SUPERVISED RESEARCH (PSYC 497 AND 498)

Would you like to learn more about an area of psychology by working more closely with a psychology professor who is an expert in that area?

Would you like to get valuable first-hand experience in psychological science?

Are you thinking about the possibility of graduate school for a career in psychology?

Your Department of Psychology provides these opportunities. To be eligible you must have completed Psychology 317 and 318 and have a minimum GPA of 2.5. With a faculty mentor’s guidance, you will become involved in ongoing research or develop new research. With other psychology majors who are also involved in supervised research, you will meet regularly in my seminar to discuss what you are doing and learning.

Here’s how to get started gaining important experience by enrolling in the first semester of the 3-credit hour “Supervised Research” course (Psychology 497).

Read through the faculty interests listed on the following pages. Nearly all of your psychology professors involve psychology majors in their professional research activities.

Decide on your top three choices of faculty whose interests intrigue you or whom you already know (e.g., have taken a class with) and would like to work with.

Send your top choice an e-mail to introduce yourself, express your interest in his/her research activities, and indicate you would like to meet to discuss “Supervised Research.” Suggest times you could be available for a meeting.

Meet with the faculty member for a discussion of opportunities. If you are in agreement, enroll in Psychology 497.

If your first choice doesn’t work out for some reason, just send an email to # 2, etc. Please don’t e-mail several faculty members simultaneously.

You and your faculty supervisor will complete the simple enrollment form available in psychology’s undergraduate office. Just put it in my mailbox in MGB 250.

The only mistake you could make? Registering for the class and beginning the semester without a supervisor. Good luck getting a busy professor to agree to work with you at that late point. Early birds get….

What if you don’t quite qualify for "Supervised Research" yet, but you think this is a direction you want to take? Follow the same path I’ve described but begin by doing the Readings in Psychology course with a professor.

These are also the steps towards the Honors Program in Psychology.

Any questions? Just e-mail me at tcash@odu.edu.