RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERGRADUATES

Research is an integral part of psychology, and students can learn a great deal by participating in research. By working with individual faculty members, students can better decide whether to pursue a career in psychology. Undergraduates may participate in research through enrollment in PSYC 490x (Directed Research). It is not necessary to take this course to be involved in faculty research, and the experience itself is valuable even if no academic credit is earned. It is, however, advantageous for a student to have the record of research on his/her transcript, particularly when applying to graduate school or seeking employment that involves assisting in psychological research. A maximum of 8 units of PSYC 490x may be taken.

To register for PSYC 490x, a departmental application form must be completed and approved in advance of registration. Application forms are available from the department office (SGM 501).

Guidelines for applying include the completion of at least three psychology courses (including PSYC 100 and 274) and overall and psychology GPAs of 3.0. Consent of a Psychology department faculty member to supervise the research project and permission of the chair of the department are required. As part of the course requirement, students will write a reflective or research paper at the end of the semester that will be graded by the supervising instructor. Meeting the guidelines is not equivalent to approval for PSYC 490x. The application must be completed, submitted, reviewed, and approved before you are given permission to register. Students are responsible for registering for the class after the Undergraduate Advisor has given departmental permission (D-clearance).

Research Assistanship Directory

To encourage and facilitate undergraduate student involvement in the production of knowledge through empirical research, the department compiles a Research Assistantship Directory each fall semester. This directory lists some of the faculty who are interested in offering undergraduates the opportunity to be involved in current investigations as research assistants on a voluntary or credit basis. The directory includes information such as where and when to contact the researcher, the current research topics under investigation, specific assistantship duties, and desired qualifications for undergraduate assistants. The directory, available also in SGM 501, is an excellent resource for students looking for research programs in which to participate. The directory is, however, a starting place; it does not exhaust the research possibilities within the Psychology department. If there is a faculty member whose work is particularly interesting, students should feel free to contact him or her about research opportunities even if there is no listing in the directory.