Graduate Studies Reports Access
Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - CLP6478
Tracking Number - 2708
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Current Status:
Approved by SCNS - 2012-07-10
Campus: St Petersburg
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: St. Pete approved. To USF Sys 1/18/12. to SCNS 1/26/12. SCNS approved; Eff 6/1/12.
Detail Information
- Date & Time Submitted: 2012-01-11
- Department: Psychology
- College: AP
- Budget Account Number: 125500
- Contact Person: James McHale
- Phone: 7278734969
- Email: jmchale@mail.usf.edu
- Prefix: CLP
- Number: 6478
- Full Title: Develop Disabilities/Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence
- Credit Hours: 3
- Section Type: C -
Class Lecture (Primarily)
- Is the course title variable?: N
- Is a permit required for registration?: N
- Are the credit hours variable?: N
- Is this course repeatable?:
- If repeatable, how many times?: 0
- Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Dev Disabilities Child & Adole
- Course Online?: C -
Face-to-face (0% online)
- Percentage Online: 0
- Grading Option:
R - Regular
- Prerequisites:
- Corequisites:
- Course Description: This graduate level course is designed to provide students with a foundation in concepts and research in the scientific study of developmental disabilities and other disorders of childhood and adolescence.
- Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Needed for new program/concentration/certificate
- What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? This course will be part of the course sequence for the new graduate program in Psychology currently being proposed for USFSP.
At USF St. Petersburg, the largest undergraduate major is Psychology. In surveys of our advanced majors, nearly 90% indicate their intention to pursue advanced graduate study in Psychology and other health-related disciplines. No USF System institution offers a terminal master’s program in psychology. USF Tampa’s doctoral programs in Psychology do not have enough seats available to handle demand within the USF system (admitting an average of 10-15 students annually from a wide range of applicants nationally and internationally). Finding few other options in the region, most USFSP graduates look to specialized certificate programs or online Masters degrees. The USF System has historically lost out on the opportunity to provide training for the large cohort of qualified students from both USFSP and other regional universities within and outside the USF system who desire graduate training and would benefit from a masters-level education. The proposed MA in Psychology meets that demand. It also occupies a unique niche in the USF system; there is no terminal Masters in Psychology within the USF System and so no duplication.
While the emphases of the proposed MA in General Psychology at USFSP shares both some similarities and some unique features relative to other programs in the state, perhaps to the point that is that none of the three other terminal MA programs serve the Tampa Bay area. This is particularly relevant because the Tampa Bay area has the second-largest combined population of infants and young children in the state; Risk, Resilience and Prevention (RRP) was identified as one of the two main tracks to be offered because thorough grounding in research methodology and in health applications equips program graduates with competencies needed by Bay Area health and human agencies that serve children and families (which together with industry and education, are the primary work settings for psychology professions with masters degrees).
With respect to the assumption that students will enroll in the program if offered, our surveys of advanced majors indicate that applications for graduate study will be robust. Our program will offer an option for talented USFSP undergraduate psychology majors identified during their sophomore or junior year to gain early entry into the MA program on a combined program. Admitted USFSP undergraduate students would complete four of the five required Year 1 core courses during their junior and senior years, and will complete the fifth required Year 1 course during the summer following graduation. This will enable them to enter into their second year in the MA program the following fall after graduating with the BA in Psychology. At two Fall 2011 meetings of the USF St. Petersburg Psychological Science Organization, which drew 22 and 35 attendees, respectively, over 90% of those polled indicated that they would find great interest in a combined 3+2 and 4+1 option. For B.A. students admitted to the two-year M.A. program, we would anticipate drawing from USF system schools, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College, and other area institutions that do not offer a terminal masters degree in Psychology.
- Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? No
- What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) Ph.D. or equivalent including at least one year field experience in a clinical, community, or school setting working with children or adolescents with disabilities or mental disorders.
- Objectives: This graduate level course is designed to provide students with a foundation in concepts and research in the scientific study of developmental disabilities and other disorders of childhood and adolescence. Particular emphasis will be placed on the following: (1) basic conceptual and research issues in classification and diagnosis; (2) the features of the most common developmental disabilities and disorders of childhood and adolescence; (3) and research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these disabilities and disorders.
- Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: (1) demonstrate awareness of the fundamental issues associated with classification and diagnosis to include but not limited to issues related to reliability and validity, the influence of cultural norms and practices, the importance of adequate training, and the impact of an evolving field and emerging technologies on diagnostic strategies and classification systems;
(2) describe the five level diagnostic system used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) to classify illnesses and disorders;
(3) demonstrate awareness of the research methods used to study developmental disabilities and other disorders of childhood and adolescence;
(4) describe the features of mental retardation and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of this disorder;
(5) describe the features of pervasive developmental disorders to include but not limited to Autism, Aspergrs Disorder, Retts Disorder, and Child Disintegrative Disorder, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causess and correlates of these types of disorders;
(6) describe the features of learning and communication disorders to include but not limited to Reading Disorder, mathematics disorder, Disorder of Written Expression, Expressive Language Disorder, and Stuttering, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these types of disorders;
(7) describe the features of behavior disorders to include but not limited to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these types of disorders; (8) describe the features of tic disorders to include but not limited to Tourette's Syndrome, Transient Tic Disorder, and Stereotypic Movement Disorder, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these types of disorders; (9) describe the features of attachment disorders to include but not limited to Attachment Disorder and Separation Anxiety Disorder, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these types of disorder; (10) describe the features of feeding/eating disorders to include but not limited to feeding/eating disorders to include but are not limited to Pica, Rumination Disorder, Anorexia, and Bulimia, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these types of disorders;
(11) describe the features of encopresis and enuresis, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these types of disorders; (12) describe the features of mood disorders to include but not limited to Depresion, Dysthymia, Bipolar Disorder, Cyclothymia, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these types of disorders;
(13) describe the features of anxiety disorders to include but not limited to Generalized Anxiety disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Specific Phobia, and demonstrate awareness of research findings concerning the causes and correlates of these types of disorders;
(14) demonstrate an awareness of the importance and methods of differential diagnosis; and,
(15) summarize the ethical issues confronted by those working in fields directly or indirectly related to children and adolescents with developmental disabilties or other disorders.
- Major Topics: Introduction and Overview of Developmental Disabilities
Fundamental Issues of Classification and Diagnosis
Understanding the DSM-IV-TR
Research methods in Developmental Disabilities/Disorders of Childhood
Intellectual Disabilities
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Learning Disabilities and Communication Disorders
Behavior Disorders
Tic Disorders
Attachment Disorders
Feeding/Eating Disorders
Encopresis and Enuresis
Mood Disorder
Anxiety Disorders
Differential Diagnosis
- Textbooks:
- Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: American Psychological Associations Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2002 with 2010 Amendments. http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx.
Kupfer, D.J., First, M.B., & Reigier, D.A. (2002). A Research Agenda for DSM-V. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatirc Association. Free Download: http://psychrights.org/research/Digest/CriicalThinkRxCites/CharneyInKupfer.pdf.
Additional readings may be required and will be made available/accessible by the professors.
- Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: Students will be expectd to meet the course learning outcomes in a variety of ways:
Weekly Journal (20% of grade)
Class Project and Presentation (25% of grade)
Exams (25% of grade)
Final Exam (20% of grade)
Participation (10% of grade)
97-100 A=
94-96 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
60-63 D-
59 or below F
Note: grades will not be rounded up.
- Assignments, Exams and Tests: Weekly Journal: Students are expected tocomplete a journal entry each week. Each entry should contain two parts: (1) a paragraph summarizing the content of at least one of the assigned readings and (2) a description of the student analysis, reactions, evaluation, responses, and questions. For example, students may wish to (1) choose some part of the reading that they were intrigued by and discuss why; (b) choose some part of the reading that they agree with and discuss why; (c) choose some part of the reading that they do not agree with and discuss why; or (d) present questions raised by the readings. Each journal entry should be no longer than 2 pages and can be shorter. Journal entries must be typed and double spaced.
Class Project and Presentation (25% of grade): Students will be assigned a topic from the list provided on the syllabus during the first few weeks of class. Students will be expected to complete a 10-page paper on this topic and conduct a 30-minute presentation in class. The paper and presentation will be due on the date the topic is being discussed in class according to the course schedule outlined in the syllabus. A grading rubric will also be provided in class.
Exams (25%): A portion of the grade will be computed based on exam scores. Five exams will be given throughout the semester. Each exam is worth 100 points. Exams are not cumulative and may consist of multiple-choice and short answer questions covering material from the preceding two to four lectures and assigned readings. Exams will be administered via Blackboard and will be posted for one week. There will be no make-up exams. Students will have 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete each exam with a point deducted for each minute exceeding the time limit.
Final Exam (20%): A portion of the grade will be based on a comprehensive final take home exam to be distributed on the last day of class and will be due via email one week later. Students will be given a case study and then asked to (a) make a diagnosis using the 5 level system of the DSM-IV-TR and (B) describe research findings concerning the causes and correlates of the disorder diagnoses, citing references as appropriate. References may include required readings from this course as well as from other sources. A grading rubric will be provided with your exam. The final exam (i.e. case analysis) must be typed and formatted according to APA Publication Manual, 6th Edition.
Participation (10%): Students are expected to attend class and participate in class discussions and activities.
- Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting – Policy for Graduate Students: For structured courses, 6000 and above, the College/Campus Dean will set the first-day class attendance requirement. Check with the College for specific information. This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories: Educational Outreach, Open University (TV), FEEDS Program, Community Experiential Learning (CEL), Cooperative Education Training, and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days/times (such as, directed reading/research or study, individual research, thesis, dissertation, internship, practica, etc.). Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)
Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.
- Policy on Make-up Work: There will be no make-up exams allowed. An "I" grade may be awarded at the discretion of the instructor. An "I" grade indicates incomplete coursework and may be awarded only when a small portion of the student's work is incomplete and only when the student is otherwise earning a passing grade.
Members of the University community support high standards of individual conduct and human relations. Responsibility for one’s own conduct and respect for the rights of others are essential conditions for academic and personal freedom within the University. USF St. Petersburg reserves the right to deny admission or refuse enrollment to students whose actions are contrary to the purposes of the University or impair the welfare or freedom of other members of the University community. Disciplinary procedures are followed when a student fails to exercise responsibility in an acceptable manner or commits an offense as outlined in the Student Conduct Code. Refer to USF 6.0021, Student Code of Conduct at http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/regulations/pdfs/regulation-usf6.0021.pdf
Academic Integrity of Students Reference: USF Regulation USF 3.027 - The following is the portion of the Regulation pertaining to graduate students. To read the entire regulation, go to: http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/regulations/pdfs/regulation-usf3.027.pdf
Academic integrity is the foundation of the University of South Florida system’s (University/USF) commitment to the academic honesty and personal integrity of its University community. Academic integrity is grounded in certain fundamental values, which include honesty, respect and fairness. Broadly defined, academic honesty is the completion of all academic endeavors and claims of scholarly knowledge as representative of one’s own efforts. Knowledge and maintenance of the academic standards of honesty and integrity as set forth by the University are the responsibility of the entire academic community, including the instructional faculty, staff and students.
The following policies and procedures apply to all students, instructional faculty and staff who participate in administration of academic classes, programs and research at the University of South Florida. This regulation asserts fairness in that it requires notice to any student accused of a violation of academic integrity and provides a directive for discussion between the instructor and student to seek a fair and equitable resolution. If a fair resolution is not accomplished in this discussion, this regulation allows the student continued rights of due process under the academic grievance procedures based upon the preponderance of the evidence. The policies described below are the only policies and procedures that govern violations of academic integrity at the University and supersede any previous policies or regulations.
Violations of Academic Integrity: Undergraduate and Graduate
Behaviors that violate academic integrity are listed below, and are not intended to be all inclusive.
(a) Cheating, (b) Plagiarism,(C) Fabrication, Forgery and Obstruction,(d) Multiple Submissions, (e) Complicity, (f) Misconduct in Research and Creative Endeavors, (g) Computer Misuse, (h) Misuse of Intellectual Property
Violations and Sanctions for Graduate Students:
An F or Zero grade on the subject paper, lab report, etc., An F in the course activity in which credit may be earned, An FF in the course (leading to expulsion from the University, Academic dismissal for any violations of academic dishonesty policies or regulations. Possible revocation of the degree or graduate certificate following a thorough investigation.
- Program This Course Supports: Proposed MA in Psychology, USFSP
- Course Concurrence Information: While this course is designed for graduate students in the Masters degree program in Psychology currently being proposed, the content may be suitable of of interest to graduate students in other programs in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education (e.g., special education).
- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.