UTEP Library Research Guides: Collection Development Policies: Psychology

Psychology

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY
Subject: PSYCHOLOGY

Degrees offered:	BA, BS in Psychology. Secondary Teacher Certification. MA & PhD.
Number of faculty:	14.2*
Number of majors in the program:	Undergraduate 573* Masters 16* Ph.D. 24*
Faculty Liaison:	Larry Cohn
Library Subject Specialist:	Sol Lopez
Department Chair:	Edward Castaneda
* *Fall, 2003 data as reported in The University of Texas at El Paso FACT BOOK, 2003-2004, Center for Institutional Evaluation Research and Planning, University of Texas at El Paso, 2005

Program Description

The psychology program is designed to offer classes in experimental and clinical psychology. Clinical psychology explores the basis and treatment of abnormal behavior; experimental psychology investigates the mechanisms underlying motivation, cognition, sensory processes and related phenomena. Graduates are prepared to continue their studies in either experimental or clinical psychology.

The BA degree is for students interested in general applications that do not require a graduate degree. The BS degree includes mathematical and laboratory science credits and is recommend for students considering graduate work in the field. The MA programs concentrates on either general experimental psychology or clinical psychology. The PhD program is designed to train research psychologists to work in applied psychology. This research is focused on bilingual, bicultural issues as a result of the University's location on the U.S.-Mexico border.

There are 29 undergraduate courses in psychology in the undergraduate catalog and 31 in the graduate catalog. Subjects included are statistics, social psychology, personality, abnormal psychology, industrial psychology, memory, perception, sensation, behavior modification, and legal issues.

Description of Existing Collection
NCIP Code: 2b

The psychology collection is classified in the Library of Congress classification and includes resources on psychology, experimental psychology, and psychoanalysis (BF 1-175); sensation, cognition, motivation, emotion (BF 231-635); applied and comparative psychology, personality, genetic psychology (BF636-711); developmental psychology, child psychology, and temperament (BF712-839).

The journal collection includes 86 currently received titles in all areas of psychology. Special funds for the PhD program are used to purchase back volumes for seven additional titles.

The Reference collection includes major dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks in behavioral sciences, general psychology, research methodology and statistics, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, cognition and intelligence, physiological and comparative psychology, and industrial-organizational psychology. Electronic access is provided for PsycInfo, and Wiley InterScience and Social Sciences Index. Selected Rand Abstracts, and Social Sciences Citation Index, are also provided for research assistance.

Current Collecting Intensity
NCIP Code: 2b

Both current and retrospective materials are purchased each year. The PhD program requires retrospective materials that are not currently owned. There are some gaps in the reference collection which are being addressed as funds allow. There are some gaps in the journal collection which do not address all aspects of the graduate programs.

Desired Collection Level
NCIP Code: 3

The PhD program is still in need of journal titles in applied, industrial psychology, organizational behavior, and health psychology. The monograph collection is still lacking some retrospective primary and secondary authors which are needed to provide a research collection for PhD candidates.

Reviewed: 3/9/04