Experiential Learning
You’ll have many learning opportunities outside the classroom, whether through conducting research with faculty or as you gain real-life experience through internships and service learning.
Opportunities to Get Involved
Experiential learning is integral to your educational experience. Check out what the Psychology department has to offer.
PSY 499 Undergraduate Research Assistant
Become an undergraduate research assistant in a psychology lab and receive PSY 499 credit for your work. You will gain research experience in a professor’s lab and work alongside other research assistants and graduate students. To get involved, reach out to professors whose research interests you and ask whether they have openings for research assistants for Psy 499 credits. We recommend contacting prospective research mentors several months before the semester starts (October for Spring enrollment, March for Fall enrollment). Review this brochure to learn about our Psychology professors’ research interests. Review the following for help identifying and contacting research mentors.
The number of PSY 499 credits is determined by your weekly work hours. 1 credit is equivalent to 3 hours of work per week (2 credits = 6 hours, 3 credits = 9 hours/week). Once you have confirmation from a professor to work in their lab, they should email the psychology advising office to request enrollment. Up to 6 PSY 499 credits can fulfill psychology elective hours for Psy majors. Anything above 6 credits will be considered free electives (if space is available in your free elective section).
PSY 499 is open to Psychology majors and non-majors. PSY 499 does not count toward the Psy minor.
PSY 498 Honors Thesis
Writing an honors thesis is an opportunity for students who have gained research experience in a lab and who want to pursue an independent research project under the supervision of a psychology professor. The most common options include literature reviews, small-scale studies, or projects using existing data sets. Projects often involve conceptualizing the study, obtaining IRB approval, and collecting and analyzing data. Students are expected to write a thesis (typically 20+ pages) describing their project. Most professors also require that the project be presented at a conference (e.g., the NCSU research symposium, the CHASS high-impact symposium, or a regional or national Psychology conference).
To get involved, talk to a Psychology professor with whom you have worked for Psy 499 or whose class you have taken. Your research interest for the thesis must match the professor’s area of interest and expertise. If they agree to work with you, they will contact the psychology advising office to coordinate enrollment.
Psy 498 is open only to Psychology majors. It is 3 credits and has an expected time commitment of 9-10 hours per week. It counts as a psychology elective. Note that it often takes more than one semester to complete an honors thesis. Students are enrolled in Psy 498 for two semesters if needed.
PSY 497 Undergraduate Learning Assistant Program
The Psychology department maintains a small undergraduate learning assistant program (ULA). The ULA program is a great opportunity for undergraduate Psychology majors (typically juniors or seniors) to learn about college teaching through readings, reflections, and hands-on experience helping an instructor in the classroom. This is a valuable high-impact experience, particularly for students applying to Psychology Ph.D. programs. The ULA program has two components:
1) In an asynchronous Moodle course, ULAs read and write about college teaching, including topics such as active learning, classroom management, leading discussions, and career readiness. You will receive one credit of Psy 497 for completing this asynchronous component under Dr. Dana Kotter-Gruehn’s supervision.
2) ULAs gain hands-on experience in the classroom under the supervision and guidance of a professor. The professor who teaches the class for which you are the ULA assigns tasks to you. These can include preparing slides, searching for and integrating additional readings or videos, preparing and conducting in-class activities, leading discussions, writing study guides, connecting students to resources, and more. Depending on the number of hours you dedicate to your ULA work each week, you will receive additional Psy 497 credits (typically 1-2).
To become a ULA, please reach out directly to Psychology instructors to inquire about working with them as a ULA. If they agree to work with you, they will contact the Psychology advising office to coordinate enrollment.
Undergraduate Research
