Transcript Psychology Honours Thesis Information Session

Psychology Honours Thesis
Information Session
Presented by: Prof. Geoff Navara
Agenda
Introductions
What is an honours thesis?
Why do an honours thesis?
Admission requirements
Application process
Finding a potential supervisor
Timeline
What is an honours thesis?
Coursework vs. thesis option for the Honours degree
It is more than just a ‘big paper’
The workload is high! (PSYC 4020D = approximately 20
hours per week for two semesters)
Thesis requires the students to:
Plan an empirical study
Execute the day-to-day aspects of collecting/analyzing data
Report the results via written, oral and presentations
PSYC 4010Y vs. 4020D
PSYC 4010Y is only for those students doing a Joint
Honours Thesis with Psychology and another program
(one credit from Psychology, the other comes from the
other program)
If you are interested in PSYC 4010Y please see Trudy
Kirschner in the Psychology Office
Why do an honours thesis?
Good:
If you are planning to go on to a graduate program in
psychology (or many other social science based programs);
Competitive edge in job market (demonstrates marketable
skills);
Are unsure of future goals (issue of limiting options);
Networking with professors;
Believe it or not, research can be fun, educational and
stimulating;
Please see my presentation on getting into grad school
(available on the Psychology Department’s website)
Admission Requirements
For getting into PSYC 4020D
Completed PSYC 3015Y with minimum 75% required!
At least 0.5 credit from each of the A2, B2, A3, and B3
categories
Average of 75% in completed Psychology courses
required
Permission of Psychology Department
Several faculty supervisors have specific requests as far
as content courses, etc. required to work with them (see
student handbook)
Application process
You must apply to be in the Psychology Honours
Thesis Program!
Forms are available from the Psychology Office
Do not fill-in both sides of the application (one or the
other)
Space restrictions
Application deadline: Friday March11, 2011 by 4:00pm
in the Psychology Office
Finding a potential faculty
supervisor
Your academic career begins in undergraduate studies,
it is important to act professional and respectful to
your colleagues and the professors (but you don’t need
to ‘kiss butt’)
Networking is an important skill (both in life and in
getting into graduate programs) – start now
Approach faculty whose research work interests you
(see student handbook for faculty research interests)
Finding a potential faculty
supervisor
Identify which faculty members you are most interested
in working with - as potential advisors we are
particularly interested in ‘good fit’ personally and
professionally (we are also making a considerable
commitment when we take on honours students)
Contact potential faculty to see if they are taking on
new students this coming year – again, the student
handbook is a good resource for you.
Finding a potential faculty
supervisor
If you have a faculty member willing to work with you, please
complete, sign and have the faculty member sign the first page of
the application form.
If you do not have a faculty member lined up to supervise you,
please complete and sign the second page of the application form.
Please note: if you do not have a supervisor lined up to work with
you, you may still be accepted into the program, but we cannot
guarantee that you will work with any of your preferred choices.
Also, you may be paired with a faculty member whose research
interests and thesis work do not match with your personal
interests
Timeline
Application forms are available as of today (in this
meeting or later from the Psychology Office)
Application deadline: Friday March 11, 2011 by
4:00pm (in the Psychology Office)
Depending on the information contained in your
application you may receive a conditional offer by early
April
If you maintain your GPA and the stars align . . You
will be notified late May