plans for various psychological cases.

32903    Mental Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment 

This course aims at identifying the diagnostic methods used in psychological counseling, such as the diagnostic interview, standards and tests that can be employed in the counseling process and in other areas such as school and family. Recent trends in dealing with and treating disorders will be considered, and practical training opportunities in studying, diagnosing and treating psychological disorders (childhood and adolescence disorders, schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, cognitive disorders, personality disorders, gender and sexual role disorders) will be made available for the students.

32904    Advanced Methods in Qualitative Research 

This course aims to provide students with the necessary skills to conduct and implement qualitative research. It seeks to familiarize students with in-depth knowledge and application in research procedures and analysis for qualitative research, such as collecting and interpreting data, designing various patterns of qualitative research to enable students to understand the theoretical and applied dimensions related to research procedures. It also aims to train students to mix qualitative and quantitative research, and to inform students of research and studies in this field.

32906    Field Applications in Psychology 

This course aims to provide students with field and practical experience in counseling psychology. This course is the practical application of information and theoretical frameworks that the student has studied, by distributing students to specialized centers for field practical training on the counseling process and all its contents, with no less than (400 training hours) under the supervision and guidance of the instructor.

32907    PhD Dissertation Seminar 

This course deals with the steps and procedures of writing and defending the doctoral dissertation, starting from determining and selecting the dissertation problem, and ending with presenting and discussing the results. By the end of the course, the student will have designed a complete dissertation project plan.

32999   PhD Dissertation 

This is a compulsory requirement to obtain the doctoral degree in psychology, with a weight equivalent to (18) credit hours. Firstly, the candidate submits a dissertation proposal to a joint committee from the two universities for assessment. If approved, the candidate may officially register the Ph.D. dissertation under the supervision of a faculty member from one of the two universities. The supervisors shall hold the rank of a professor or associate professor. A second supervisor may be appointed, depending on what the Program Committee deems appropriate. The doctoral dissertation shall present a new addition to educational knowledge, particularly in the field of psychology, and shall address counseling and educational issues. Once the dissertation writing is finished, the candidate can submit it for defense before an academic committee of four members with the ranks of a professor or an associate professor. One of the appointed committee members shall be an external examiner from outside the two universities.

 

32909    Special Topics in Clinical Psychology 

This course is concerned with presenting a group of “clinical” issues. The clinical psychologist is concerned with studying mental illnesses, abnormal behavior, and individual's psychological problems, such as intellectual, psychological, and social maladjustment. It also addresses acute mental illnesses through conducting diagnostic interviews and psychological tests, and evaluating the behaviors of individuals who need psychological treatment.

32908     Positive Psychology Theories and Applications 

This course revolves around positive human behavior and issues related to this behavior. It provides a definition of positive psychology, and a review of its origin, development, and justifications for its existence. It discusses its applications in life in terms of enhancing the capabilities of the human personality for resilience and psychological toughness Theories focus on positive thinking, happiness, optimism, self-efficacy, will, ambition, psychological well-being, developing a sense of individual and societal responsibility, and satisfaction with life. The course focuses on the role of psychological counseling in promoting students' application of these theories so that they can achieve mental health and make adjustment in life.

32916     Readings in Criminal Psychology 

This course is concerned with presenting a group of criminal cases. It seeks to teach students how to apply the principles of psychological sciences to legal systems. The purpose is to classify criminals according to their psychological and social characteristics to understand the motives that lead to the emergence of deviant and criminal behavior.

32910    Building, Adapting and Applying Psychological Scales 

This course aims to provide students with the concepts of constructing psychological scales. It reviews the adaptation techniques used in the Arab environment compared with those in the foreign environments, through the use of appropriate statistical methods such as factor analysis and saturations. The course also seeks to train students to build new psychological scales, to verify their psychometric characteristics of validity and reliability, and to employ these scales in their research .

32911    Readings in Counseling Psychology 

This course reviews a group of counseling cases, attitudes, and issues for students. The purpose is to clarify the services provided by counseling psychologists who rely in their intervention on various principles, approaches, procedures, and theories of psychology, to modify the individual's human behavior in a positive and effective manner during the various stages of development.

32912    Advanced Personality Theories 

This course aims to identify the concept of personality as well as the theoretical trends that explain the human personality from different points of view. It reviews the most important measures necessary to measure personality. Many personality disorders are also reviewed, along with how to evaluate and diagnose these disorders in order to develop a guiding plan to address these disorders.

32913    Readings in Organizational Psychology 

This course deals with the impact of aspects of human behavior on the organizational setting. It provides a perception of psychological theories about the causes, effects and motives of work, and the formation of attitudes in various organizational fields, including multicultural environments. It deals with issues of employment, management and modification of organizational behavior, leadership, encouragement, and teamwork. It is also concerned with the psychological foundations of various human resource strategies, personnel selection, performance appraisal, reward systems, and employee development. It also focuses on organizational transformation and the study of contemporary psychological theories that contribute to the implementation of changes within the organization, and work in complex systems based on theoretical foundations and intervention models based on cognitive and psychological models.

32914    Readings in Legal Psychology 

The course includes an examination of the interaction between psychology and the criminal justice system. It examines aspects of human behavior directly related to the legal process such as eyewitness memory, testimony, jury decision-making, and criminal behavior. In addition, the professional practice of psychology is examined in terms of how it interacts with the legal system as well as the criminal and civil law. It covers issues related to psychology, law, police psychology, policing, correctional institutions, parole, victim services, addiction services, family services, and a full range of activities related to law enforcement and the treatment of offenders. This course provides a strong foundation of understanding for individuals interested in psychology, law, criminal justice, and related topics.

32915    Topics in the Psychology of Special Groups 

This course deals with all persons who have psychological and social disorders, mental disabilities, sensory disabilities, or learning difficulties. It also deals with persons who are considered prodigies. It deals with the causes that lead to these cases, and also shows how to early detect them for the purpose of care, psychological support, prevention, and treatment according to the case by providing appropriate environments as well as legal and legitimate rights for them. It also deals with the appropriate strategies for each case of these special groups.