心理学 高级顶点

在 心理学 department the SCE can take two forms.

• The majority of 学生 elect to conduct the data-driven thesis where they test their research question by collecting 和 analyzing data from human participants or with the use of animal models.
• Other 学生 elect the theoretical 评审选项. Here, 学生 answer their research question through a critical analysis 和 evaluation of the existing literature.

Every SCE begins with conceptualizing of a research question which must be a novel 探索.

Seniors are given the autonomy to select their 自己的 research question based on the gaps they discover in the literature regarding 他们的话题 感兴趣的.

Advisors do not require 学生 to conceive of research projects similar to their 自己的 兴趣范围. Instead, advisors are meant to guide seniors through their research 发现 process regardless of topic. This allows 学生 to explore any area of psychology 它们是 excited about 和 that would best prepare them for their future education or career.

Moreover, our 学生 are conducting high-caliber projects independently. 在其他 colleges 和 universities where 学生 have an option to complete a thesis, it is 经常只 the honors 学生 who are selected, or the project is conducted as a team project.

允许 every student the opportunity to conduct all aspects of an independent research project 我们集 学生 ahead of their peers on the path to success in graduate school 和 beyond.

The 心理学 SCE is a year-long process 和 is graded by the SCE advisor based on the following criteria:

• 10% Fall Progress toward the SCE (meeting deadlines with solid products submitted)
• 10%高级评核
• 20% Poster Defense (graded by two faculty members, one of which is the SCE advisor)
• 20% Process (turning in well-written drafts, incorporating feedback, acting as independently as possible, etc.)
• 40% Final Written Thesis

The 心理学 SCE is graded as any other course 和 gets factored into each student’s 平均绩点. 

Students begin their 准备 for the SCE 在 Junior Seminar, which is held 在 the spring semester of their junior year. During their weekly meetings, 学生 are 提供 in格式ion about the two thesis options, encouraged to explore literature in the 他们的面积 interest, formulate a research question, 和 present 他们的话题 和 方法 ideas 在公共场合 格式.

学生分组 with a faculty advisor 在 the second half of junior seminar. 从那时起， 学生 work one-on-one with their faculty advisor to solidify their research question 和 方法 和 gain advice regarding statistical analyses (for data-driven projects) 和 manuscript 准备. The department has set deadlines throughout the fall 和 spring semesters 以确保 that 学生 consistently make progress throughout the senior year.

Students with a dual major in 心理学 和 another discipline who wish to pursue an integrative capstone project should declare this intent early in the first semester of their senior year (or even 在 the junior year) 和 secure an agreement from the relevant departments 和 faculty mentors before commencing their capstone project. The department cannot guarantee that an integrated project acceptable to both departments can be implemented in all instances.