Capstone Experiences

Research Apprenticeship

Students should enroll in PSY 390 Advanced Research Apprenticeship for this capstone experience. PSY 390 must be completed with the same faculty member who supervised students in the prerequisite course PSY 290 Special Projects: Research Apprenticeship. Students learn about a faculty member's research project in PSY 290. In PSY 390, students assume greater responsibility for specific aspects of the research project. PSY 390 also requires students complete a final work product (e.g., write a research paper or present the research at the University Research Symposium or a professional conference). Any research conducted by psychology students must comply with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association.

The availability of positions with faculty members research projects varies from semester to semester. Eligibility to enroll in PSY 390 depends on how many research experiences students seek and how well students fulfilled their responsibilities while enrolled in PSY 290.

After completing PSY 290, students should ask faculty members if their research projects have positions for advance research apprenticeships. If a position is available, the student and faculty member should complete the PSY 390 Advanced Research Apprenticeship Contract 5-25-23. Click on the link to download the contract. The contract is an interactive Microsoft Word document that should be completed on a computer. If necessary, the contract can be saved and sent to the faculty member as an email attachment. The completed contract should be printed, signed, and dated by the student and faculty member. The signed contract should be submitted to the department for approval. If the contract is approved, the department will also approve an override for the student to register for PSY 390. Students may not register for PSY 390 until the contract has been approved and the override has been processed. Students must register for the specific number of credits identified in the contract; otherwise, the registration will not be complete. If the PSY 390 Contract is approved after the first week of the semester, students must register in 107 Moulton.

Teaching and Learning Apprenticeship

Students should enroll in PSY 391 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Apprenticeship for this capstone experience. PSY 391 must be completed with the same faculty member who supervised students in the prerequisite course PSY 291 Special Projects: Undergraduate Teaching. In PSY 291, students assist a faculty member who is teaching a psychology course. Generally, this assistance is helping with class, tutoring, grading course material, and meeting to discuss with the faculty member issues that arise in teaching. In PSY 391, students design and evaluate a teaching project related to the faculty member's psychology course. This experience is especially useful to students who are interested in a teaching career.

After completing PSY 291, students should ask the faculty member if they they have positions for advance teaching apprenticeships. The student and faculty member should complete the PSY 391 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Apprenticeship Contract 10-23-23 kmh.docx. Click on the link to download the contract. The contract is an interactive Microsoft Word document that should be completed on a computer. If necessary, the contract can be saved and sent to the faculty member as an email attachment. The completed contract should be printed, signed, and dated by the student and faculty member. The signed contract should be submitted to the department for approval. If the contract is approved, the department will also approve an override for the student to register for PSY 391. Students may not register for PSY 391 until the contract has been approved and the override has been processed. Students must register for the specific number of credits identified in the contract; otherwise, the registration will not be complete. If the PSY 391 Contract is approved after the first week of the semester, students must register in 107 Moulton.

Senior Seminar

PSY 392 Senior Seminar is provided for students whose schedules do not allow them to take advantage of the other capstone opportunities. The topics discussed in Senior Seminar are variable, depending on the instructor teaching the course. The department strongly recommends students participate in one of the other capstone experiences where psychology is applied to teaching, research, and practice endeavors.

Professional Practice

Students should enroll in PSY 395 Professional Practice Seminar and PSY 398 Professional Practice: Psychology during the same semester for this capstone experience. PSY 395 is a seminar class that discusses assuming a professional identity and teaches students how to use psychological knowledge to help solve problems. PSY 398 provides students with an opportunity to earn academic credit for work experience related to psychology. This experience is available to all psychology majors, although enrollment is only possible if students are accepted for a Professional Practice position when they apply at community agencies or local businesses. Professional Practice placements are commonly referred to as internships, where the interns are supervised by professionals in the workplace. Internships are usually unpaid positions, although there are occasional exceptions.

In order to be eligible to register for PSY 395 and PSY 398, students must have completed at least 15 credits of psychology course relevant to the internship, have junior or senior standing as a psychology major, and have a grade point average of 2.2 or higher for all psychology -related coursework. Students must meet with Dr, Karen Mark, the psychology internships coordinator. Students should be prepared to discuss their goals for the internship and identify possible community agencies or businesses. Dr. Mark will verify that students have completed the appropriate courses for potential internship sites.

Students are responsible for contacting an agency or business and meeting with a potential supervisor to discuss an internship position. After the student is accepted for an internship, the student and supervisor must complete and sign an internship contract. The contract, which is available from Dr. Mark, verifies the student's placement and supervision, and any specific information about the internship. The signed contract should be submitted to Dr. Mark. After Dr. Mark receives the signed contract, an override will be approved so that the student can register for PSY 395 and PSY 398. The internship may not begin until registration is completed and the semester has begun.

Students earn one credit for every 40 hours worked at the internship, up to a maximum of three credits per placement per semester. Students need to work at least 120 hours, during the semester, at the internship in order to receive three credits for PSY 398.

Students are required to submit a paper on the last day of class for the semester. This paper (at least five pages, word-processed, and double-spaced) should integrate the student's internship experience with relevant psychology coursework, focusing on how psychology courses applies to the internship activities. The supervisor will also evaluate the intern's performance while at the internship. The grade for PSY 398 is determined by both the quality of the paper and the performance evaluation.

Students should contact Dr. Karen Mark at kimark@ilstu.edu for an appointment to discuss eligibility, placement, and registration procedures for an internship.

Honors Research

Honors students should enroll in IDS 395.03 Honors Thesis: Psychology for this capstone experience. Students should review the information for completing a Honors Thesis .

In order to register for IDS 395.03, students must complete the Honors Thesis contract with the faculty member supervising the research project. The contract is available from the Honors Office. The contract must be approved by the department and the Honors Program. After the contract has been approved, the Honors Program will give students a permit to register for IDS 395.03. The Honors Thesis contract must be returned to the Honors Office by the 15th day of the semester.

IDS 395.03 requires students to complete an in-depth research project and write an Honors Thesis. Any research conducted by psychology students must comply with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association. At the end of the semester, students must present their research results at the Psychology Honors Colloquium. The Colloquium is presented to the department and is open to faculty, students, and the University community. Students should contact the Psychology Honors Coordinator, Dr. Jeff Wagman, at jbwagma@ilstu.edu if they have any questions about Honors Research.

Students should enroll in PSY 393 Advanced Peer Mentoring and Student Success Apprenticeship for this capstone experience. PSY 393 must be completed with the same faculty member who supervised students in the prerequisite course PSY 292 Special Projects: Peer Mentoring. In PSY 292, students assist with a variety of peer mentoring activities. In PSY 393, students complete research focusing on peer mentoring and/or student success in psychology.

After completing PSY 292, students should ask the faculty member if they have positions for advanced peer mentoring and student success apprenticeships. The student and faculty member should complete the PSY 393 Advanced Peer Mentoring and Student Success Apprenticeship Contract. Click on the link to download the contract. The contract is an interactive Microsoft Word document that should be completed by the student and faculty member. The signed contract should be submitted to the department for approval. If the contract is approved, the department will also approve an override for the student to register for PSY 393. Students may not register for PSY 393 until the contract has been approved and the override has been processed. Students must register for the specific number of credits identified in the contract; otherwise, the registration will not be complete. If the PSY 393 Contract is approved after the first week of the semester, students must register in 107 Moulton.