Course Syllabus

Fall 2026 | PSY-2060-VO02 - Psychopathology

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Stacy Shortle
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Kate Hughes

General Education Requirements

Social Science

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the study of psychopathology which explores the description, classification, and treatment of mental disorders. Areas of focus include anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the development of psychopathology as a scientific discipline.
2. Compare and contrast the major paradigms in psychopathology including biological, psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, and sociocultural models.
3. Describe common symptoms and treatments of mental disorders including anxiety, depressive, somatic, dissociative, sexual, and psychotic disorders.
4. Discuss the subjective and culturally specific nature of diagnosed mental disorders and how these diagnoses have been used to create, maintain, or dismantle social inequalities.
5. Identify and analyze legal and ethical issues surrounding the research and treatment of mental disorders.
6. Distinguish between fact and opinion, recognize unstated assumptions, and evaluate arguments according to the quality of supporting evidence in the literature.
7. Locate, select, and effectively use research materials that address specific problems in psychopathology.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Integrated: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges the use of AI is an essential skill in today's world. By using genAI for specific purposes, students become equipped with relevant skills and tools necessary to thrive in a technology-driven society. Emphasizing the mastery of generative AI should empower you to harness its potential, enhancing your problem-solving abilities and preparing you for future challenges and opportunities. Be aware, however, that any time generative AI is used at any point in the assignment without attribution it may be considered a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

Course Overview

This course is an introduction to the study of psychopathology which explores the description, classification, and treatment of mental disorders. Areas of focus include anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Essential Objectives

1.Describe the development of psychopathology as a scientific discipline.
2.Compare and contrast the major paradigms in psychopathology including biological, psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, and sociocultural models.
3.Describe common symptoms and treatments of mental disorders including anxiety, depressive, somatic, dissociative, sexual, and psychotic disorders.
4.Discuss the subjective and culturally specific nature of diagnosed mental disorders and how these diagnoses have been used to create, maintain, or dismantle social inequalities.
5.Identify and analyze legal and ethical issues surrounding the research and treatment of mental disorders.
6.Distinguish between fact and opinion, recognize unstated assumptions, and evaluate arguments according to the quality of supporting evidence in the literature.
7.Locate, select, and effectively use research materials that address specific problems in psychopathology.

You will be working with a free online textbook

Fundamentals of Psychological Disorders, 3rd Edition

by Alexis Bridley, Ph.D. and Lee W. Daffin, Jr. Ph.D.

This course will include a weekly-pre-recorded summary of the content of the particular chapter being discussed that week.

Evaluation Criteria

Discussion Posts-30%

Each week, you will be assigned a discussion post or two to complete that is in response to a particular concept covered in the assigned chapter that week. In addition to completing the Discussion Post, you will be require to respond to at least one other student’s post.

Starting in week 2, for discussion posts, you will be responsible for posting your initial response to the prompt by Thursday night at 11:59PM.By Monday at 11:59PM, you will reply to one classmates' post. In your reply, ask a question or for clarification or provide support or an example. Be sure to loop back to your own post and answer any questions you have been asked..

The other important point to remember in discussion posts is to cite your sources-please be using the ebook as well as a second source in your response!

A Rubric will be attached to each assigned Discussion Post. This will allow you guidelines to follow to receive maximum points for each Discussion Post. Discussion Post topics will be posted at 12:00 AM on Tuesdays. There are no late submissions or extensions unless extenuating circumstances prevent completion.

Reference must be written in APA format.

Chapter Quizzes-25%

You will be responsible for completing weekly quizzes. Quizzes reflect the content covered in the chapter assigned each week. Quizzes will be posted at 12:00 AM on Tuesdays and are due the following Monday at 11:59 PM. There are no late submissions or extensions unless extenuating circumstances prevent completion.

Final Paper-25%

Your comprehensive paper will be an in depth explorationof a specific disorder that you want to learn about in
more depth. Your paper will include an introduction as to why you chose the particular disorder, a review of
the history of the disorder (i.e., when it was first talked about in history, prior names it was
called, who first discovered it, etc), prevalence rates, symptoms according to DSM-5 criteria,
how to diagnose the disorder (assessment methods), a discussion of at least two validated
treatments and a solid conclusion to wrap it all up. Papers MUST follow the American Psychological
Association Publication Manual guidelines or they will not be accepted. Please refer to the Class Canvas page for due date.

Myth Assignments-20%

You most likely have heard some statements in your world that make assumptions about particular behaviors or phenomenon, but lack scientific evidence to back them up. Throughout the semester, I will present a myth that is related to the content of the chapter that particular week. You will use the VSC Library Database to find two scientific/evidence based articles written by scholars and published in reputable psychology journals that dispel that particular myth. You will be expected to write a short summary of each article and how it dispels the myth, and to include the citations in APA format. These assignments are meant to help you think critically about what you hear or read, and to find evidence-based data to support or refute the statement.

Myths will be posted at 12:00 AM on Tuesdays and are due the following Monday at 11:59 PM. There are no late submissions or extensions unless extenuating circumstances prevent completion.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Participation-Each week, you will be expected to post a response to a topic presented by the Instructor for attendance purposes, as well as responses to classmates' posts to simulate a "discussion" much like in a traditional classroom setting. Please refer to the Discussion Post Rubric, which you will find embedded within each Discussion Post in each Weekly Module.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Work completion including chapter quizzes, discussion posts, and myth assignments are to be completed by the due dates listed on Canvas. There are NO exceptions unless extenuating circumstances prevent you from completing the work that week and the student reaches out to the instructor (if possible) prior to the assignment deadline with an explanation. You may also be expected to provide documentation (i.e., doctor's note, etc). If work is not received by the due date, a 0 will be recorded-no late submissions. Please review the due dates in the weekly modules on Canvas to plan and organize your time week by week for success in this course.

This course is asynchronous and runs continuously for 15 weeks. There are no vacation weeks! Please plan accordingly.

You will need a computer and/or chromebook with reliable internet to successfully complete this course.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.