UB Graduate School of Education: Course Descriptions

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Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology

CEP 207A - Basic Statistics and Computing

This 4-credit course is offered each semester by the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. CEP 207 is an introductory course for which there is no formal prerequisite, but knowledge of high school algebra is assumed. The statistical concepts and computer skills taught in this course are valuable in a variety of life and work applications, as well as in more advanced course work. This course introduces the theoretical bases of descriptive and inferential statistics. Examples are drawn from a wide range of disciplines to accommodate students' interests and intended majors. Students apply the statistical techniques to data by running a series of exercises on the computer using the SPSS statistical software package. The lab is a required component of the course.

CEP 404/504 - Introduction to the Rehabilitation Counseling of Substance Abuse and Addiction

Introduction to the field of rehabilitation counseling and its application to substance abuse and addiction. Examination of the social, psychological, and biological bases of addiction; exploration of assessment, diagnosis and treatment issues; understanding of the functional limitations substance addiction especially as they relate to work and independent living. All students complete quizzes, midterm and final examinations. Undergraduates (CEP 404) must read and critique two journal articles relevant to the course content. Graduate students (CEP 504) must write a paper on disability and substance abuse and lead selected group discussions.

CEP 453 - Introduction to Rehabilitation

Introduces students to the field of rehabilitation, exploring the public, private non-profit, and private for-profit sectors. Disability-related issues are presented, including: evaluation, psychosocial aspects, and employment.

CEP 500 - Fundamentals of Educational Research

Knowledge and appreciation of scientific inquiry in education; illustration of various strategies through study of research reports; technical aspects of the research process, including choice of research strategies, conceptual and operational definitions of variables, data analysis, and interpretation of results.

CEP 501 - Psychology of Learning and Instruction

This course typically deals with teaching and learning, including such topics as emotions, behavior, social processes, motivation, discipline, and classroom management; cognitive and intellectual processes and their implications for curriculum; and objectives, methods of teaching, expanding the repertoire of instructional strategies, and issues of grading. With some variation due to instructor and text, there is little emphasis on diagnosing disabilities and remediation, though general principles of normal and at-risk processes are covered.

CEP 502 - Use and Interpretation of Educational Measurements

Basic concepts in measurement are explored and applied in a variety of testing applications. Test construction, evaluations, and use in the classroom setting constitute the backbone of this course. Emphasis is placed on the appropriate use of assessment and procedures in school programs. Note: Students should not receive credit for both 502 and 561.

CEP 503 - Tests and Measurements

The course focuses on the basic assessment principles, client assessment in the rehabilitation and counseling process, and the nature of tests used in the field. The first half of the course focuses on: history of measurement, basic concepts, important social and ethical issues in testing, and technical/statistical concepts in measurement. The second half of the course deals with the content, administration, scoring and interpretation of tests frequently used in the field. Upon completing the course, students will be better able to identify and gather essential client information, interpret test information, and use test results to assist in planning. The specific course objectives are to promote:

An understanding of the foundations of assessment and the role of tests and measurements in the counseling and rehabilitation processes.
Knowledge of basic psychometric properties (e.g. reliability and validity) which are important to the selection of assessment devices and the interpretation of scores or other performance measures.
The ability to read and understand test manuals and determine the types of uses for which a particular test is most appropriate.
Knowledge of a variety of assessment devices commonly used in the field.
Skill in determining the implications of (weighting) client assessment information for clients.
Integration of medical aspects and foundational limitations of disability in developing evaluation plans that are appropriate for answering common referral questions. Relatedly, students should gain competence in selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting tests in the light of client disability.
Ability to develop and conduct vocational evaluations

CEP 504/404 - Introduction to the Rehabilitation of Substance Abuse and Addiction

Introduction to the field of rehabilitation counseling and its application to substance abuse and addiction. Examination of the social, psychological, and biological bases of addiction; exploration of assessment, diagnosis and treatment issues; understanding of the functional limitations substance addiction especially as they relate to work and independent living. All students complete quizzes, midterm and final examinations; undergraduates (CEP 404) must read and critique two journal articles relevant to the course content, graduate students (CEP 504) must write a paper on disability and substance abuse and lead selected group discussions.

CEP 506 - Introduction to Educational Technology

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the theoretical bases and practical applications of technology, particularly as used in classrooms. There are several objectives: (1) Assure some basic familiarity with computing technology and its common uses in the classroom; and (2) encourage a perspective toward viewing classroom technologies contextually.

CEP 507 - Topical Seminar in Psychological Measurement

Special topics in psychometric theories and assessment procedures. May require research participation or production.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 509, permission of instructor.

CEP 508 - Educational Uses of the Internet

This class is an exploration of ways the Internet can be utilized in instructional settings. Beyond acquiring hands-on experience with Web searching, using certain Web-based tools, and developing Web-based modules, we will investigate related technical, pedagogical, cultural, and social issues, to clarify what the Internet means in the context of educational experiences: How might teaching and learning practices change with Internet use? What is needed for successful experiences using the Internet in education? What new concerns does the Internet bring? How does the Internet relate to the cultural context of the classroom and the cultural background of teacher and learner?

CEP 509 - Educational and Psychological Measurement

Basic measurement principles of reliability, validity, scales and norms, test construction strategies, and item analysis techniques. Students become familiar with major standardized tests, develop a test or scale, perform item analysis.

CEP 511 - Doctoral Seminar in Assessment (4 credits)

Theory, techniques, and practice in the administration and interpretation of clinical tools of assessment in intellectual functioning, cognitive development, neuropsychological dysfunction, and personality development. Note: Test use fee

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in counseling psychology; permission of instructor

Credits: 4

CEP 512 - Topical Seminar in Research Methods

Topics in research design, data collection, and data analytic procedures. May require research participation or production. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor

CEP 522 - Statistical Methods: Inference I (4 credits)

Basic concepts of descriptive and inferential statistics. Logic of empirical research, measures of central tendency, dispersion, and association; the central limit theorem and sampling distributions; tests of significance and estimates of means, proportions, and correlations; contingency table analysis; simple regression analysis and one-way analysis- of-variance. Examples and assignments from studies in education and the social sciences. A one-hour-per-week computer laboratory introduces students to statistical computing.

CEP 523 - Statistical Methods: Inference II

This course focuses on the applications of linear statistical models. Specifically, estimation and significance tests for a variety of linear models will be covered, including analysis of variance, multiple regression, and analysis of covariance. Students learn how to choose appropriate statistical models for a variety of research designs and how to implement the analyses using a computer package. Analysis and interpretation of simulated and actual data sets occurs both in lecture and in the one-hour-per-week computer laboratory.

CEP 525 - Multivariate Statistical Techniques (4 credits)

Problems involving multiple dependent variables: multivariate generalization of correlation, student's t-test, multiple regression analysis, and analysis of variance. Analysis of repeated-measures data. Uniquely multivariate methods, such as stepdown, canonical, and discriminant analyses. Students apply the methods to several data sets using standard statistical computer packages.

CEP 526 - Linear Structural Models with Latent Variables

Models that concurrently estimate the structural model on latent variables and the measurement model relating latent to observed variables. Least squares, maximum likelihood, and other methods of estimating covariance and mean difference structures on latent variables; computer procedures.

CEP 528 - Program Evaluation: Theory and Practice

Evaluation methods used in support of policy decisions; framing objectives; evaluations, design, data collections, analyses, and report writing.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.

CEP 529 - Survey of Advanced Data-Analytic Techniques

Use and interpretation of several widely used analysis procedures; assignments require computing and written interpretation of analysis of real data; techniques covered include multiple regression, path analysis, factor analysis, discriminant analysis, and canonical correlation.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 523 or equivalent.

CEP 530 - Topical Seminar in Statistical Analysis

Special topics in statistical analysis and experimental design. Topics vary from semester to semester. Usually requires research participation or production. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.

CEP 532 - Introduction to Statistical Research

For many students, statistics is their least favorite course and they only take it because they have to. It frightens people. This course will not frighten you. People are only afraid of the unknown. Knowledge reduces fear. In this course you will learn statistics slowly, carefully, and one step at a time. You'll come to see that, taken methodically, statistics is easy. You'll come, if not to love statistics, at least to view them as your friend. Or, if not friend, acquaintance. At least not your enemy! The purpose of the course is to learn how to conduct a research study involving empirical data and, especially, to learn a number of basic statistical techniques for analyzing such data. You will learn by doing and in the process reduce whatever apprehension you may have about statistics (especially chi-square - everybody comes to love chi-square) and will be able to speak research jargon well enough to impress even your skeptical qualitative analysis friends.

Topics to be focused upon include:

Types of variables
Types of studies
Sample and population
Summation notation
Writing a journal article
How to choose a statistic
Reliability
Types of analysis
Standard deviation and variance
Prediction equations
Post hoc tests
Regression analyses
Standard scores
Correlation coefficients
Hypothesis testing
Chi-square
Validity
Analysis of variance
t-tests
2-factor ANOVA.

CEP 533 - Topical Seminar in Educational Psychology

Special topics in educational psychology; theories and applications. May be repeated for credit

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 538 - Computer-Based Psychological Assessment

Theory, research, practice, and ethics of employing computer based instruments for the administration and interpretation of psychological assessment devices.

Prerequisite(s): basic assessment course(s); permission of instructor.

CEP 541 - Human Growth & Development

This course is designed to engage students in a meaningful exploration of human development from prenatal experience through adolescence. The central questions of developmental psychology concerning the nature and sources of development, as well as the importance of the cultural contexts in which development occurs, will be considered throughout. Special attention will also be given to contemporary themes, such as the meaning of childhood, cognitive development and schooling, identity formation, and cultural influences on development. This course is especially useful for professionals who work with children in a variety of settings, such as schools, daycare centers, or child service agencies.

CEP 543 - Social Psychology of Education

The influence of social behaviors, relationships, and situations examined for their effects in the classroom. Motivation, development, and measurement of attitudes; social perception; personality and social behavior; group behaviors; and the school environment.

CEP 545 - Seminar in Adolescence: Developmental Psychology

The concept of adolescence: physical, social, and psychological dimensions. Major theories developed to conceptualize the world of the adolescent. Outcomes of psychosexual and psychosocial growth patterns, moral development, family and friendship patterns, the concept of identity, and cognitive development.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 546 - Topical Seminar in Human Development

Topics in the cognitive, emotional, social, and/or physical aspects of human development. Topics vary from semester to semester. Research participation required. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 547 - Social Psychology of Disability and Difference

The psychological impact of and social responses to various physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities, and issues related to diversity, are explored. Specifically, historical definitions and concepts, current issues, grief and adjustment, the nature of help, and future considerations are addressed in terms of the psychosocial aspects of disability. Crucial components of this course include a study of the construct of "normality," a review of contextual variables, and critical self-analysis of attitudes towards disability. This is a required course for rehabilitation masters students, and is open to graduate students in related fields.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor

CEP 549 - Psychology of Women

Psychology of Women is the study of women's experiences and behavior. This field is unique in psychology because it integrates many sub-disciplines: personality, developmental, social, abnormal, applied, and physiological psychology. The research generated by scholars of the psychology of women has called for reanalysis and reinterpretation of numerous concepts in psychology.Goals of this course include:

To become knowledgeable about current psychological research, theories, and controversies on women and gender.
To become aware of feminist approaches and critiques in psychology.
For women- to understand yourself and other women better; for men- to understand yourself and women better.
To critically examine and be able to speak out loud in class about controversial topics while showing respect for scholars and students who may have different points of view.
To help you learn about resources and provide you with the opportunity to learn new skills that you can use in dealing with classroom emotions which both accelerate and interfere with the learning process.

This is a graduate level course, although some advanced undergraduate students may have adequate background and proficiency to enable them to participate. There will be a variety of class activities and assignments. Readings will include both textbook material and primary sources.

CEP 550 - The Adolescent through Literature

The physical, psychological, and social world of the adolescent as perceived by novelists (e.g., Cather, Calisher, Moravia). Adolescent experiences recounted by these writers are examined in terms of major theories of psychology.

CEP 551 - Social Class, Stratification, and Behavior

Development, measurement, and the effects of social class membership on behavior. Stratification, cultural components, and the major concerns of the school are examined as they relate to social class structures.

CEP 553 - Psychology of the Adult Life Span and Aging

The subculture of aging, the aging process, and the social trends affecting the adult in American society are examined in terms of social integration, engagement-disengagement, and group consciousness. Research will be reviewed in the context of relevant developmental theories. Primary sources concerning principles of behavior and applied problems of the passages in adulthood through middle age will be assessed.

Prerequisite(s): six hours of undergraduate or graduate work in psychology; permission of instructor.

CEP 560 - The Psychology of Learning and Instruction

Can all students learn to a high level? Do fast learners remember more or less from their lessons than slow learners? If schools are set up to resemble prisons and teachers assume the role of guards, what role will students play? Under what conditions does punishment act to reinforce the behavior the punishment was intended to eliminate? These are some of the issues studied in this course. First, behavior, emotion and social processes are studied in relation to classroom management and discipline. Then such cognitive processes as knowledge, memory, and transfer of learning are studied, along with suggestions for curriculum development. Finally, instructional processes based on the above are considered, along with techniques to expand the teacher's repertoire, including mastery learning, cooperative groups, grading and creativity.

Prerequisite(s): Attendance to first class required; open to non-matriculated students contingent on space available. TEI students should enroll in CEP 501.

CEP 561 - The Psychology of Instruction and Assessment

How can a testing program complement and facilitate instruction? What makes a good test and how can I write one? What about portfolios and alternative assessments? Is intelligence inherited, and what does it mean to make such an argument? These are some of the central concerns of this course. Designed as a sequel to CEP 560 (which serves as a prerequisite), this course first reviews concepts of learning and development, which are essential and foundational for assessing classroom achievement. Next, students practice creating tests - objective and subjective measures, as well as alternative assessments - and learn the principles of good test construction. Finally, we study the statistical and logical principles underlying norm- and criterion-referenced assessment, including measures of IQ.

CEP 562 - Adult Learning

Principles of human learning; unique characteristics of adult learners; similarities and differences in learning at various age levels; application to various types of adult education, including undergraduate education.

CEP 563 - Learning Theory and Research

Past and current theories of learning, with emphasis on behavioral psychology; empirical research required.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560; Doctoral status (all departments) or permission of instructor.

CEP 564 - Cognitive Psychology

Basic theoretical and empirical issues in cognitive psychology; emphasis on its application to education and counseling settings.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560; Doctoral status (all departments) or permission of instructor.

CEP 566 - Topical Seminar in Human Learning

Topics in cognitive, developmental, emotional and/or social aspects of human learning. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 570 - Motivation: Theory and Application

Prominent theories of motivation; recent advances, current research, and problems in assessment; expectancy value, goal setting, role motivation, intentional behavior, need hierarchy, and achievement motivation.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560; permission of instructor.

CEP 572 - Research on Teaching

Current research and theory relating to the psychology of teaching; various paradigms and theoretical approaches used in the study of teaching.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560, doctoral status (all departments) or permission of instructor.

CEP 580 - Proseminar in Educational Psychology

An overview of theoretical and professional issues and the type of work in which educational psychologists engage; current research and theoretical issues that define the field; the relationship between theory/research and practice/application; historical development; issues associated with publishing and teaching.

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in educational psychology or permission of instructor.

CEP 581 - Proseminar in Counseling Psychology I

The nature, function, and status of counseling psychology and the role or research process in counseling psychology; the choice, conceptualization, and justification of a research problem; the design execution, and evaluation of counseling psychology research.

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in counseling psychology.

CEP 582 - Proseminar in Counseling Psychology II

Further examination of the nature, function, and status of counseling psychology and the role of the research process in counseling psychology.

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in counseling psychology.

CEP 590 - Individual Intelligence Testing

Administration, scoring, and interpretation of the K-ABC, the Stanford-Binet (4th ed.), the WAIS-III, the WISC-III and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities: 3rd ed. Report writing emphasized. Note: Test use fee.

Prerequisite(s): matriculation in school psychology.

CEP 591 - Psychological Assessment of Infants and Preschoolers

The focus of this course is on developmental issues for children from birth to five years of age. Students will become proficient in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of specific assessment tools including the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence-Revised, and the Differential Ability Scales. Children in this age group often visit the class with their parents, offering the students direct, one-to-one contact. Developmental anomalies are also discussed and students are provided information about the manifestation of these anomalies, long-term and short term ramifications, and effective interventions. Education laws and services available to this population are reviewed. Note: Test use fee.

Prerequisite(s): matriculation in school psychology.

CEP 592 - Psychological Assessment of Children and Adolescents

Administration, scoring, and interpretation of assessment batteries assisting in the diagnosis of emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, and mental handicaps. Includes the Bender-Gestalt, Child Behavior Checklist, House-Tree-Person, Teacher Report Form, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, and Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery Revised, Report writing emphasized. Note: Test use fee.

Prerequisite(s): matriculation in school psychology.

CEP 593 - Practicum in School Psychology (4 - 8 credits)

Supervised practice of assessment, consultation, and therapeutic intervention in the school setting. Minimum of 400 clock hours with placement in two sites. Supervised by university faculty and on-site school psychologist.

Prerequisite(s): matriculation in school psychology; permission of instructor.

Credits: 4-8

CEP 594 - Practicum in Teaching (1 - 6 credits)

Supervised college-level teaching experience in counseling and educational psychology under the guidance of a faculty member.

Prerequisite(s): completion of the course (or its equivalent) in which students will be assisting; permission of the instructor

Credits: 1-6

CEP 596 - Field Work (3 - 6 credits)

This course is essentially a counseling skills course and restricted to program majors only. Sections are available in counselor education (CE), counseling psychology (CP), rehabilitation counseling (RC), school counseling (SC), and school psychology (SP).

Credits: 3-6

CEP 597 - Counseling Practicum (3 - 6 credits)

Completion of required hours (programs vary) in an assigned agency, and achievement of performance/experience standards. Small case or work load to allow interviewing, testing, and educational, personal, or vocational services. Supervision by university faculty and agency personnel. On-campus meetings for discussion of clinical issues and skill development. Register for sections according to program (see CEP 596).

Prerequisite(s): CEP 596; permission of program.

CEP 600 - Internship (1 - 9 credits)

Locations, case load, and work assignments based on student's program and specialization. Requires completion of work hours (programs vary) and achievement of performance/experience standards. Supervision by university faculty and agency personnel. On campus meetings for discussion of clinical issues and skill development. Register for sections according to program (see CEP 596).

Prerequisite(s): CEP 597; permission of program.

Credits: 1-9

CEP 601 - Advance Practicum (1 - 10 credits)

Professional work at site obtained by student and clinical coordinator and approved by advisor. Includes weekly seminar on advanced clinical issues consistent with the role and function of a professional counselor.

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status; permission of program.

Credits: 1-10

CEP 602 - Internship in Counseling Psychology (1 - 12 credits)

Supervision and staffing usually provided at the internship site by the agency staff; departmental faculty involved as an additional resource as needed by the student. Two semesters required (9 hours per semester).

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in counseling psychology; permission of program.

Credits: 1-12

CEP 603 - Practicum in Family Counseling (1 - 6 credits)

Application of concepts learned in the family counseling course; students conduct family counseling with individual and group supervision.

Prerequisite(s): concurrent with CEP 629; permission of instructor.

Credits: 1-6

CEP 608 - Courseware Development Practicum

Development of instructional courseware; guided work on individual projects.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560; permission of instructor.

CEP 613 - Ethical Problems in Counseling

Moral and ethical aspects of counseling practice and the counseling relationship.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 614 - Workshop in Family Therapy

Semester: SUMMERS ONLY

Adequate and dysfunctional family; several prominent approaches to family counseling diagnosis; stages in the process and techniques. Considerable attention given to skill development.

CEP 615 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling

This course will present a contemporary frame of reference for the relevance of ethics and law to the practice of counseling. We will explore the various legal and ethical frameworks supporting the work of the counselor. Through a learning group approach we will combine the theoretical and the practical to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes relative to these frameworks that are necessary for effective counseling professionals.

CEP 616 - Grief Counseling

Grief is the most common and painful experience known to men and women. It affects everyone and at times it affects everyone profoundly. We are born with innate ways of healing from the pain of loss, but our society extinguishes many of these coping mechanisms by adolescence. Unresolved grief is the major reason people seek counseling and a significant cause of health problems, yet it is often unrecognized as source of the problem. The purpose of this course is to discuss how you can respond in helpful and comforting ways to people who are grieving by understanding your own grief, the nature of grief and healing, and the things that seem to help people who are hurting. This course is more personal than academic, more practical than theoretical, yet focuses on the underlying scientific grieving principles to explain why some things help and other things don't. To help grieving people we need to learn a set of behaviors based on these principles. We also have to unlearn typical ways of responding to people who are hurting. The class is intended to be relatively informal and our time will be spent talking about grief, listening to some tapes, in discussion with questions and answers, and in personal discussion of some of our own experiences. We will focus on counseling grieving people, the aftermath of murder and suicide, crisis interventions in schools, suicide prevention, and the spiritual aspects of death and loss.

CEP 617 - Group Counseling

The course will focus on the application of group dynamics and interventions to counseling groups. Theory and practice will be integrated with students leading a training group with supervision. Permission of the instructor is required.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 597 and 658

CEP 618 - Principles and Practice of Counseling

This is an introductory counseling course that examines basic counseling processes and practices. Topics include the helping model, listening and attending, therapeutic responses, working with resistant clients, readiness for change and motivational interviewing, assessment of needs, and strategies for implementation. The course will include theoretical, experiential, and personal/reflective components to help the student learn and ethically utilize counseling skills that are consistent with their personal views of the world. Requirements of the course include:

Regular attendance and active participation in discussion and weekly role-plays.
Completion of a weekly journal.
In-class presentation on a therapeutic issue.
Take-home quiz using emphatic responses
"Psychosocial History" of role-play partner
Final transcript/project of role-played counseling session

CEP 621 - Applied Counseling Problems: Substance Abuse (1 credit)

Social, health, educational, and legal implications of the increasing use of drugs and alcohol in modern society; counseling drug and alcohol abusers.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

Credits: 1

CEP 622 - Applied Counseling Problems: Legal Offenders (1 credit)

Rehabilitation and counseling needs of offenders (i.e., probationers, prisoners, parolees); settings in which their rehabilitation is intended to occur (e.g., jails, prisons, etc.); application of principles and practices of counseling and rehabilitation of these clients.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 642 - The American College Student

The history and development of student activism, activities, attitudes, responsibilities, recreational pursuits, personal development, and problems related to drugs and alcohol; difficulties encountered by special groups, including women and minorities; profile of college student fears, aspirations, and needs.

CEP 643 - Topics in Counseling Psychology

Various topics may be offered, usually requiring consent of instructor for enrollment. Examples of topics offered under the 643 number include: Applied Health Psychology, Cultural Psychology, College Counseling for High School Students, and Interpretive Frames in Qualitative Research.

CEP 644 - Counseling with Children and Adolescents

Designed for graduate students in school psychology, school counseling, and counseling psychology, this course examines various therapeutic approaches for the amelioration of such childhood and adolescent problems as conduct disorders, depression, physical abuse, sexual abuse, children of alcoholics, eating disorders, adolescent sexuality, and chemical abuse. Emphasis will be placed on prevention, early identification, and appropriate treatment strategies. Recommended interventions will reflect a "best practices" model (i.e., practices with sound empirical evidence attesting to their validity) that are practical and meaningful in applied settings.

CEP 645 - Introduction to School Counseling

This course is designed to give a general overview and description of developmental counseling in the school setting. Upon completion of the course, students will have knowledge of:

The roles and functions of school counselors
Interventions utilized by school counselors
Comprehensive school programs
Specific areas of concerns of students

Topics include: history of school counseling, roles of counselors in schools, training of school counselors, individual and group counseling in the schools, crisis intervention, creative arts with children, collaboration with other agencies, and professional and ethical issues.

CEP 646 - Introduction to College Student Personnel

Various programs and services offered to students in post-secondary settings; historical, educational, philosophical, and legal perspectives; critical issues confronting departments; guest speakers, institutional visitations, and attendance at selected events complement lectures and case studies.

CEP 647 - Organization and Administration of Student Personnel Services

Models for the delivery of student personnel services in higher education; strengths and weaknesses of alternative delivery systems.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 648 - Organization and Administration of School Guidance Services

Understanding the process of organizing and administering guidance and counseling services; examination of administrative and personnel roles.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 597 SC

CEP 649 - Rehabilitation Foundations

History, philosophy, legal basis, principles, and procedures of rehabilitation counseling; structure of the state-federal and private non-profit and for-profit rehabilitation sectors; role of function of rehabilitation team members. The class should be taken during the first semester of enrollment for rehabilitation counseling majors.

CEP 650 - Behavioral Therapy with Children and Adolescents

Behavioral therapeutic approaches in the treatment of ADHD, autism, anxiety disorders, disruptive behaviors in the classroom, elimination disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and phobias. Include laboratory experience.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 653; permission of instructor.

CEP 652 - Psychology of Sexuality

Students develop an awareness of the ability to deal with sexual issues; gain an understanding of the process of counseling as it relates to sexual issues; examine their own knowledge, attitudes, and values as they relate to sexuality; and integrate new knowledge into a more complete understanding of counseling.

CEP 653 - Foundations of Counseling Theory

The main function of this course is to introduce the major theories of counseling and psychotherapy, their background or history, the theories of personality from which they are derived, and their applications to counseling practice. The course also includes consideration of professional and ethical issues in counseling. In addition to learning about established counseling theories, each student will have the opportunity to develop her/his own counseling theory. Class time will be divided among lecture presentations, viewing of videotapes of various counseling approaches, and small group discussions and activities. As a result of this course you will:

Be exposed to a variety of ethical and professional issues in counseling and develop positions on some of these issues.
Study the ACA and/or APA ethics code(s) and have your own copy of them for future reference.
Gain basic understanding of the theory, practice, and application of varied approaches to counseling.
Form your own personal theory of counseling.
Develop skills in self-evaluation, writing and critical thinking.
Notice your own qualities that support and hinder your attempts at being therapeutic for others.

CEP 658 - Introduction to Group Work

This course will introduce counseling students to group counseling theory and practice. Group topics covered will include the interpersonal theory of groups, development, dynamics, goals, membership, leadership, stages, cohesion, norms, communication, interpersonal feedback, conflict, difficult members, and power. Special issues, topics, types of groups, and client populations will be covered. Students will learn about these topics from assigned readings, in class lectures and discussion, classroom experiential exercises (e.g. role plays), peer presentations, group projects, and written assignments. Finally, all class members will participate in experiential training groups co-facilitated by advanced students in counseling psychology and counselor education.

CEP 661 - Medical Aspects of Disability

This is a required course in the Rehabilitation Counseling masters degree program. Students in related programs having interest in the course material may enroll with prior permission of the instructor. The goals of this course are:

Give students an introduction to the physical structure and functioning of the human body.
Provide students with a basic medical vocabulary and orientation to the medical treatment of disability.
Enhance student understanding of the impact of various disabilities in the body and functioning.
Examine the functional, psychosocial and vocational impact of various disabilities.
Increase student awareness of medically related resources in the community.
Address the role of the rehabilitation counselor as part of the rehabilitation team of medical/health providers.

CEP 663 - Elementary School Counseling and Guidance

Principles and practices of guidance and counseling at the elementary school level.

Prerequisite(s): CEP 596.

CEP 664 - Process of Consultation - Seminar

Consultation as an educational and psychological service delivery model offers professionals substantive advantages over traditional practice. Collaboration across disciplines can result in effective and resilient prevention and intervention programs that benefit students, clients, organizations, and communities. Psychologists and educators can consult on the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs at the individual, systemic, or ecological levels in contemporary settings such as schools, community, organizations, and hospitals. The potential for the preventive infusion of wellness, interpersonal problem solving skill, and effective educational practices through consultation is of particular interest. This course examines the theory and practice of psychological and educational consultation with individuals and organizations. Fundamental skills of consultation are reviewed and inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches and term-based practices are stressed to prepare professionals for consultation in emerging organizational paradigms. Simulations provide practice in applicable skills learned in this and other courses. Readings include an introductory book on the process of consultation and a broad selection of theoretical and empirical articles. The seminar format stresses active and prepared contributions from students’ collaborative assignments and exercises are integral to the course.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 665 - Doctoral Seminar in Supervision

This course provides advanced doctoral students in counseling psychology and counselor education with instruction and practice in the art and science of supervision. The course explores both theories and processes of supervision and the application of those theories and processes. Students are responsible for reading and discussing assigned articles and for presenting cases emanating from their supervision of masters-level students. Each member of the seminar is assigned to supervise three supervisees who are counseling in either schools or rehabilitation agencies. The practicum students audio-record their counseling sessions; you will tape your supervisory sessions with them. In addition, each of you will be assigned a faculty member who will provide you with additional supervision each week.

Prerequisite(s): No non-matriculated students. Must be an advanced doctoral student in counseling psychology or counselor education.

CEP 667 - Rehabilitation Engineering (1 credit)

Current theory and practice of rehabilitation engineering and its implications for the practice of rehabilitation counseling; rehabilitation engineering concepts and procedures relevant to vocational adjustment and independent living.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

Credits: 1

CEP 668 - Independent Living (1 credit)

History, philosophy, laws and regulations, and procedures relevant to the independent living of persons with disabilities; role of the rehabilitation counselor in the process.

Credits: 1

CEP 669 - Sexuality and Disability (1 credit)

Introduction to the impact of disability on sexuality; ways of maximizing sexual adjustment of persons with disabilities; the role of the rehabilitation counselor in providing and securing appropriate services.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

Credits: 1

CEP 672 - Doctoral Seminar Educational Technology

The purpose of the course is to provide a forum for doctoral students in different degree programs to discuss at an advanced level various issues and research related to educational technology. Opportunities will exist for students to pursue topics in which they are interested and/or develop a proposal for their dissertation research. General topics to be addressed in the course include:

Theoretical and practical approaches to using computer-based technologies in educational settings.
Disadvantages and limitations of educational technology.
Methodological issues in conducting research in educational technology.
Issues related to class members’ interests and research topics.

Prerequisite(s): Four courses related to educational technology. A course in either quantitative or qualitative methodology.

CEP 673 - Rehabilitation Counseling with Blind and Visually Impaired (1 credit)

Rehabilitation needs of individuals with visual impairments, emphasizing vocational rehabilitation and integration into the community; emphasis on the role of the rehabilitation counselor and on using community resources.

Credits: 1

CEP 680 - Career Development

Work in America and basic aspects of vocational psychology; theories of career development and choice; relationship between education or training and work; career counseling in various settings and with diverse populations; special problems (e.g., job satisfaction, displacement, dual-career families, indecision, and indecisiveness, etc.); assessment and information issues; impact and development of interests, abilities, and values.

CEP 683 - Vocational Placement Process

The course is designed to introduce students to the theoretical, research, and practical issues relating to the placement of individuals with disabilities into productive roles in society. The content of the course includes vocational theories, vocational and labor market assessment, transitioning from school to work, legal and ethical concerns with regard to relevant disability legislation including The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Sections 501, 502, 503, 504, federal and state resources, tax incentives and disincentives, job analysis and development, and practical approaches to job placement, including supported employment, mentoring, apprenticeships, and EAP's. The course is conducted as an interactive seminar. Given the levels of individual knowledge and experience typically brought to the class, students are encouraged to actively contribute through interactive group discussion and sharing of experiences. The course is required of all candidates rehabilitation counseling majors. It is also offered to other counseling students, and may be taken, with permission, by students outside of the department.

CEP 686 - Doctoral Seminar in Vocational Psychology

Career development and choice and career behaviors are among the most important of life's decisions. This course focuses on the theory and process of helping people make good career decisions – ranging from elementary schoolers to retirees. Research in vocational psychology is very broad (and occasionally deep). The seminar tries to make some sense of the research and apply it to various types of interventions to enhance the career development of children, adolescents, and adults. Doctoral status in counseling psychology, clinical psychology, management, or counselor education is required. Permission of instructor is required.

CEP 689 - GSE Doctoral Core

A course for post-master's students in all GSE Departments in which students: (1) sample significant issues of educational theory, research, and/or practice; (2) expand their inquiry skills by exploring their own beliefs about the chosen issues, and how and why these beliefs are held; (3) address the nature of beliefs that underpin significant theories, practices, and movements in education; and (4) develop their cognitive, effective, and perceptual abilities by examining, analyzing, and evaluating their own beliefs in a cross-disciplinary and social context.

CEP 690 - Advanced Topics in Personality Assessment

This course evaluates current behavioral status, psychological functioning, and the presence of pathology in children, adolescents, and adults. Assessment instruments presented include MMPI-2, MMPI-A, CPI, CBC, TRF, and YSR. Enrollment requires matriculated status in Counseling/School Psychology doctoral program.

CEP 692 - Professional Seminar in School Psychology

Investigation of current issues relevant to the practice of school psychology. Topics: history of school psychology; ethics; licensure. An integrated review paper resulting in a research proposal is required.

Prerequisite(s): advanced standing in school psychology.

CEP 693 - Advanced Practicum in School Psychology

Advanced practicum experience in the schools.

Prerequisite(s): completion of CEP 597; advanced standing in school psychology.

CEP 699 - Internship in School Psychology

The internship is completed on a full-time basis with placement approved by the school psychology program. Requires 1200 clock hours for MA and 2000 clock hours for PhD. Supervision provided by on-site school psychologist or licensed psychologist.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of all prior clinical courses; permission of program.

CEP 700 - Individual Guidance of the Project (1 – 12 credits)

Research project in major program; typically involves library research and review of the literature.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

Credits: 1-12

CEP 701 - Individual Guidance of the Thesis (1 - 6 credits)

Thesis project in major program; involves designing and conducting a data-based research project to be defended before a thesis committee chaired by the student's advisor.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

Credits: 1-6

CEP 702 - Individual Guidance of the Dissertation (1 - 10 credits)

Dissertation in major program; involves designing and conducting a data-based research project to be defended before a dissertation committee chaired by the student's advisor.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

Credits: 1-10

CEP 703 - Independent Study (1 - 10 credits)

Activities within the independent study are to be arranged individually by the student and supervising faculty.

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

Credits: 1-10

Educational Leadership and Policyback to top

ELP 405 - Foundations of Education

Semester: Fall & Spring

The Philosophical Component: Students analyze and clarify the concepts and principles in terms of which educational issues can be explored and understood: e.g., intelligence and rationality, perception, authority, socialization. We also examine assumptions about knowledge, values, human nature, teaching, etc., that underlie educational theories and practices. The Psychological/Sociological Component: Students examine the influence of cultural perspectives, beliefs and values on several aspects of education: e.g., teaching methods, learning styles, manifest and hidden curricula, etc. The Literature Component: We use literature and films that treat education from many points of view and in a range of forms (novel, short story, memoir, autobiography, novelistic nonfiction, documentary and essay) to poignantly address some difficult moral conflicts experienced by teachers, students, parents, and others.

ELP 500 - Nature of Inquiry

This course provides a broad overview of the nature of inquiry in education, including the major concepts, assumptions, methods and theories used in various forms of educational research. By examining and critiquing examples of different kinds of inquiry, the class should prepare students for the more detailed methodology courses they will take later in their studies. It will also provide them with the basic skills to locate, read and give rudimentary evaluations of a range of research studies.

ELP 501 - Higher Education in the United States

Semester: Fall

Development of higher education in the U.S. and its historical antecedents; purposes, organization, administration, relations with society, curriculum, financing, and the major trends and issues.

ELP 502 - Historical Bases of Higher Education

Semester: Spring

Major historical developments and influences which have shaped the contemporary nature of American colleges and universities.

ELP 503 - Intercollegiate Athletics in HED

Semester: Fall

This elective course is an introduction to the role and importance of Intercollegiate Athletics in American Higher education. It attempts to provide an overview of the major issues involving college athletics at various levels and types of institutions. We will examine the nature and role of Intercollegiate Athletics, beginning with the earliest athletic event, moving forward to the present. Course materials are provided to stimulate class discussions and to facilitate an understanding of the complex nature of this enterprise, and its involvement with the larger academy.

ELP 505 - Organization and Governance in Higher Education

Semester: Fall

The processes and structures through which institutional decisions are made and influenced, with special attention to the roles of faculty, administrators, students, state coordinating and planning entities, multi-campus systems, state and federal legislative and executive bodies, and other sources of influence.

This course will look at the international comparative financing of higher education. We will concentrate on the phenomenon of cost-sharing, or the sharing and the shifting of the higher educational cost burden among governments (or taxpayers), parents and families, and students, as well as the financial assistance policies and programs (e.g., grants, loans, graduate taxes) that attempt to preserve accessibility in the face of what seems to be a worldwide shift of cost burden from governments and taxpayers to students and parents. Participants should be familiar with the website of the International Comparative Higher Education Finance and Accessibility Project (link below)

Link

http://www.gse.buffalo.edu/org/IntHigherEdFinance

ELP 528 - Law and Higher Education

This course is intended to develop an understanding of legal principles and issues that impact higher education. It is conducted in a seminar format and focuses on case law, legislation, and administrative regulations, and their campus implications for students, faculty, staff and the greater community.

ELP 529 - Practicum in HED Research

Semester: Fall & Spring

Permission of instructor required. This is an advanced research seminar in which students participate in on-going research under the direction of a faculty member. Participation includes formation of hypothesis, identification of appropriate variables and measures, data collection and analysis, and preparation of research reports. Students must register for two consecutive terms.

ELP 530 - Structure and Reform of Education

The course will focus on six influential national systems of education: that of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States, Japan and Russia (including the former U.S.S.R.) Similarities and differences in the structural characteristics of education in these societies and their sub-regions will be reviewed. Particular attention will be paid to the ideal (theoretical) structures, and the gap between theory and practice. Indicators will be proposed for the estimation of this gap at the national and the local levels. Contemporary movements to reform these systems will also be surveyed.

ELP 532 - Collective Bargaining in Higher Education

This higher education seminar will examine the development and expansion of academic unions on campus. Academic unions presently represent more than 234,500 profesors with more than 489 bargaining units throughout the nation. Public sector institutions dominate this trend with approximately 225,000 faculty members on 971 campuses. In short, academic unions are a big shareholder of academic and economic power on many university campuses. This seminar will assist in developing each student's understanding of the historical, legal and practical implications of collective bargaining and labor unions in America, with particular attention to professional employees in higher education.We will also carefully examine the pertinent NLRB and state labor board cases regarding the composition of the faculty and professional staff bargaining units. In short, he who is a member of the union makes an important difference in determining the key issues for negotiations. We will review several cases which deal with contract negotiations and implementations and instances of unfair labor practices. Lastly the class will study the advent and recent expansion of graduate student employee unions throughout the US. There will be one exam and a paper involved in some area of collective bargaining on campus. The paper findings will be presented in class.

ELP 533 - College Impact on Students

Semester: Fall

The purpose of this course is to explore the impact that college has on students, both during college and in their lives afterward. We will examine various factors that influence college impact, including student characteristics, college experiences and institutional types. We will also look at questions surrounding college impact: what are the desired consequences of college; who cares about it and why? How do we think about it; and how do we measure it? The primary goal of the course is for students to understand the concepts, research, challenges and debates concerning college impact.

ELP 534 - Critical Issues in Higher Education

Increasingly, economic analyses are being used to make decisions about educational policies and choices. Yet, there is an emerging split in the ways that education is viewed as contributing to an economy. The split represents two different ways of viewing education within a society:

Economic justifications for education have traditionally been made using the theory of welfare economics. That is, education is seen as a social investment that pays off in increased living standards for the society. The society ought to, then, collectively invest in the education of its citizens.
An emerging view of education within an economy is to see education as part of a larger productive market. In this view, education is seen as one part of a larger (national or global) economy. The society ought to, then, unfetter constraints on education by providing choices in access, ranges of quality and type, and by reducing (especially central) government control over the content and educational process.

This course explores these two views of education and economics. The purpose is to give students a clear understanding of these two views and the economic theories which underlie them. The course requires no previous knowledge of economics nor does it involve any calculations. There are three main sections to the course: (1) Welfare theories of education, (2) Market theories of education, and (3) Conflicts and agreements.

ELP 544 - Sociology of School Knowledge

As a range of contemporary theorists and philosophers have made exceedingly clear, there is no such thing as “disinterested knowledge”—all knowledge, to echo Michel Foucault, is power-laden. This realization has been particularly important for educators engaged in processes of curriculum construction. Curricular, as many now argue, are politically interested sets of texts which can reproduce oppressive ideas about race, gender, class, and sexuality across generations. In turn, comm. Curricula and standardized tests are now seen as crucial means by which the nation-state builds and legitimates itself in often very unfair ways. Course will trace the evolution of these ideas in education—the “sociology of school knowledge”—from early class-based structural approaches to more contemporary post-structural approaches. We will look at different histories and traditions here. In addition, we will look at how this very fundamental interrogation of the curriculum has opened up new questions about the role of the media and popular cultural texts in the lives of young people around the globe.

ELP 545 - Education in a Global Economy

As the global economy begins to dominate national economies, nations find themselves in a crisis of both identity and direction. Former strategies for economic growth are increasingly ineffective in a global world. In the emerging logic of global comparative and competitive advantage, education is viewed as the lynch-pin for economic growth. Education will be called upon to respond to the following objectives:

Improving quality of life through education in a wide range of economic conditions.
Meeting the challenges of new knowledge-based power and micro "knowledge societies."
Restructuring schools to serve both local needs given the imperative of a global system of production
Retraining educational professionals to plan and teach for a generation whose welfare will be based increasingly on a globally defined educational and employment opportunities.

This course is designed to provide students with the concepts which underlie this new logic. The course begins by introducing students to the principles of global production and competition. The course then looks at the various roles education will be asked to play: welfare, civic and production. Finally, emerging educational strategies are examined for their potential in addressing these challenges. No previous background in economics is required; the course is theory based, not mathematic based.

ELP 548 - Foundations of Education

An educational course designed to look at the relationships of school to society; contemporary social problems affecting education, social groups and institutions; school and community relations; national, state, and community organizations affecting education programs and the development of social understandings in pupils.

ELP 566 - Comparative and Global Studies in Education

Semester: Fall

The field of Comparative Education derives from the concept of the modern society and the notion that education contributes to such modernization. It has emerged from Western epistemology as modernizing developmentalism. As a field of study it focuses primarily on the school systems and structures as agents of modernization. As an agent of "modernization," it adheres to a positivist approach--tending to displace more grassroot approaches. Much of this conceptual framework mirrors the demand for productivity and efficiency required by industrial economies. More recently, emphases on decentralization and globalization have mirrored the needs of a world economy. Whether view from the perspective of an emerging knowledge-based economy or from a postmodern perspective, the role of education in the process of "modernization" requires critical reflection and appraisal. Several questions are germane: Should education promote modernization? To what extent should it be devoted to supporting the expansion of worldwide production and labor? What non-Western conceptualizations of education have we neglected? Does education teach human values? Should it? What role should Comparative Education play? The purpose of this course is to give students an introductory knowledge of the language and traditions of the field of Comparative Education and to introduce them to the emerging concepts surrounding globalization and education. The course exposes students to a range of ideological, methodological and cultural perspectives in the application of education worldwide. As such, it is hoped that students will learn to think deeply about the roles education currently plays and could potentially play in a rapidly globalizing world.

ELP 571 - Women in Educational Comparative Perspective

Women play a specific role within the field of economic and social development. Their education is a point of both contention and contribution. This course focuses on the specific role of women and how that role is enhanced, changed or degraded by the educational experience. Conceived within an activist perspective, the course is designed to examine specific educational policies that affect women's education. As such, the course is organized around three major themes: Challenges, Opportunities, and Possibilities. The three topics represent a particular assumption about women's education. That is, that, while women face identifiable constraints to access and quality of education, their education also represents a particular set of possibilities to the society. Thus, the potential of women's education ought to be both critically examined and celebrated. The ability of class members to analyze educational policy is considered critical to the course. As such, each class member will focus on one country or one region within Africa. Using collective knowledge and teamwork, each member will pick a particular constraint, possibility or opportunity within the chosen region or country and examine educational policy options. The course will make use of experts in the fields of Women in Development and African Education to investigate and frame the issues. Each class member will organize an interview session in conjunction with his/her group. A final paper should analyze the challenges, possibility or opportunity within the context of the region under study.

ELP 574 - Education in Asia

Semester: Fall

This course will provide an overview of Asian education and human resource development with a primary focus on the following:

What/where is "Asia"?
What are the historical and cultural origins?
How has education in Asia expanded, changed?
What are the special characteristics of the more successful systems in Asia?
How do these systems relate to the local, national and international setting?
What might we learn from Asian examples?

ELP 575 - Education & Globalization

Semester: Fall

Globalization implies an increasing internationalization, or transnationalization, of the world we live in, including information and knowledge. To some observers, it is represented by an ascendancy of markets and market capitalism and an increasing reliance on private (or non-state) producers; an increasing concentration of power in transnational corporations and advanced industrialized countries; and a weakening of indigenous languages and their literatures resulting from the advancing hegemony of English. However, analyses of this complex, multidimensional phenomenon reveal numerous tensions generated by opposing perceptions and interests. These tensions include the convergence and divergence of economic, cultural and technological policies and practices; the concentration and dispersal of power; and the relative strengths of actions and policies at the global and the local levels. The central question that will frame this course is: What do these tensions mean for education and schooling?

In this doctoral-level seminar course we will examine first, conceptions of globalization; the actors and decisions that are shaping current forms of globalization; different perspectives on the positive and negative economic, cultural and political consequences of these current manifestations of globalization; and the role played by communication and information technologies. In the second part of the course we will turn our attention to the ways in which globalization is shaping and being shaped by education, including the goals, the policies, the curriculum, the financing and the accessibility of K-12 and higher education systems; and the role of education as both a promoter of globalization, and as a possible antidote to its more deleterious effects.

ELP 577 - History of Education in the U.S.

This course surveys the history of American education from the Colonial Period to the present emphasizing social and intellectual forces that have helped shape contemporary theory and practice. While focusing on formal education (schools), the course also includes material on informal, or out-of-school, education. Issues of equity, including the impact of social class, gender, race, and ethnicity are explored in historical context. Students are introduced to a broad spectrum of historical writing and to major controversies in historical interpretation.

ELP 579 - Education and American Social History

This course explores the historical literature and the historiographical controversies on selected topics in the history of American education. A research paper using primary source material is a major component of the course. Currently, the course provides an in-depth examination of American education during what many historians call "The Progressive Era," 1890-1925. The course focuses on the relationship between social, political, and cultural change and changes in education. Among the topics covered are the impact of the second industrial revolution, urbanization, immigration from Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, the northward migration of African Americans, feminism and other reform movements, and the rise of the mass media (radio, movies, magazines, the "yellow" press). Open to students who have taken ELP 577, ELP 600 or at least one graduate level course in the History Department. Other students admitted with permission of instructor.

ELP 580 - Contemporary Social Theory & Education

Semester: Fall (even years)

The motivation for developing this course was the observation that students in our Sociology of Education Ph.D. program do not get to see very much literature that is specifically theoretical in its orientation. Moreover, a number of particular innovations in thought that have been jolting established practice across a whole range of academic disciplines had been entirely absent in our curriculum. A small program like ours is obviously limited in the variety of topics it can cover. My intent in offering this class has been to branch out a bit, and make available to our students some intellectual tools they might not otherwise encounter.

More specifically, we will be surveying influential ideas from postmodernism, post-structuralism, feminist theory, racial identity, and postcolonialism, with a focus on their varied answers to such questions as “what is power, and how does it operate?”; what counts as knowledge, who gets to decide, on what basis and with what consequences?”; and “what is identity (both personal and collective), where does it come from, and how is it related to political consciousness?”. The readings have been selected on the basis of what they offer thinkers who want to understand and help bring about social change, and our aim will be to explore how existing crucial educational theory might be improved upon through adapting some of these tools.

The class participants typically include students from programs other than Sociology of Education. The ideas discussed have influenced academic fields throughout the humanities and social sciences. They neither originated in, nor are they limited to, either sociology or educational studies.

ELP 581 - Ethnicity and Education in the United States

This course surveys the history of the education of racial and ethnic communities in the United States. It examines past and present interactions between "mainstream" American public schools and "minority" communities, including African Americans, native Americans, Mexican Americans, and immigrants from Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The course also examines the active role these communities have played in educating themselves outside of the public school system. Students will explore the past and present educational activities of families, ethnic schools, and other ethnic institutions such as newspapers, theaters, churches, and community centers and will visit several of these institutions in western New York. Issues of assimilation, cultural pluralism, and social conflict will be analyzed in historical context and in relation to current policy controversies.

ELP 582 - Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice

This course traces the history and examines the current status of women’s studies, ethnic studies, gay and lesbian studies, and studies about disability in the schools and in higher education with emphasis on political background and policy implications. Current controversies about whose knowledge should be taught and about the legitimacy of the traditional "cannon" will be explored, as will recent literature on the complexity and fluidity of ethnic and other forms of identity. Students will also be introduced to recent thinking on definitions of multicultural education and on methods of implementing it in the schools in higher education, and in adult education. Among the topics covered are organization of "inclusive" curricula, finding multicultural materials (and how to tell good materials from bad) and teaching multiculturally across the curriculum.

ELP 583 - Gender & Education

Semester: Spring

This class provides an overview of gender issues related to education: how do existing gender relations shape life in schools, and how does schooling, in turn, contribute to either perpetuating or transforming existing gender relations? We will consider a variety of competing approaches to these questions, drawing on different theoretical and methodological traditions. While gender will be the primary emphasis, it will be addressed mindfully that it must be understood in light of differences of culture, race, class, sexual orientation, etc.

ELP 584 - Methods of Historical Research on American Education

This course is intended to prepare advanced graduate students for writing dissertations that are partly or completely historical in content. The course will examine how historians have worked in the past and how they work today, with emphasis on American historiography since the 1950s. Students will develop historical questions, find and interpret different kinds of historical sources, and write and revise a historical research paper or a dissertation proposal. They will also be encouraged to develop a clear, interesting writing style appropriate for communicating historical information and analysis.

ELP 585 - Sociological Bases of Education

Semester: Fall

This course will provide an introduction to the sociology of education. Specific topics will include: conflict over the purposes of education; how those purposes are--or are not--translated into actual classroom life; how race, class and gender relations affect students' experiences; and contemporary reform movements. While exploring the relationship between schools and the wider society, we will also survey the various theoretical and methodological approaches used by sociologists of education. What scholars see happening in schools depends partly on their own beliefs and assumptions, and the field of educational research is characterized by competing perspectives. An important aim of the course is to clarify what those perspectives are and how they influence perceptions of schools. Accordingly, in our discussions we'll emphasize approaches that ask what lies behind a given written statement, what is not stated explicitly: what are the assumptions this author is implicitly making? what would the consequences be of adopting their proposals? who would benefit? who wouldn't? My expectation is that in pursuing such questions it will become apparent that schools are a site where deep social divisions of many kinds are played out, despite commonly heard rhetoric of shared American values.

ELP 587 - Critical Assessment of Contemporary Issues in Education

Close reading of the discourse surrounding a set of controversial issues in contemporary educational practice. For each topic, the course examines a sampling of relevant texts, both academic and popular, analyzing the texts for (a) their unstated assumptions, (b) their strategies for persuading readers, and (c) the implications of accepting their conclusions. Beyond developing deeper understanding of the particular set of issues addressed, the broader goal is to cultivate critical analysis techniques, reading not only to comprehend what the author is trying to convey, but also to recognize what the author doesn’t say yet necessarily comes along as part of the package: the perspective a given text emerges from, whose interests it reflects, who would benefit from the wider adoption of that perspective, etc.

ELP 589 - Education and Socialization

Semester: Spring

Socialization in educational research; functions of curriculum (formal and "hidden") and organizational structure; roles of teachers and peer groups in socialization; influence of socio-economic status, gender, politico-economic arrangements, etc.

ELP 590 - Education and Social Stratification

Stratification in educational research; views of education and social stratification; assessing the independent effects of schooling upon academic performance, academic attainment, and income; effects of "in school" variables.

ELP 591 - Academic Writing

Semester: Spring

This workshop is about building a better, more comfortable relationship to the process of writing, something of value to all writers, regardless of their current skill level. It is designed especially for those who find writing for professional audiences an awkward and alienating experience. Through demystifying the qualities of effective writing, and the process of creating it, the workshop helps students bring their own voice into their writing, so they may more readily express their thoughts with grace, clarity, and precision. Specific topics range from the details of grammar and word usage, through assembling well-knit text, to organizing an entire paper into a coherent, well-focused argument, but the emphasis throughout is on rendering the process accessible and unmysterious.

ELP 592 - American Education for International Students

Semester: Fall

This course is intended to help international students develop a better understanding of America’s education system through readings, group discussions and visits to area schools. In this course, students will examine American education from its philosophical underpinnings to its policy-making and governance structures, and finally to how school professionals are prepared. Students will compare these policies and practices with those in their home countries.

ELP 593 - Qualitative Research Methods in Education

Semester: Fall

Introduction to qualitative research methods in education; students engage in original research studies; "hands on" experience.

ELP 594 - Technology as a Social Practice

This course aims to clarify the roots of, and identify what is at stake in, contemporary conflicts over the development and use of technology. The first half addresses the problem of conceptualizing technology so as best to elucidate its social nature and its involvement in political and cultural processes; the second half applies this conceptual work by analyzing the way technologies and social structures mutually shape one another in a variety of specific institutional settings.

ELP 595 - Conflict Resolution and the Internet

This is the local version of a class being offered simultaneously at multiple universities worldwide, with online discussions among the students on the various campuses. It is an opportunity to study substantive questions about racial and ethnic conflict while simultaneously exploring what the Internet actually does and doesn’t offer as a medium for education. Its goals include better understanding of how perceived realities can promote intergroup misunderstandings and hostilities, and a wider frame of reference on race relations and conflict resolution through interacting with students in other institutions, both in the United States and abroad.

ELP 598 - Basic Statistical Methods

Semester: Pending/Fall 2006

ELP 599 - Writing Dissertation Proposals

Semester: Spring

As generations of theorists (from Durkheim to Bowles and Gintis) have made exceedingly clear, schools can be a central site for the reproduction of dominant social, cultural, and material imperatives. However, contemporary critics, thinkers, and teachers have increasingly come to stress how schools and educators can resist these demands, how educational practice can work in the service of social justice. Over the course of this semester, we will look at key writings from some of these critical theorists of education, including Michael Apple, Henry Giroux, Elizabeth Ellsworth and Peter McLaren. We will also look closely at the roots of this work (e.g., in the activism and scholarship of Paulo Freire) as well as how it is articulating with concerns in other areas, including in cultural studies and postcolonial studies. Finally, we will look to other kinds of perhaps unexplored influences (e.g., Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, C.L.R. James) to see what they can offer us in this project.

ELP 600 - History of Women’s Education in the US

The course surveys the history of women’s education in the United States from the Colonial Period to the present. Emphasis will be placed on the interaction between women’s education and their changing political, economic and social roles. The course will cover formal education, including higher and professional education and informal education, including women’s political, social, and religious organizations, and literature written for and by women. The perspective of the course is multicultural, and women will be studied as educators as well as students.

ELP 601 - History of Educational Policy in the US

This course is organized as a series of case studies of policy controversies chosen for their historical importance and their relevance to current policy debates. Each case study will be explored through the following questions: Why did this issue become an issue when it did? Who were the interested parties, and why were they interested? At what level or levels (local, state, national) was this issue debated and resolved? Why was this policy question settled as it was, and what options were rejected and why? What were the intended and unintended results? Can this historical case study provide insights that will be helpful in analysis of current policy issues?

ELP 604 - Law and Public Education

Semester: Spring

This course will study the legal structure of the American school system and the role and constraints created by the process of judicial review. Students will learn how to apply statutes and regulations as required by law, and to implement school policies in accordance with law.

ELP 605 - Collective Bargaining

Semester: Spring (every other year)

Examination of policies and procedures that guide collective bargaining and contract administration among employees in educational institution. Simulated collective bargaining and role playing are course requirements.

Prerequisite(s): ELP 629 or permission of instructor

ELP 606 - Changing Social Contexts for Educational Leaders

Semester: Spring / Summer

This is an initial experience for all students enrolled in the SEA or M.Ed. programs in educational administration and optional for others. It is our belief that persons serving in leadership roles in education need to understand the social and organizational contexts in which they work. This course develops four frames for understanding such organizations as schools, colleges, universities, and other human service organizations. The four frames incorporate theory from organizational structure, human side of organizations, the political aspects of organizations and finally organizations as cultures.

ELP 607 - School and District Capacity Building

Semester: Spring / Summer

This course will facilitate a critical examination of the theory and practice of building personal, interpersonal and organizational capacity to improve both the effectiveness of individual educators and schools as learning organizations and professional learning communities. Theory, case studies and practical work will be used to help aspiring school and district leaders develop a vision of meaningful and effective teacher and organizational learning and a knowledge of strategies and conditions for creating, supporting, nurturing and sustaining the individual and collaborative work of the school and district staff. This vision will be grounded in a conception of how teachers learn, and how schools and districts as organizations affect, and are affected by, student achievement.

Prerequisite(s): ELP 606

ELP 620 - Staff Development

Theoretical perspectives and current issues concerning the professional development of teachers and administrators; analysis of different conceptions, functions, and models of staff development in the classroom and institutional context of teaching.

ELP 621 - Action Research

Semester: Fall

Action research is a systematic form of self-reflective inquiry by practitioners into their own educational practices and situations. Its purposes have been described as the three-fold improvement of: one's practices, one's understanding of those practices, and the situations in which those practices are carried out (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988). Participants in this course will study various meanings and interpretations of action research as well as engage in its practice. The latter may involve the study one's own educational work or collaboration with a practitioner. Therefore, both practitioner-students and full-time students should be able to participate in the practice of action research as part of the course. In addition, the class will function as a collaborative group for sharing and critiquing our action research experiences. The course will include the development of skills and dispositions for carrying out action research. Knowledge of particular research techniques is not a prerequisite. Participants will have the opportunity to develop research skills for gathering and analyzing data specifically related to the issues or practice chosen to examine or change. In general data to be collected is likely to be qualitative. Students and the instructor are expected to work throughout the semester to honestly and openly seek ways to make abstract concept and principles reflexive with the conditions of classroom work. This will require careful reading of course materials, open and nuturing discussions, and serious consideration of assignments--just the kind of atmosphere you may want for your own classroom.

ELP 622 - Theory and Practice of Inquiry

Semester: (pending 2006)

ELP 624 - Paradigms and Problems in Educational Research

The course is intended for students in the beginning process of formulating their doctoral research. Alternative paradigms to guide the structuring of inquiry into education issues and problems will be considered. Students are expected to develop a paper that:

identifies a specific problem (or issue) worthy of further investigation;
describes the significance of the problem within historical and contemporary contexts;
reports what is known and what remains unknown about the problem and related issues through a formal review of the literature;
Develops a formal conceptual framework of the problem based on the review of the literature; and
specifies research questions and/or hypotheses to be investigated to add to our understanding of the problem.

Concern with research design and methods is only incidental to the primary focus of problem conceptualization. Permission of the student?s advisor is required to participate in the course; and, students should consult with their advisors at key developmental points and keep their advisors informed of progress being made.

ELP 625 - Studies in Educational Leadership

Semester: Summer

This course examines the role of leadership in understanding and improving educational practice. Students will become critical readers of research and become familiar with different conceptions of school leadership at both the building and district levels. Students will also begin to articulate their own values and beliefs about school leadership and develop a personal vision of educational change, school improvement and educational success.

ELP 626 - Policy Formulation and Analysis in Educational Administration

Factual and normative bases for development of policy alternatives in educational administration; criteria for decisions as they apply to such issues; use of studies of policy decision; application of methods of formulation and analysis to educational policy issues particularly as they relate to planned study in the concentration.

ELP 627 - Issues and Perspectives in Policies for Educational Administration

Contemporary issues in theory and research for policy-making in educational administration.

ELP 629 - Personnel Administration: Employee Relations in Education

Semester: Fall

Issues and problems in personnel administration in education; implications for public policy and impact upon educational institutions and various categories of school personnel.

ELP 630 - Leading & Managing People

Semester: Fall

This course will explore past and present theories of educational leadership and management, and pay particular attention to understanding instructional, transactional, transformational and invitational leadership styles. We will examine leadership and management processes relating in relation to changing social contexts and societal expectations, and study what leadership and management could look like in school structured to model organizations more appropriate for the 21st Century.

ELP 631 - State and Local Policymaking

School district as a policy system; role of the school administrator in it; relationships of districts to state policy processes; constraints imposed by federal law and court decisions; implications of the state/local system for local control, program coordination, and resource allocation; effects of community expectations and participation on policy-making in districts.

ELP 632 - Issues in Urban School Leadership

The impact of style of leadership, relations with the central office, stress and school climate on the leadership capacity of urban school principals; consideration of the limited number of women and minorities in the principalship as well as the needs of an increasingly multi-ethnic student population.

ELP 633 - Issues in Urban School District Leadership

The role of the superintendent in urban school districts: women superintendents, relations with principals, relations with school boards; analysis of case studies and diverse leadership styles.

ELP 634 - Leading Change in Schools and School Districts – LIFTS Only

Semester: Summer

The course examines the role of district and school site leadership in implementing successful change to improve student achievement. Students will learn how to develop and implement a collaborative vision by identifying shared goals and objectives, seeking and valuing diverse perspectives and alternative points of view, building shared understanding through teamwork and capacity building, and effecting any needed educational change through ethical and data-based decision-making.

ELP 635 - Leading an Effective School District

Semester: Spring

Students will become familiar with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the responsibilities of the chief and other executive officers and instructional leaders of a school district, including but not limited to:

Design and execute district-wide systems to promote higher levels of student achievement;
Develop and implement an educational vision, or build and sustain an existing one, to assist all district students, pre-kindergarten through high school, in meeting state learning standards;
Interact and communicate effectively with school board and other community members of diverse backgrounds in developing and implementing district policies, managing change, and managing district affairs, and providing clear, accurate written and spoken information that publicizes the district's goals, expectation, and performance results, and builds support for improving student achievement.

ELP 637 - Strategies for Changing Educational Organizations

Despite continuous external efforts to make curricular, instructional and organizational changes, elementary and secondary school structures and practices have remained remarkably stable over the decades. These external pressures and the resiliency of schools reflect the constant tension between demands for change and demands for constancy. Historically, attempts to reform schools generally have paid little attention to the social and political forces in the larger society that influence schooling, or to the organizational culture and structure within schools and the teaching profession. Recent literature and reform efforts, however, have begun to address some of these influences. This seminar is intended to help participants understand the complex range of issues involved in the process of school change and to improve their ability to act as change agents or to undertake research on the change process. Through a seminar format we will focus on critically examining:

the social, political, and organizational factors influencing school reform efforts;
the historical responses of schools to planned change efforts;
the goals and assumptions of current school reform policies;
the processes and strategies of changes being enacted in schools; and
the processes and strategies of promoting school improvement that are suggested by

ELP 640 - Charter Schools

Semester: (pending 2006)

ELP 643 - Reforming Teacher Compensation

Semester: Spring (every other year)

Issues and problems in teacher compensation. Teacher recruitment, retention, and motivation are examined in light of proposed compensation reforms such as merit pay, differentiated staffing, teacher career ladders, and alterations in the single salary schedule.

Prerequisite(s): ELP 629 or permission of instructor

ELP 645 - Multi and Cultural Diversity

Semester: (pending 2006)

ELP 646 - School Business Administration

Semester: Spring

Issues and problems in school business administration; including accounting, budgeting, purchasing, facilities management, food services, transportation, and data processing.

Prerequisite(s): ELP 647 or 649 or permission of instructor.

ELP 647 - Educational Planning, Budgeting and Data Analysis – LIFTS only

Semester: Spring

This course examines the roles of planning, budgeting and data analysis in understanding and improving educational efficiency and effectiveness at both the building and district levels. Students will become familiar with different planning and budgeting models and alternative theories of change, and will become competent at analyzing data to improve decision making and organizational performance that supports the achievement of educational goals and objectives.

ELP 649 - School Finance

Semester: Fall

Course objectives are to help participants develop understandings of:

social, political, and economic values as they relate to school finance issues;
political processes as they affect the enactment and implementation of school finance legislation;
the economic system as it affects the outcomes of school finance policy;
relationships between financial inputs, schooling provisions, and pupil achievement;
the characteristics of revenue sources for public support of education, especially the property tax and state and federal aid;
proposals for reform of school finance policy, school governance, and resource allocation patterns, and their potential effect on various objectives of public policy.

The course provides participants with experience in doing an analysis of


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Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology

CEP 207A - Basic Statistics and Computing

CEP 404/504 - Introduction to the Rehabilitation Counseling of Substance Abuse and Addiction

CEP 453 - Introduction to Rehabilitation

CEP 500 - Fundamentals of Educational Research

CEP 501 - Psychology of Learning and Instruction

CEP 502 - Use and Interpretation of Educational Measurements

CEP 503 - Tests and Measurements

CEP 504/404 - Introduction to the Rehabilitation of Substance Abuse and Addiction

CEP 506 - Introduction to Educational Technology

CEP 507 - Topical Seminar in Psychological Measurement

Prerequisite(s): CEP 509, permission of instructor.

CEP 508 - Educational Uses of the Internet

CEP 509 - Educational and Psychological Measurement

CEP 511 - Doctoral Seminar in Assessment (4 credits)

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in counseling psychology; permission of instructor

Credits: 4

CEP 512 - Topical Seminar in Research Methods

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor

CEP 522 - Statistical Methods: Inference I (4 credits)

CEP 523 - Statistical Methods: Inference II

CEP 525 - Multivariate Statistical Techniques (4 credits)

CEP 526 - Linear Structural Models with Latent Variables

CEP 528 - Program Evaluation: Theory and Practice

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.

CEP 529 - Survey of Advanced Data-Analytic Techniques

Prerequisite(s): CEP 523 or equivalent.

CEP 530 - Topical Seminar in Statistical Analysis

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.

CEP 532 - Introduction to Statistical Research

CEP 533 - Topical Seminar in Educational Psychology

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 538 - Computer-Based Psychological Assessment

Prerequisite(s): basic assessment course(s); permission of instructor.

CEP 541 - Human Growth & Development

CEP 543 - Social Psychology of Education

CEP 545 - Seminar in Adolescence: Developmental Psychology

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 546 - Topical Seminar in Human Development

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 547 - Social Psychology of Disability and Difference

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor

CEP 549 - Psychology of Women

CEP 550 - The Adolescent through Literature

CEP 551 - Social Class, Stratification, and Behavior

CEP 553 - Psychology of the Adult Life Span and Aging

Prerequisite(s): six hours of undergraduate or graduate work in psychology; permission of instructor.

CEP 560 - The Psychology of Learning and Instruction

Prerequisite(s): Attendance to first class required; open to non-matriculated students contingent on space available. TEI students should enroll in CEP 501.

CEP 561 - The Psychology of Instruction and Assessment

CEP 562 - Adult Learning

CEP 563 - Learning Theory and Research

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560; Doctoral status (all departments) or permission of instructor.

CEP 564 - Cognitive Psychology

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560; Doctoral status (all departments) or permission of instructor.

CEP 566 - Topical Seminar in Human Learning

Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.

CEP 570 - Motivation: Theory and Application

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560; permission of instructor.

CEP 572 - Research on Teaching

Prerequisite(s): CEP 560, doctoral status (all departments) or permission of instructor.

CEP 580 - Proseminar in Educational Psychology

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in educational psychology or permission of instructor.

CEP 581 - Proseminar in Counseling Psychology I

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in counseling psychology.

CEP 582 - Proseminar in Counseling Psychology II

Prerequisite(s): doctoral status in counseling psychology.

CEP 590 - Individual Intelligence Testing

Prerequisite(s): matriculation in school psychology.

CEP 591 - Psychological Assessment of Infants and Preschoolers

Prerequisite(s): matriculation in school psychology.

CEP 592 - Psychological Assessment of Children and Adolescents

Prerequisite(s): matriculation in school psychology.