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WHEN MUST I ACCOMPLISH THESE CHANGES?
Table of Contents
» Sample Four-Year Curriculum Plan For A Psychology
Major
» A Time-Line For Preparing For Employment With A Bachelors
Degree In Psychology
» Practice Interview Rating Sheet
» A Suggested Plan Of Action For Graduate School Admission
» Information That Will Help Me Write You a Strong Letter of
Recommendation for a Job
» Information That Will Help Me Write You a Strong Letter of
Recommendation for Graduate School
» References
SAMPLE FOUR-YEAR CURRICULUM PLAN FOR A PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR
FALL FRESHMAN
3 PSY 101 General Psychology
3 ENG 101 English Composition
4 SPA, FRE, or GER 101 Foreign Language*
3 HIS 102 History of the Modern World
3 Political Science or Economics class from the approved list |
SPRING FRESHMAN
3 Psychology elective (e.g., Human Growth or Abnormal)
3 ENG 115 Written Analysis of Literature
4 SPA, FRE, or GER 102 Foreign Language*
3 COM 101 Fundamentals of Speech
3 SOC 101 or 102 Introduction to Sociology or Social Problems |
FALL SOPHOMORE
3 PSY 335 Theories of Personality
3 PSY 205 Statistical Methods
4 HUM 230 Humanities I
4 Science class (BIO, CHE, PHY, NSC, FNS) from the approved list
2 Elective |
SPRING SOPHOMORE
4 PSY 250 Experimental Methods in Psychology
3 PSY 325 Social Psychology
4 HUM 231 Humanities II
4 Science class (BIO, CHE, PHY, NSC, FNS) from the approved list
1 Elective |
FALL JUNIOR
3 PSY 300 Psychological Tests and Measurement
3 PSY 305 Psychology of Learning
3 PSY 350 Behavioral Neuroscience
3 THL 105 Introduction to Theology
3 Intercultural class from the approved list
1 Elective |
SPRING JUNIOR
3 PSY 345 Cognitive Psychology
3 PSY 360, 497, or 499 Internship, Directed Research or Independent Study
3 PHL 120 Introduction to Philosophy
3 Advanced Theology class
3 Elective |
FALL SENIOR
3 PSY 490 Senior Seminar in Psychology
13 Electives |
SPRING SENIOR
3 PSY 375 History of Psychology
13 Electives |
Key: Psychology requirement - General education requirement
* An elective may be substituted for each foreign language class satisfied through
placement testing.
A TIME-LINE FOR PREPARING FOR EMPLOYMENT
WITH A BACHELORS DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY
FRESHMAN YEAR
Schedule a meeting with your academic advisor to discuss your
career interests and options. This meeting should not simply focus on what courses
to take during the next semester.
Begin to consider various careers. Investigate employment
opportunities with a bachelors degree in psychology using resources available
from your advisor and the Career Services Office (CSO). Realize that some careers
require graduate training either at the entry level or for eventual advancement.
Begin a self-assessment process focusing on your interests,
strengths, skills, and values. How well do they match your preliminary career
goals? Consider taking COL 101 Excelling in College and/or COL 107 Career Exploration
if assistance in self-exploration would be helpful.
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Complete your self-assessment process. Compile a list of your
interests, strengths (academic and personal), skills, and knowledge. Use this
list to help focus your career choice.
Continue the process of narrowing your specific interests
in the field of psychology and consider the type of employment you wish to attain.
Use the results of your self-assessment and on-campus resources (e.g., academic
advisor and CSO) to identify career options. You should focus your career choice
by the end of your sophomore year so you have sufficient time to take the appropriate
preparatory course work.
Complete the majority of your general education requirements,
and begin to work your way through more of your psychology requirements (e.g.,
Experimental Methods in Psychology and Psychological Tests and Measurement).
Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your progress toward
degree completion and your career plans and options. You should discuss upper
level course offerings in psychology and electives outside your major that will
best prepare you for your career.
Meet with the psychology faculty member who teaches PSY 360
Internship in Psychology, and discuss options in this area that are of interest
to you.
Begin to prepare a resume (with your advisor's help) if you
have not already done so. You will need a completed resume to enroll in the Internship
course.
JUNIOR YEAR
Re-evaluate your career choice. Are you still on the right
track?
Make plans to obtain relevant experience outside the classroom
before the end of your senior year (e.g., volunteer work, Internship in Psychology,
or a directed study involving independent research).
Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your progress toward
degree completion and your career plans and options. Review your course selections
for the major field in psychology and your minor, if you have one.
Contact people in the profession you are seeking to enter,
and conduct some "information interviews" to learn more about career options.
SUMMER BETWEEN JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR
Use the summer months to build your job information network,
prepare a polished resume, and continue to refine your career aspirations.
SENIOR YEAR
Meet with your advisor during fall semester to discuss your
progress toward degree completion and your career plans and options. Review your
course selections for the major and your minor, if you have one.
Obtain a copy of your transcript from the Registrar and review
it carefully for errors.
Identify three individuals (e.g., faculty members and past
employers) who are willing and able to write STRONG letters of recommendations
for you. Obtain letter of recommendation forms from the CSO, give them to your
recommenders, and ask them to submit them to the CSO when they are completed.
Review your resume. Assistance in developing an effective
resume is available in the CSO and your advisor. Ask faculty members to review
your resume. Place your completed resume on file in the CSO.
Practice for interviews with the psychology faculty.
The initial interview can be one of the most critical hurdles in getting a job,
so be as prepared as possible. Make sure you check with CSO early in the semester
you plan to begin interviewing. The CSO brings a number of prospective employers
to campus. However, in order to participate in on-campus recruiting interviews,
you must sign up!
(This time-line is a modification of one presented by Bill
Hill at the 1994
Southeastern Conference on the Teaching of Psychology in Marietta, Georgia.)
PRACTICE INTERVIEW RATING SHEET
Interviewee's Name: ______________________________________________ date:
_______________
Interviewer's Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Position Applied for: ___________________________________________________________________
| CHARACTERISTIC |
Outstanding |
Good |
Marginal |
Poor |
| Personal grooming and hygiene |
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Appropriateness of dress |
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Confidence (i.e., lack of nervousness) |
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Enthusiasm and energy |
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Appropriate eye contact |
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Appropriate body language and posture |
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Ability to "think on your feet" |
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Evidence of realistic career planning |
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Personal insight (strengths and weaknesses) |
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Speaking skill (correct grammar and clear speech) |
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Lack of defensiveness |
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Ability to describe acquired skills |
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Motivation to perform the job |
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Maturity |
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Intelligence (ability to understand questions) |
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Quality of questions asked |
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Strengths exhibited during this interview: _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Recommendations to strengthen future interviews: ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
A SUGGESTED PLAN OF ACTION FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSION
The following article by Susan Schumacher (published in
the Fall, 1994 issue of the Psi Chi Newsletter) provides a timetable of things
to do while in college to ensure graduate school acceptance or employment. Post
a copy of this article in an obvious place and write the date of completion beside
activities as you complete them.
Date
SOPHOMORE YEAR
_______ 1. Talk with your teachers who conduct research
and/or clinical activities of interest to you and discuss the possibility of becoming
involved in these activities with them.
_______ 2. Attend psychology-related seminars at your school and surrounding
institutions and document your attendance. Join the Psi Chi chapter or psychology
club on your campus.
_______ 3. Find out what psychology conferences are held in your region
that students can attend. Check the American Psychologist (found in your school
library or in a psychology faculty member's office) or the Psi Chi Newsletter
for the locations and dates (usually in the spring), and attend as many as possible.
_______ 4. Talk to graduate students on your campus and on other campuses
(preferably students in the field of psychology) or to those at the meetings in
item #3 about graduate school life, finances, and work loads. In addition, ask
them about psychology-related seminars or meetings they might be aware of (see
items #2 and #3 above).
_______ 5. Order the APA publication Preparing for Graduate Study in Psychology:
Not for Seniors Only! Locate a copy of Getting In: A Step-by-Step Plan for Gaining
Admission to Graduate School in Psychology. Read them!
_______ 6. Maintain a grade of "B" or better in all psychology courses.
This will greatly enhance your chances of graduate school acceptance or employment
in psychology. While maintaining this level of performance, do not lose sight
of the goal of obtaining knowledge through your courses, research, volunteer activities,
contacts with faculty, and meetings you attend.
JUNIOR YEAR
_______ 1. Become involved in a research project as
part of a course requirement, do an independent study project, or work with a
faculty member on his/her research.
_______ 2. Write a resume as described in the APA publication Preparing
for Graduate Study in Psychology; Not for Seniors Only! Follow the suggested guidelines,
even if the resume is to be submitted to potential employers and not to graduate
schools. Emphasize psychology-related extracurricular activities (e.g., meetings
and volunteer work). If you are a minority student, emphasize your ethnic identification;
it will be to your advantage because of the shortage of minority psychologists
and because there are additional sources of financial assistance for minority
students.
_______ 3. Obtain experience through volunteer work if you are interested
in clinical or counseling psychology. If possible, do some research in connection
with your volunteer activities.
_______ 4. Submit your research to a student conference and continue item
#4 from sophomore year.
_______ 5. Investigate summer jobs or educational/research opportunities
related to psychology. Many summer internships are available through laboratories
or professional organizations. If you are a minority student, investigate the
minority summer programs, such as those at the University of South Carolina and
the University of Georgia, or the minority summer research experience offered
by Bell Laboratories. Check with your department faculty on a regular basis concerning
available opportunities, and apply early.
_______ 6. Prepare and register for and, in the spring, take the aptitude
test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the Miller Analogies Test (MAT),
even if you have not yet decided to apply for graduate school.
_______ 7. Contact the campus career center for dates of on-campus visits
by recruiters and with your department chair for dates of visits by graduate school
representatives. Determine the types of opportunities available and list the ones
of greatest interest to you for future contact.
SUMMER BEFORE YOUR SENIOR YEAR
_______ 1. Obtain summer employment, experience, or
education related to psychology. If you are seriously considering graduate school,
retake in summer school any courses in which you received a grade below a "B".
Of special importance are Statistics and Research Methods or Experimental Methodology.
_______ 2. Decide if you are going to graduate school (and, if so, in what
field) or if you plan to work immediately following graduation. However, do not
do anything that would prevent you from changing your decision later or from pursuing
the other option if existing plans fail. The books mentioned in item #3 below
should aid you in your decision.
_______ 3. Consult the APA publication Graduate Studies in Psychology for
requirements and information on graduate programs in psychology. List schools
of interest to you, and request from them bulletins, brochures, financial aid
forms, and department application forms. For job ideas, descriptions, skills needed,
and interview techniques, consult the following APA publications: The Psychology
Major: Training and Employment Strategies, Getting In: A Step-by-Step Plan for
Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology, Career Opportunities for Psychologists.
List job areas to pursue and investigate sources of additional training you will
need.
_______ 4. Prepare for the advanced GRE test in psychology by studying the
commercially available books and software and by re-reading your general psychology
textbook, including the sections on statistics and methodology. Register for the
early fall offerings of the aptitude and the advanced tests. Repeated testing
should improve your scores. Also, register for the Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
and study the types of items it contains.
_______ 5. Update your resume. Remember neatness and organization create
a good first impressions.
_______ 6. Save money for graduate school application fees, resumes, and
transcript costs.
FALL SEMESTER OF YOUR SENIOR YEAR
_______ 1. Be sure you take (and pass) all courses
needed to graduate. Obtain a statement of standing from your registrar to verify
this. You don't want any surprises next semester when you apply for graduation!
_______ 2. Discuss with your advisor and other psychology faculty members
the graduate programs or jobs of interest to you. Show them your resume so they
may better counsel you and determine if your expectations are realistic, and obtain
a list of additional suggestions from them. Discuss the performance of other students
from your department in the graduate programs or business settings of potential
interest to you. Also discuss the socioeconomic conditions that might affect you
at the schools, industries, clinics, or hospitals in which you are interested,
and in the regions or cities in which they are located.
_______ 3. If possible, visit schools, industries, or agencies of greatest
interest, and establish personal contact with key people at each. Obtain impressions
of the institution or organization from others having similar backgrounds and
qualifications. Even if there are no existing vacancies, the expression of interest
and establishment of personal contact will give you an advantage should a vacancy
occur.
_______ 4. Take the aptitude and advanced tests of the GRE in October if
possible, and no later than December. Also take the MAT.
_______ 5. Obtain information on available fellowships, scholarships, assistantships,
and loans not associated with the institutions to which you plan to apply. Obtain
this information from your financial aid office.
_______ 6. Request a student copy of your transcript from every institution
you have attended and check for errors. This process may take longer than you
think, especially if there are errors, so allow ample time.
_______ 7. Duplicate your resume and transcripts for distribution. If you
plan to apply to graduate school, remember there are application fees (which may
be waived, so ask) and charges for mailing official transcripts (which should
follow as soon as the fall semester's grades are included). Even resume duplications
and mailing can be expensive for a student budget.
_______ 8. Check the latest copy of Graduate Study in Psychology to obtain
requirements and deadlines for various graduate school applications and fellowships.
Check the campus placement office for dates of visiting recruiters who will conduct
job interviews on campus. Follow through on these early.
_______ 9. Write to the personnel office of the states in which you wish
to apply for jobs, and request descriptions of positions related to psychology.
If you need to take the civil service or other exams to qualify for these positions,
register for the required exams. Put your name on mailing lists for job announcements.
_______ 10. Narrow down your list of schools to approximately ten, including
at least two where you are confident you will be accepted. If you are job-oriented
or are uncertain you will be accepted into any graduate program, list in order
of preference the types of jobs, and if possible, the specific agencies with whom
you would consider accepting employment. Remember, both job and admission competitions
are keen, and you may not be able to obtain your first or second choice. Be prepared
to be flexible. Post any deadlines for application where you will constantly see
them.
_______ 11. Determine from whom you wish to obtain letters of recommendation,
and notify these people at least three weeks before the deadline for your application.
Supply them with necessary forms, addresses, information about your qualifications
and due dates, along with jobs or programs for which you are applying. Include
a stamped addressed (neatly typed, not hand-written) envelope to each school or
agency they must write. Follow up one week before each deadline with a thank-you
note (a "friendly" reminder to ensure that your information has been sent).
_______ 12. Request your GRE and MAT scores to be sent to all schools or
employers requiring them. If your scores are high, mail them to all places you
are applying. Request transcripts to be mailed to all schools and agencies.
_______ 13. Check before Christmas to be certain all materials, especially
recommendations, have been sent. Most incomplete applications result from missing
letters of recommendation. Be persistent.
_______ 14. Include in your application package to graduate schools or employers
all requested materials, a resume, copies of transcripts and test scores, and
names of those sending recommendations. Indicate what additional material is to
follow (transcripts with your fall grades, revised test scores, etc.). Follow
application instructions exactly. For job seekers, contact local community service
agencies, hospitals, research institutes, public relations firms, test or survey
developers, and market research departments. Send them letters of inquiry for
position vacancies and a summary of your credentials. Make these contacts as personal
as possible. Keep a record of all contacts made and all materials sent to each
employer or school.
SPRING SEMESTER OF YOUR SENIOR YEAR
_______ 1. Verify in January that all you application
materials were received at every place you applied.
_______ 2. Send additional GRE results (if higher) and fall semester grade
report to update your applications.
_______ 3. Expect first choice offers to be made by graduate schools before
April 1. Vacancies may occur any time prior to the fall semester, due to changes
in plans of those already accepted. If you have not been accepted anywhere by
April 15 you should:
_______ a. Call everywhere you applied, asking them
to keep your application active through the summer, as you are still interested,
even in a last-minute acceptance.
_______ b. Call admissions offices of schools whose
requirements you easily meet, but to which you did not apply, to see if they are
still considering applicants. If so, apply.
_______ c. Check Graduate Study in Psychology for
schools with late or no deadlines and apply.
_______ d. If you are rejected by doctoral programs,
apply to master's programs with late or open admission dates.
_______ e. Job hunt, using the guidelines given above.
You may need to postpone graduate school for a year and reapply. A good job related
to psychology will enhance your credentials.
_______ f. Contact psychology faculty whom you have
met from other institutions, and request their advice (i.e., network!).
_______ 4. Follow up with a phone call or letter on job applications submitted,
and continue to make as many contacts with agencies and industries as possible.
Often "word-of-mouth" among personnel managers results in unexpected employment.
_______ 5. Keep your psychology textbooks. They will come in handy later,
whether in graduate school or on the job.
Information That Will Help Me Write You a Strong Letter of Recommendation
for a Job
Your Name:
Classes you took from me and the grades you received:
A recent survey of employers who are willing
to interview Marian College psychology majors indicates that the following skills
and characteristics (listed in order of their rated importance) are the most important
in their hiring decisions. One of the most successful ways in which you can convince
a potential employer that you possess these skills and characteristics is if the
people who write your letters of recommendation describe you as a person who possesses
them. Please provide me with a specific example of something that you have done
during your college career that would allow me to say that you possess these skills
and characteristics and will also allow me to support my statement. For example,
if you would like me to say that you have "shown initiative and persistence, you
may want to describe how you proposed a new activity for the Psychology Club,
wrote a proposal to obtain funding from student government, coordinated that activity
with the psychology faculty, and successfully carried out the new activity. It
is not necessary for you to fill in all the blanks; no one possesses all these
skills and characteristics in equal strength. Give this task some careful thought.
Your time will be well spent, I will appreciate your effort and, as a result,
I will be able to write you a stronger letter of recommendation.
Deals effectively with a wide variety of people
Displays appropriate interpersonal skills
Listens carefully and accurately
Shows initiative and persistence
Exhibits effective time management
Holds high ethical standards and expects the same of others
Handles conflict successfully
Speaks articulately and persuasively
Works productively as a member of a team
Plans and carries out projects successfully
Thinks logically and creatively
Remains open-minded during controversies
Identifies and actualizes personal potential
Writes clearly and precisely
Adapts easily to organizational rules and procedures
Comprehends and retains key points from written materials
Gathers and organizes information from multiple sources
Information That Will Help Me Write You a Strong Letter of Recommendation
for Graduate School
Your Name:
Classes you took from me and the grades you received:
The results of a survey of 143 graduate programs
in clinical, experimental, and industrial-organizational psychology (Herbstrith,
Mauer, & Appleby, 1990) indicated that the following skills and characteristics
(listed in order of their rated importance) are what these programs are most interested
in learning about candidates from letters of recommendation. One of the most successful
ways in which you can convince a graduate school admissions committee that you
possess these skills and characteristics is to have the people who write your
letters of recommendation describe you as a person who possesses them. In order
to help me write the strongest letter I can for you, please provide me with a
specific example of something you have done during your college career that will
allow me to say that you possess these skills and characteristics and will also
allow me to support my statement with specific evidence. For example, if you want
me to say that you possess "teaching skills/potential," you may want to describe
how you created a variety of types of test questions in your Psychological Testing
class, the oral presentations you made in your classes, and the fact that you
volunteered to teach one of my classes while I was out of town at a convention.
It is not necessary for you to fill in all the blanks; no one possesses all these
skills and characteristics. Give this task some careful thought. Your time will
be well spent, and I will be able to write you a stronger letter of recommendation.
Motivated and hard-working
High intellectual/scholarly ability
Research skills
Emotionally stable and mature
Writing skills
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