Undergraduate research in psychology

There are many research opportunities available to undergraduate students in the Department of Psychology. Research can be conducted on a volunteer basis, or students can earn academic credit for their research by registering for a course that includes an independent research component.

These courses provide students with valuable learning experiences that are quite different from those found in the typical classroom. In these courses, students typically read background literature in a specific area, learn methods and experimental techniques associated with that area and assist in the collection, summary and analysis of data. To receive academic credit for their research activities, students must be registered for PSYC 395, 397, 490, 492, 493, 494 or 499. Registration in these courses requires the permission of the faculty member with whom the student will be working.

Permission to conduct research as a part of these courses typically involves an application and an interview with the faculty member who is in charge of the laboratory. To take full advantage of such opportunities, the student should learn about the research being conducted in the department, find a research area that he or she finds interesting and then contact faculty to determine what opportunities are available for a given semester. (Descriptions of each faculty member's research area can be found here.) Although students are strongly encouraged to enroll in one or more of these courses during their college career, formal course work is also an important component of an undergraduate education in psychology. To assure that students have a well-rounded background in psychology upon graduation, the following guidelines have been set for the amount of independent research that can be applied to the psychology major requirements:

• No more than 12 credits of independent research (PSYC 395, 397, 490, 492, 493, 494 or 499) can count toward the major in psychology.
• Of these, eight credits may substitute for one of the required 400-level psychology courses, and an additional four credits may count toward the psychology electives section of the science and math electives.

Additionally, Harpur College placed an overall limit on the number of independent research courses that may count toward the 126 total credits required for graduation. These limits also affect internships, teaching practica (PSYC 391) and PENR classes. Limits on Independent Research courses are explained in the following table:

Independent Research (PSYC 395, 397, 490 and 492) - 16 credits

Internships- eight credits

Teaching practica (PSYC 391) - 8 credits

PENR courses - 8 credits

OVERALL LIMIT (Independent Research + Internship + Teaching Practica + PENR) - 20 credits

(i.e., Independent Research + Internship + Teaching Practica + PENR cannot exceed 20 credits)

NOTES:

• Students may not take more than 16 credits of Independent Research with the same faculty member.
• PSYC 493 and 494 (Assessment, Intervention and Evaluation II and III) and PSYC 499 (Honors Program credits) are not counted toward Harpur's limit on Independent Research.