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How can I find out the name of my major advisor? Answer
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I am a transfer student and want to know how to find out
the name of my advisor? Answer
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How can I find out the name of my minor advisor? Answer
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What
are “office
hours?” Answer
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How do I declare a minor in psychology? Answer
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What is required for a minor in psychology? Answer
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If I am a psychology major, can I also minor in psychology? Answer
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What is the PreGraduate major in Psychology? Answer
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How do I apply to the PreGraduate Psychology major? Answer
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What
is the “upper division form,” and where
can I get one? Answer
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When should I complete and submit the upper division form? Answer
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What
is the “intent to graduate form,” and
when should I complete this? Answer
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How can I change my major to psychology? Answer
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Can I double major if I am a psychology major? Answer
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I just
finished taking General Psychology and want to know what
I should take next? Answer
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What classes should I take my sophomore year? Answer
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When should I take the Careers in Psychology course? Answer
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When should I take the Basic Statistics and Research Methods
courses? Answer
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I
want to complete an Honors thesis in psychology but
don’t
know how to get started. Answer
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How can I find out if the psychology course I want to take
is offered as an honors course? Answer
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Who can sign up for honors courses in psychology? Answer
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How can I get involved in undergraduate research in psychology? Answer
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What can I do with a major in Psychology? Answer
1. Psychology majors who are not transfer students are automatically assigned an advisor in the department according to the first letter of their last name. Transfer students should contact either Dr. Skip Kendrick or Dr. Alan Musicant for advising. PreGraduate Psychology majors should contact Dr. Boyer-Pennington for advising, and I/O psychology majors should contact either Dr. Burke or Dr. Van Hein (determined by the student’s last name) for advising. Contact information for all faculty and staff can be found at the Faculty and Staff link on the Department homepage. Back to top
2. Transfer students should contact either Dr. Skip Kendrick or Dr. Alan Musicant for advising. Dr. Kendrick has morning hours available for advising, and Dr. Musicant has afternoon hours available for advising. Their contact information can be found at the Faculty and Staff link on the Department homepage. Back to top
3. Students who are psychology minors are automatically
assigned an advisor in the department according to
the first letter
of their last name. Specialty (i.e., lifespan development,
I/O psychology, neuroscience, mental health services)
and interdisciplinary minors (e.g., behavioral research)
have
assigned primary advisors, and students should see
that individual for advising and to sign the upper
division
form. See the advisor list to determine your minor
advisor’s
name. Back to top
4. Office hours are specified times of the week
that a faculty member has determined he or she will
be in the
office and
available for students. This is the preferred time
for appointments, advising, and meeting with students.
Office
hours for faculty members vary each semester depending
on course schedule, other commitments, and personal
preference. Many faculty members have their office
hours posted on
their doors and listed on their syllabi. Students
also may contact faculty members directly to determine
a faculty
member’s availability. Contact information
for all faculty and staff can be found at the Faculty
and Staff
link on the Department homepage. Back to top
5. There is no separate form for declaring a minor
in psychology. Students should list their minor(s)
on the
Upper Division
form and have it signed by their minor advisor(s).
The minor advisor should sign off on minor courses—not
the major advisor. In many cases, the minor advisor
will be from a different department on campus. Students
should
contact the main office of that department to find
out the name of their assigned minor advisor. Back to top
6. The Psychology Department offers 6 different minors in psychology.
Each minor has a set of specific requirements. Requirements
for each minor can be found at the Undergraduate Programs
link. Back to top
7. Students who are following the guidelines for the 38-hour
Psychology major have the option of choosing a psychology-related
minor as one of their two minors. The second minor, however,
must be from a non-psychology field. Students who are following
the requirements for the PreGraduate Psychology major or
the Industrial/Organizational Psychology major cannot choose
a psychology-related minor as their one minor. Back to top
8. The PreGraduate Major in Psychology is a specialized concentration/major
designed for high-achieving students who are seriously
considering attending a research-based masters on Ph.D.
program in psychology. As part of this major, students
are required to complete an additional statistics course
and research methods course and to be involved in undergraduate
research in psychology. To be eligible for consideration,
students should have completed (a)
45-60 hours, (b) at least one semester at MTSU, (c) several
courses in psychology (including General Psychology and preferably
Basic
Statistics), and (d) General Education courses in English,
Math, and Science. A minimum overall G.P.A. of 3.25 and
a major G.P.A. of 3.50 are required for consideration by
the
Admissions Committee. Students should consult their major
advisor and the PreGraduate Major advisor to determine
if this program is right for you. Because different graduate
programs (e.g., I/O, counseling, clinical, school psychology,
quantitative) look for different kinds of experiences in
their applicants, it also is recommended that students
consult
with graduate faculty in those programs to determine if
this major is right for you. Back to top
9. Students who wish to pursue the PreGraduate Psychology
major must formally apply and be admitted to this
program. Eligible
students may obtain an application form from that
program’s
major advisor. See the Finding Your Advisor link for the
name and contact information of that program’s
current major advisor. Back to top
10. The upper division form serves as an official
record of a student’s progress toward his or her degree. Students
fill in the general education requirements they have completed,
the major courses they have completed, and the minor courses
they have completed. Students should complete this form and
turn it in to the Records Office no later than three semesters
prior to graduation. The form must be signed by the student’s
major advisor and minor advisor(s). It is strongly recommended
that students use this form when meeting with their advisors
to plan course schedules. Because there is no other form
for declaring a minor, the upper division form serves as
the official record of a student’s minor(s). Back to top
11. The Upper Division form should be turned in to the Records
Office no later than priority registration when two semesters
are remaining until graduation (this would be three semesters
prior to graduation). Students should submit the upper
division form and intent to graduate form at the same time.
The upper division form must be signed by the major advisor
and the minor advisors. Only the major advisors for I/O
psychology and PreGraduate Psychology can sign those upper
division forms. Back to top
12. Students who intend to graduate should submit
a “Notice
of Intention to Graduate Form” and “Upper-Division
Form” together to the Records Office during priority
registration when two semesters are remaining until
graduation (this would be 3 semesters prior to graduation).
This allows
time to check records and notify students so they will
have two semesters to plan remaining courses. Students
should
consult the online calendar maintained by the Records
and Scheduling Office for deadline dates. The undergraduate
form
is available in the Records Office, Cope Administration
Building 102, and on the Web at www.mtsu.edu/~records/intentform.pdf. Back to top
13. Students may choose “Psychology” as their major
on the Admissions forms for the university. Alternatively,
students who initially list their major as “undecided” or
who wish to change their major to psychology may obtain a “Change
of Major” form from their psychology advisor or from
one of the departmental administrative assistants in Jones
Hall 103, 267, or 111. Students who wish to pursue the PreGraduate
Psychology major should obtain an application form and a
change of major form from that program’s major
advisor. Back to top
14. Psychology majors may double major providing they satisfy
the requirements of both majors, and the second major also
leads to the B.S. degree. Students must submit an upper
division form for each major. The second major may count
as one of the two minors required for the Psychology major. Back to top
15. It is strongly recommended that students take PSY2000: Seminar
on Careers in Psychology; PSY2300: Developmental Psychology;
PSY221: Psychology of Social Behavior; and PSY3020: Basic
Statistics prior to enrolling in other 3000 and 4000-level
psychology courses. Back to top
16. Students should take PSY2000: Seminar on Careers in Psychology;
PSY2300: Developmental Psychology; PSY221: Psychology of
Social Behavior; and PSY3020: Basic Statistics prior to
enrolling in other 3000- and 4000-level psychology courses.
Also, it is advisable for students to satisfy their General
Education requirements prior to their junior year. Talk
with your advisor to determine the courses that are best
for you and your schedule. Back to top
17. It is strongly recommended that students take the 1-hour
Seminar on Careers in Psychology course the semester after
they take the General Psychology course and no later than
the sophomore year. Back to top
18. It is strongly recommended that students take the Basic Statistics
course (PSY3020) no later than their sophomore year, as it
is prerequisite for Research Methods in Psychology (PSY3070).
Completion of MATH1710 or 1730 is a prerequisite for enrolling
in the Basic Statistics course. Research Methods should be
taken the semester following Basic Statistics. Back to top
19. The honors thesis project is required of every
student who graduates from the University Honors College.
Students who
plan to complete an honors thesis in psychology should
first consult the thesis requirements (and deadlines)
published
by the University Honors College (http://honors.web.mtsu.edu)
and fill out the appropriate paperwork. The second
step involves selecting a faculty member to be the
thesis advisor. We recommend
that students begin thinking about the honors thesis
during the first semester of their junior year. After
identifying
an advisor, students should enroll in UH4900 (Thesis
Tutorial) the second semester of their junior year.
To enroll in UH4900,
students must have completed 16 hours of lower-division
Honors courses and 4 upper-division Honors hours, as
well as maintain
a GPA of 3.25 or higher. Once a thesis proposal is
approved by the Honors Council, students may register
for UH4950:
Honors Independent Research, a three-credit hour graded
course, in the subsequent semester. Students should
take this course
the first semester of their senior year so they have
an additional semester to finish the project if needed. Back to top
20. Students who desire to enroll in honors psychology
courses should first check the online schedule of courses
during
preregistration for available sections. Information
on honors sections of psychology courses also can be
found at the Student
Information link of the Department homepage.
According
to the University Honors College Hand book, “If
an honors section of a course is not offered, students have
the option of taking upper division courses in their major
fields of study as H-Options. An H-Option refers to a course
not listed as Honors that is allowed to count for Honors
credit. In order to H-Option a course, the student and course
instructor must agree upon unique course requirements or
projects that justify Honors credit a semester in advance.
The agreement amounts to a contract between the student and
teacher concerning the work necessary to justify Honors credit
for a non-honors course. Juniors or seniors may be granted
H-Option approval by following the guidelines found in the
University Honors College Handbook (p. 14)” or
by consulting the University Honors College website: http://honors.web.mtsu.edu.
Back to top
21. According to the University Honors College, “To
be admitted to the University Honors College as an
entering freshman, a student must have a high school
GPA greater than
or equal to 3.5 and an ACT composite score greater
than or equal to 25 (SAT greater than or equal to
1160). There is
no essay to write or separate admission form to complete
(with the exception of the Buchanan Fellowship). Transfer
students or established MTSU students who have completed
at least 12 semester hours are eligible to enroll in
Honors courses provided that their cumulative GPA
is greater than
or equal to 3.25. Eligible students are encouraged
to enroll in Honors courses even though they may
not plan to graduate
from the University Honors College.” Back to top
22. To be competitive for research-based graduate
programs in psychology, it is important for students
to have research
experience in psychology. Many students who become
involved in research as undergraduates do so through
PSY3990: Research
in Psychology. Students have the opportunity to work
with a faculty member on that person’s ongoing
research; some opportunities may involve entering
data on the computer,
conducting library or computer research, assisting
in the development of research materials, and/or
assisting in
data collection.
Students
may learn about a particular faculty member’s
research on the Faculty and Staff link of the Department
homepage. Those interested in a particular subfield
of psychology should also consult with their major
advisor for information
about ongoing research in the department. Students
should take the initiative to contact faculty about
their ongoing
research to determine the availability of PSY3990 opportunities. Back to top
23. The Seminar on Careers in Psychology course is
designed to provide students with a number of options
regarding
possible
careers and careers paths. Additionally, the American
Psychological Association (APA) has posted a comprehensive
paper entitled “Careers
in Psychology” on the Careers page of its website.
This paper can be accessed at http://psyccareers.apa.org.
Another website that students may find useful can be accessed
at http://www.psywww.com/careers/. Back to top
