There are some courses unique to the psychology department that can help you distinguish yourself as a graduate or employment candidate. Be sure to refer to your college catalog for course specifics and prerequisites.

For the Directed and Independent Studies, students may have their own ideas for projects. In other cases, the faculty member may have a topic in need of investigation, an ongoing research project in which students may participate, or an existing data set that needs to be analyzed. In all cases, the student should approach the faculty member and discuss his/her interests. The faculty member will then assess his/her own interests, availability, and expectations. If the faculty member agrees to take on the student, they will work together to develop a course description and syllabus. These materials must be presented to the department chair for approval by December 1 for the Spring semester and May 1 for the Fall semester. If approved, the appropriate forms must be completed and returned to the registrar during the add-drop period.

For Internships, students must meet with the supervising instructor about enrolling. The instructor will determine when, where, and how often the class will meet and will also determine the writing requirements. The student is responsible for selecting a field placement site and for obtaining the name of a field supervisor. The sociology department's binder of possible placement locations is available in the Crocker Hall secretaries' office. Also consult the yellow pages of area telephone books under Human Services and visit the Career Center on campus for site ideas.

For the Teaching Practicum, faculty members usually contact students about serving as an SA (student assistant). Generally, students invited to earn course credit as SAs have shown exemplary abilities and understanding when completing the course themselves. Students may also approach faculty members. The faculty member will draw-up a "standard" teaching contract and develop a list of duties for earning a grade.

Definitely. With the exception of the Internship, faculty members are not compensated for taking on the demands of supervising student TAs or those enrolled in Directed or Independent Studies. Therefore, a faculty member must consider not only the interested student's abilities and desires, but also his/her own ability to handle another course preparation. Additionally, with respect to Directed or Independent Studies, the faculty member must consider whether the topic of interest is within his/her areas of expertise.