PSY 485: Independent Study in Psychology

Individual research project (e.g., research/lab, library, or community-based), under the direction of a member of the Psychology faculty. APA style written report is required for each semester of work. (maximum 6 credits; only 3 credits may be applied to requirements of the major).

Prerequisites

• Overall GPA: 2.75
• Psychology GPA: 3.0
• Minimum 9 credits in Psychology completed at Lehman
• Instructor’s permission (Faculty member who you are working with)

Types of Independent Study Projects

• Research: Develop either an outline of a research project that you wish to conduct or a brief description of your participation in an existing research project.
• Library: Meet with a faculty mentor to develop an approved reading list for your area of interests, including books, and at least 8-10 original research. A final paper is expected to be at least 25 double spaced typed pages with one inch margins, including text and references.
• Community-based: Find an agency and supervisor who agrees to act as your on-site supervisor in a community mental-health or social services setting. Average of 9 to 12 hours per week of on-site community service that involves direct contact with clients and must have relevance to clinical psychology or some area of applied psychology. Written log of your experiences at the placement site, or a paper tying your experiences into some related topic in psychology (e.g., a discussion of the relevance of a particular clinical paradigm to the population that you worked with) is required.

PSY 495: Honors Research in Psychology

Research project under the direction of a member of the Psychology faculty that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to Psychology. Required for graduation with Honors in Psychology. Granting of credit will be contingent upon presentation of a report of the research at a Departmental seminar and the filing of a formal APA-style research paper in the Departmental office before the end of the senior year.

Prerequisites:

• Overall GPA: 3.2
• Psychology GPA: 3.5
• Minimum 12 credits in Psychology completed at Lehman
• Instructor’s permission (Faculty member who you are working with)
• PSY 305 either pre- or co-requisite.

*Note that PSY 495 students will have to complete 38 credits in the major, not just the standard 35.

Psychology Club

The purpose of the Psychology Club is to provide opportunities for all students to learn about psychology and its varied sub-fields and to meet others with this interest. The club also provides opportunities for students who might be interested in psychology as a potential major to learn about the field and the program at Lehman.

To join or learn more visit:  https://clubs.lehman.edu/organization/prepsychology or contact us at Marjorine.Castillo@lehman.cuny.edu 

Psi Chi is the National Honor Society in Psychology. In 2004, it will celebrate its 75th Anniversary. It also is one of the nation's largest honor societies and has become a major source of funding and support for research, especially by undergraduate students. Students pay a one-time membership fee.

At Lehman, our chapter has been recognized as one of the most outstanding chapters in the nation. In 2000, we received a Regional Chapter Award and a Regional Faculty Advisor Award. Chapter officers presented a well-attended workshop at the 2001 conference of the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) on Keeping Your Psi Chi Chapter Alive and Kicking that included then-National President Peter Giordano as a discussant. In 2002, our officers presented a symposia at the conference of the American Psychological Society in New Orleans on Engaging Undergraduates in Research.

In 2001, we received the Ruth Hubbard Cousins National Chapter Award. This award is presented each year to one chapter "for outstanding programming of activities, effective membership practices, responsible participation in regional and national activities, and for best achieving the purpose of Psi Chi to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology." Also in 2001, Prof. Vincent Prohaska, our previous faculty adviser, received the Florence L. Denmark National Faculty Adviser Award. This award is presented each year to one faculty adviser "for outstanding contributions to Psi Chi and Psychology."

In more recent years, the Psi Chi chapter at Lehman has continued this strong tradition, earning several model capter awards and making number presentations at the annual Eastern Psychology Association conferences in Boston, Philadelphia and New York City.

For more information, contact us at: sandra.campeanu@lehman.cuny.edu