Optional Programs for Undergraduates
Honors Program | Independent Study | Internship | Research Apprenticeship(URAP)There are many opportunities to enrich your studies as a Psychology major at NIU. Below four such opportunities are described.
Honors Program in Psychology
A departmental honors program is available for qualified psychology majors with high academic promise. A student must achieve a 3.00 GPA overall and at least a 3.50 in psychology courses in order to earn a degree with departmental honors. Honors students are also required to complete at least 6 hours in honors psychology courses at the upper division level, and in the senior year, they are required to conceptualize, design, execute, analyze, write up, and defend a research thesis, under 6 hours of PSYC 499H. If you are interested in the department's undergraduate honor's program, check with your advisor on the eligibility requirements and procedures for joining the program. An early decision regarding the honors program is necessary in order to meet the honors program requirements.
Independent Study (Psychology 485)
An independent study is an opportunity for a student to receive course credit for working in a professor’s research lab or for working with a faculty member on a research project. It is advantageous to get this experience if you are interested in graduate school, may need a letter of recommendation, or just want to gain research experience. To sign up, you first should read about various the research interests of our faculty on the Psychology website. When you find a couple that have interests similar to your own, you can contact them via email or by making an appointment with them to see if they are taking any independent study students the following semester. Each professor handles PSYC 485 differently in terms of requirements, tasks, etc., so it is best to meet with them to discuss what your experiences and requirements would be. If you are approved by a faculty member, you sign an Independent Study Contract and the Main Office registers you for your credits.
Internship (Psychology 489: Cooperative Education/Internship)
Should you be interested in obtaining field based experiences, you should contact the university's cooperative internship program office in order to obtain a list of possible available options and discuss these options with your academic advisor. Your academic advisor can help you select a faculty sponsor in the department to work with in conjunction with the internship course. That is, with the oversight of a faculty sponsor, undergraduate juniors and seniors may earn academic credit in conjunction with exploring possible career goals related to a specific type of work experience. In conjunction with the department's undergraduate cooperative education/internship course, students work in an approved agency for at least 10 hours/week.
Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship
The Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program provides opportunities for selected undergraduates to develop research skills by offering them monetary and scholarly support and significant apprenticeships with senior faculty. Such support and experience will enhance students' opportunities in college and beyond. Faculty prepare intellectually engaging and academically enriching ways for undergraduates to participate in research, and they work closely with these students as mentors and research guides. Faculty members may receive a grant from the college for research expenses supporting their student-assisted project. Students who are selected receive a stipend and the opportunity to be involved in first hand research. The grants serve as an incentive for faculty in each department to extend their research designs to include an undergraduate apprentice.