Psychology and Human Services
Psychology is a broad-ranging scientific field dedicated to studying the integrative aspects of mind, brain, and behavior. Courses in our department explore topics related to neuroscience, development, sensation, learning, memory, intelligence, motivation, emotion, stress, human flourishing, group dynamics, personality, human services, social work, addiction studies, and mental health. We offer day, evening, weekend, and online classes to meet the diverse needs of our student population. Courses are available throughout the year in Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer semesters.
We provide several different academic pathways for our students to achieve their goals. Transfer pathways in our department facilitate students to achieve Associate's of Arts for Transfer(AA-T) degrees in Psychology or Social Work. AA-T degrees guarantee students transfer into a California State University for completion of a Bachelor's Degree. In addition, our Human Services program specifically trains students for career opportunities in a wide range of human health services. Students can obtain degrees and certificates in Human Services and Addicition Studies. Explore our educational pathways below.
Welcome to the Psychology and Human Services Department
Watch this informative video to learn more about the our academic pathways at ÓÕ»óÂÜÀò.
Our Faculty
We aim to foster a supportive and engaging learning environment that empowers students to explore and understand the complexities of human behavior and mental health. With a commitment to excellence in education, our faculty strives to prepare students for successful careers in diverse fields of psychology. Learn more about our dedicated faculty.
Honors and Club Information
Joining a club or becoming a member of a national honor society enriches the academic experience by offering unique opportunities for leadership development, networking, and personal growth. Members gain access to exclusive resources, workshops, and conferences that can enhance their professional profiles and prepare them for successful careers. Check out the opportunities available through our department.
Mission Statement
The mission of the LACC Psychology Department is to cultivate a deep understanding of human behavior in our students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful careers or advanced studies in psychology. We strive to create an engaging and supportive learning environment that fosters critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and personal growth. Our goal is to empower students to apply psychological principles to improve their lives and contribute positively to their communities.
Psychology Courses
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs) Transfer Credit:
CSU (CSUGE Area D), UC (IGETC Area 4), C-ID (PSY 110)
Students learn the psychological principles behind behaviors such as learning, motivation, intelligence, feelings and emotions, personality, abnormal behavior and methods of adjustment. Different psychological perspectives such as psychoanalysis, neuroscience, cognitive, behaviorism, and humanism will be emphasized.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU (CSUGE Area B2), UC (IGETC Area 5B), C-ID (PSY 150)
Prerequisite: PSYCH 001
Students learn to explain psychological behavior as a result and cause of events taking place in the brain, nervous systems, and genes. Students learn to explain the relationship of biological events to psychopathology, sexuality, motivation, sleep, stress, emotions, perception, and learning.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU (CSUGE Area E), C-ID (PSY 115)
Prerequisite: PSYCH 001
The student focuses on self-awareness and personality development. Topics considered include love, work, loneliness, death and loss, intimate relationships, sex roles and sexuality, and values in life.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU (CSUGE Area D), UC (IGETC Area 4), C-ID (PSY 170)
Prerequisite: PSYCH 001
Students will learn how individuals are influenced by our society in the areas of persuasion, propaganda and brain washing, obedience and conformity, aggression and prejudice, sexism, gender roles, group processes, interpersonal relationships, and multiculturalism.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU (CSUGE Area D), UC (IGETC Area 4), C-ID (PSY 120)
Prerequisite: PSYCH 001
Students learn about abnormal behavior from the perspective of contemporary medical, psychosocial, and socio-cultural approaches. Students analyze abnormal disorders, evaluate their major causes, and identify treatment modalities. Topics will include criteria used for defining abnormal behavior, an overview of the basic psychological perspectives, explanations of DSM standards, and testing and assessment procedures.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs) Transfer Credit:
CSU (CSUGE Area D,E), UC (IGETC Area 4), C-ID (PSY 180)
Prerequisite: PSYCH 001
Students learn about physical, emotional, cognitive and social growth and change affecting individuals across the lifespan. Students follow the development of humans from conception to death, examining theories and research in the fi elds of personality, social, emotional, and cognitive psychology. This course will also investigate problems of development.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU (CSUGE Area E)
Students learn group dynamics principles including active listening, communication models, body language principles and factors that influence group cohesion.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU
Students learn in this survey course how to survive in the real world of work in Human Services including Social Work. This course integrates psychological theory with practice. The course covers specialized areas of psychology such as crisis intervention, psychopharmacology, counseling ethics, and interviewing. Included are techniques for agency survival such as job interviewing, report writing, and resource referral.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU (CSUGE Area D), UC (IGETC Area 4), C-ID (PSY 130)
Students learn information about different psychological aspects of sexual expression such as the biochemical factors, childhood experiences, gender influences and societal influences. Topics include attraction, love, marriage, the sexual response cycle, sexual orientation, paraphilias, prostitution, rape, and pornography.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU (CSUGE Area D), UC (IGETC Area 4), C-ID (PSY 200)
Prerequisite: PSYCH 001, MATH 227, ENGLISH 101 or ENGLISH 101Z or E.S.L. 110
The student surveys various research methods with an emphasis on research design, experimental procedures, instrumentation, and the collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of research data. Research design and methodology will be illustrated through a selected review of research in the fi eld of psychology.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: (CSU & UC: PENDING)
This course uses the biopsychosocial framework to understand health and illness. Topics include health promoting behaviors; coping with stress and resiliency; patient-provider communication; pain; theories on stress; psychoneuroimmunology; mind-body intervention; and placebos.
3 Units (Lec 1 Hr / Lab 6 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU
Corequisite: PSYCH 045
The student is introduced to the field of Human Services and Social Work. Students will achieve basic counseling and communication skills and be able to apply these skills in diverse human services organizations. Students learn the 12 core functions of the human services career, and apply these skills, at a beginning level, in diverse human services organizations. Fieldwork internships at human services and social work organizations are required.
3 Units (Lec 1 Hr / Lab 6 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU
Prerequisite: PSYCH 081
Students build on the skills they learned in Field Work I by participating, under supervision, at various facilities in the community that offer Social Work and Human Services. Students will achieve intermediate counseling and communication skills and be able to apply these skills in diverse human service organizations. Students continue to develop their knowledge of the 12 core functions of the human services career, and apply these skills, at an intermediate level, in diverse human services organizations. Fieldwork internships at social work and human services organizations are required.
Addiction Studies Courses
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU, UC
This course is an introductory survey on alcohol and drug use and abuse. The history, classification, impact, and treatment of psychoactive drugs and addiction are covered. Public policies and social attitudes on alcohol and drug abuse, as well as mental health and drugs, are also examined.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU, UC
This course offers comprehensive instruction on the pharmacological and behavioral effects of all major categories of both legal and illegal psychoactive substances, including a detailed review of the nervous system. Pharmacological and physiological implications of tolerance, habituation, and excessive consumption of psychoactive substances are explored as well as cultural and social implications of substance use.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU, UC
Students are trained in the application of legal and ethical issues that impact the profession of addiction treatment. This course also emphasizes the assessment and diagnosis of co-occurring disorders as they apply to the scope of competence for addiction treatment counselors.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU, UC
This course addresses intervention, treatment, and recovery issues in chemical dependency. Topics include
approaches to intervention, obstacles to intervention, and stages of formal intervention. The medical, behavioral, social, and family systems models of treatment, as well as various approaches to treatment,
are also discussed.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU
This course addresses strategies used to prevent alcohol and drug problems in different settings,
including industry, school, family, and community and rehabilitation centers.
3 Units (Lec 3 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU
This course develops competencies in case management and documentation strategies for the addiction treatment setting, with attention to the admissions process, interventions, and documentation of information as it pertains to clients with substance use and other addiction disorders.
4 Units (Lec 1.5 Hrs / Lab 6 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU
Prerequisite(s): PSYCH 001 ; PSYCH 043 ; PSYCH 045; ADDICST 004
This is a supervised practicum course. Participants must be knowledgeable about addiction and treatment. The course provides observation, interaction, and counseling opportunities with clients and counselors at rehabilitation clinics. This course satisfies half of the fieldwork hours (125) required by CAADE in addition to the classroom hours.
4 Units (Lec 1.5 Hrs / Lab 6 Hrs)
Transfer Credit: CSU
Prerequisite(s): ADDICST 084
Students build on the skills they learned in Field Work I by participating, under supervision, at various facilities in the community that offer drug and alcohol treatment programs. Students will achieve intermediate counseling and communication skills and be able to apply these skills in diverse drug and alcohol treatment settings. Students continue to develop their knowledge of the 12
core functions of drug and alcohol treatment, and apply these skills at an intermediate level in drug and alcohol treatment programs. Fieldwork internships at drug and alcohol treatment programs are required.