468 Undergraduate Education
interests: “mental measurement” by James McKeen Cattell at
Pennsylvania, “psychological basis of religious faith” by
William James at Harvard, and “pedagogical psychology” by
Harry Kirke Wolfe at Nebraska.
A common developmental pattern of future psychology
curricula was captured by the Pennsylvania catalog of 1890.
Unlike other universities, Penn had its own psychology de-
partment; it was not a subset of philosophy or some other
area. A sequence of courses was listed. Psychology 1 was a
lecture course titled Elementary Psychology. Psychology 3
(no Psychology 2 was listed) was titled Experimental Psy-
chology with lectures and laboratory work. Psychology 4 was
titled Mental Measurement with lectures, reports, and ad-
vanced work in the laboratory. “Course 4 is open only to those
who have taken course 3, and will be different each year, for
a series of years. Advanced Physiological Psychology is pro-
posed for 1891–92, and Comparative, Social, and Abnormal
Psychology for 1892–3” (University of Pennsylvania Cata-
logue and Announcements 1890–1891,p. 96).
McGovern (1992b) found that by 1900, at Berkeley,
Brown, Cincinnati, Columbia, Cornell, George Washington,
Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Wellesley, Wis-
consin, and Yale, the first course was followed by an “experi-
mental psychology” course. Laboratory work was required in
either this course or in an additional course sometimes titled
“laboratory in psychology.” Courses titled “advanced psy-
chology” or “advanced experimental” fostered students’ indi-
vidual research with faculty supervision. The 1900–1901
Brown catalog stated, “The aim is to make original contribu-
tions to scientific knowledge in psychology and to publish the
results” (Brown University Catalogue, 1900–1901,p. 57).
Courses in abnormal, comparative, genetic, systematic,
and psychological theory began to appear, as did more special
topics courses. At Nebraska, a course in “race psychology”
was listed. At Wisconsin, there was a course in “mental evolu-
tion”; Part I emphasized comparative psychology and Part II
emphasized anthropology. At Amherst, Cornell, and Yale, the
first course in the philosophy department was an interdiscipli-
nary offering that covered psychology, logic, and ethics.
One of the most extensive curricula was listed at Colum-
bia University in the Department of Philosophy, Psychology,
Anthropology, and Education. Fifteen separate “Courses in
Psychology” were listed, taught by an interdisciplinary fac-
ulty. The following introductory offerings were then fol-
lowed by 13 topic courses, laboratory courses, or supervised
research courses:
A.Elements of psychology—James’s Principles of Psychol-
ogy—Discussions, practical exercises, and recitations. 3
hours. First half-year, given in 4 sections.Professor Lord. A parallel course is given by Dr. Thorndike at
Teachers College.
1.Introduction to psychology. 2 hours, lectures and demon-
strations.
Professors Butler, Cattell, Boas, Starr, and Hyslop, Drs. Far-
rand and Thorndike, and Mr. Strong.
The object of this course is to give a summary view of the
subject-matter and methods of modern psychology. The ground
covered is as follows:
A.Prolegomena to psychology, including a sketch of the history
of psychology. Six lectures. Professor Butler.
B.Physiological psychology. Eight lectures. Dr. Farrand.
C.Experimental psychology. Eight lectures. Professor Cattell.
D.Genetic psychology. Seven lectures. Dr. Thorndike.
E.Comparative psychology. Seven lectures. Dr. Boas.
F. Pathological psychology. Three lectures. Dr. Starr.
G.General psychology. Eight lectures. Professor Hyslop.
H.Philosophy of mind. Six lectures. Mr. Strong.
Requisite: Psychology A, previously or simultaneously.
(Columbia University in the City of New York Catalogue, 1900–
1901,p. 176)
Rice’s (2000) analysis of reviews of this period by Garvey
(1929) and Ruckmich (1912) suggested that five stages of
institutional development for psychology departments were
evident by 1900. In Stage 1, mental science or mental philos-
ophy courses were being taught. In Stage 2, institutions were
offering one or more courses labeled “psychology.” Stage 3
had institutions with psychological laboratories. Stage 4 de-
partments were offering the PhD in psychology. Stage 5 rep-
resented an independent department; Rice suggested that
Clark, Columbia, Illinois, and Chicago were the only institu-
tions at this level.
The APA-sponsored reports by Calkins, Sanford,
Seashore, and Whipple in 1910, and Henry’s (1938) exami-
nation of 157 catalogs will take the reader almost to midcen-
tury in describing the courses taught to undergraduate
psychology students. Lux and Daniel (1978) consolidated
these portraits with a table of the 30 most frequent under-
graduate courses offered in 1947, 1961, 1969, and 1975.
Perlman and McCann (1999a, p. 179) continued this tradition
by identifying the 30 most frequently offered undergraduate
courses, and the percentages of colleges requiring them, in
their study of 400 catalogs for 1996–1997.
Scholars from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advance-
ment of Teaching (1977) aptly described the post–World
War II period of curricular expansion as “the academic shop-
ping center” (p. 5). Keeping in mind Veysey’s (1973) analysis
of the eras of expansion and their external stimuli, psychol-
ogy was benefiting from the utilitarian demands from more