The Department of Social Sciences

The Psychology degree program is housed within the Department of Social Sciences. The Department of Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary department -- our faculty teach courses and conduct research in seven academic areas: Anthropology, Geography, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Currently, we offer seven degrees in our department: History (BA), Philosophy (BA), Political Science (BS), Psychology (BS), Social Sciences (BA), Social Sciences (BS), and Sociology (BS).

The department’s educational philosophy emphasizes the importance of students’ educational and professional growth both inside and outside of the classroom. We recognize the diversity of goals in our student body, so our degree programs strive to provide students with: 1) a variety of opportunities to think deeply and critically about human phenomena, 2) job skills relevant to their career aspirations, and 3) high-level preparation for graduate and professional school. In all cases, our degree programs provide a strong, broad-based background in the liberal arts, which we see as a requirement in the ever-changing social and political environment.

Among the essential components of the department’s mission are community-based research and public service, and these constitute integral parts of each of our degree programs. All are specifically designed to develop skills in research and analysis. Furthermore, we strongly encourage our students to engage in internships for course credit, volunteer service activities, or other degree-related work experiences in which classroom theories can be applied to "real-life" problems.

The study and practice of the social sciences provide the means for students to unify their learning by combining the methodologies from the humanistic and the empirically-based disciplines. Thus, our unique contribution to the intellectual life of the university is to provide an arena for the exchange of all viewpoints.

Come visit us, or call and talk with us, about your interests and plans. Our telephone number is 713-221-8014 and our office is located in 625-S Please come by! You may also visit our website at http://www.uhd.edu/academic/colleges/humanities/sos/

Degrees

Major in Psychology

The Bachelor of Science degree program in psychology prepares students for a number of different career options. Those interested in pursuing graduate education in psychology or other disciplines will get the individual attention in research methodology, statistics and theory necessary to succeed at the next educational level. Students interested in working in the mental health field and other types of social service agencies will gain the knowledge and experience necessary to be competitive on the job market. Finally, a degree in psychology provides essential knowledge for healthy coping with life circumstances and human relationships in family, community, and work environments.

Honor Societies

Psi Chi – International Psychology Honor Society.

Pi Gamma Mu—International Social Sciences Honor Society.

Degree Requirements

The Bachelor of Science with a major in Psychology requires a minimum of 120 hours. For degree completion, at least 25 percent of the semester credit hours must be earned through instruction offered by UH-Downtown. The last 30 of the total hours in the degree and the last 18 of the upper-level hours in the major must be successfully completed in residence at UH-Downtown. An overall minimum grade point average of 2.0 for all course work applied to the degree, and specifically for all UH-Downtown course work, is required for graduation. Also, a minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required in the upper-level hours in the major.

Common Core Requirements (42 hours)

See the listing in your UHD Catalog under General Education Requirements in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. In fulfillment of the Behavioral Sciences requirement, PSY 1303 General Psychology is recommended. If not taken in the core, PSY 1303 General Psychology must be added to the following requirements.

Preparatory Requirements (21 hours)

The following preparatory course requirements for the degree should be completed prior to enrollment in the major course requirements: 1) SOS 2304 Research Methods in the Social Sciences, 2) SOS 3312 Statistics in the Social Sciences, 3) ANTH 2302 Cultural Anthropology or ANTH 2301 Physical Anthropology, 4) SOC 1303 Principles of Sociology, 5) three hours in a philosophy course which fulfills the enhancement course requirement in ethics and morality, 6) three hours in a literature course, and 7) three hours in a mathematics or natural science course. Students are especially advised to complete SOS 2304 (Research Methods in the Social Sciences) and SOS 3312 (Statistics in the Social Sciences) as early as possible in order to prepare for upper-level coursework.

Major Requirements (36 hours)

Twenty-one hours at any level and from any department. Electives are also an important part of the degree program and should be selected in consultation with an academic advisor. Also, please note that developmental courses may not be applied to graduation requirements and no more than 25 percent of the total hours applied to graduation requirements may come from business courses.

 Faculty in Psychology

Kristin Anderson, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology. 1085-S, 713-221-8510. 

E-mail: andersonk@uhd.edu. 

Christine Bachman, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology. 671-S 713-221-5383

E-mail: BackmanC@uhd.edu

Derek de la Pena, Ph.D. Assitant Professor of Psychology. 683-S, 713-221-8172

E-mail: DealpenaD@uhd.edu

Susan Henny, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology. 669-S, 713-221-8172.

E-mail: HennyS@uhd.edu

Holly Lewis, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology. 1003-S, 713-221-2749.

E-mail: lewish@uhd.edu.

Elizabeth Walden, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology. 1083-S, 713-221-8645.

Email: waldene@uhd.edu.

John Webb, Assistant Professor of Psychology. 1005-S, 713-221-2763

E-mail: webbj@uhd.edu.

Patrick Williams, Associate Professor of Psychology. 1019-S, 713-221-8982. 

Email: williamsp@uhd.edu