 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Special Undergraduate Research Programs
The COR Program
The MIDARP Program
Field Placement Program
Honors Program
Neuroscience Concentration
The Department of psychology, anthropology, and sociology jointly offer a program called COR (Career Opportunities in Research and Education). This interdisciplinary research training program for academically talented minority juniors and seniors is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Participants receive a monthly stipend, tuition and fee remission. They take a special curriculum and get individualized research training in a variety of areas under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The program has several levels of participation, and underrepresented minority students - especially sophomores - intending to pursue a research-related career in the participating disciplines are urged to apply to the program. Additional details and descriptive literature are available from the COR program manager, Judith Diaz (uddiaz@hunter.cuny.edu, 772-4562, Room 632 HN).
The MIDARP Program (Minority Institutional Drug Abuse Research Development Program)
The overall goal of MIDARP is to develop the capacity at Hunter College to support drug abuse research through the following objectives: (1) provide underrepresented minority faculty with drug abuse research knowledge and skill development through the conduct of research projects and other professional development activities, (2) encourage underrepresented minority students to pursue drug abuse research careers by providing them with educational enrichment and research experiences; and (3) strengthen the underlying institutional infrastructure needed to support drug abuse research. Undergraduate students supported by MIDARP are highly qualified students from underrepresented populations. They must be interested in pursing careers in drug abuse research and working in the laboratory of a MIDARP investigator.
Offered for one semester (PSYCH 306) or as a 2-semester sequence, Psychological Services I and II (PSYCH 306 and 307) give enrolled students practical supervised career experience one day per week in an approved mental health or community service setting in conjunction with a class that meets once each week. Students also may do course work in conjunction with field placement in Independent Study (PSYCH 201) with a faculty sponsor; in this situation, the student generally finds his/her own placement, contingent on faculty approval. Peer Advising in Psychology (PSYCH 295) also combines working with people with academic course content. PSYCH 295 and PSYCH 306 require an interview, and all three of these courses require faculty permission.
Students often also volunteer in the field without a connection to course work. While course work can provide a valuable framework for field experience, there are times when the demands of academic work and other areas of life preclude the commitments of a field-placement course. Students often find volunteer field experiences through the College Internship Office.
The Hunter College Department of Psychology invites all undergraduate majors to consider the completion of a Psychology Departmental Honors thesis project.
What it involves:
This project involves working with a faculty mentor to develop and conduct a psychology-oriented research project addressing an area of interest to the student. Students often work with a faculty member they have already taken a course from, who mentioned an area of psychology that they wanted to explore further. Students may also review the list of faculty research interests, available on the Psychology department's web site, or available from the undergraduate Psychology advisor in 611HN, to identify faculty who conduct research in an area relevant to the student's interests. Examples of current and past projects conducted by Departmental Honors students include: Intentional vs. incidental learning, The influence of the news media on adolescents, Studying the symptoms of schizophrenia, The acquisition of temporal ordering skills in children of teenage mothers, The effect of emotion on perceptions of safer-sex advertisements, and The influence of oxy-tocin on the aggressive behaviors of rats.
Students who participate in the Psychology Departmental Honors program must register for Psych 396 (3 cr.) during their first semester of research and Psych 398 (3 cr.) during the second semester of research. In rare circumstances, students may be able to complete the Honors thesis in one semester, but this is worked out between them and their research mentor. Psych 396/398 requires that students attend a weekly seminar, during which tips for research and career matters are discussed, as well as brief student research presentations are made. If a student has a scheduling conflict that prevents him/her from attending the seminar, however, alternative arrangements can be made.
What are the benefits of completing a Psychology Departmental Honors Project?
Students who complete this project will receive special mention in the Commencement bulletin when they graduate, as well as receiving an indication of "Graduated with Departmental Honors" on their permanent record and transcript. In addition, many employers and, especially, graduate programs look very favorably on students who have completed independent research projects, as this indicates a high degree of motivation, interest, and responsibility on the part of the student, (i.e., it may help give you an edge when applying to grad school).
Who is eligible?
Students eligible for Psychology Departmental Honors must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in all Psychology courses taken. Students must have completed Psych 248 (Statistics) and Psych 249/250 (Experimental Psychology). The Honors thesis is usually completed during the student's final 2 semesters at Hunter College, and, thus, may be started during either the Fall or the Spring semester.
NOTE: In addition to Honors research, all interested students (regardless of GPA) are eligible to conduct research for credit through Psych 395 once they have completed Psych 249/250 (Experimental Psychology).
For further information:
Contact Prof. Jason Young, coordinator of the Psychology Departmental Honors program, by e-mail (for fastest response) at jason.young@hunter.cuny.edu, or by phone at (212) 772-5566.
The Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration within Psychology provides interdisciplinary training for students preparing for academic or professional careers in Neuroscience-related areas. The Concentration brings together students from Psychology and Biology in a set of core courses and offers mentored research experience in faculty laboratories, opportunities for student research presentations and talks by distinguished visiting neuroscientists. The neuroscience concentration is a particularly good option for students who plan to do graduate study in neuroscience or neuroscience-related fields or attend medical school for neurology, neurosurgery, or psychiatry specialties. Students in the Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration will complete a research project, will be enrolled in the Department Honors Program and graduate with Departmental Honors.
Click here for more information on the Neuroscience concentration.
Admission is by application at the end of the sophomore year. Click here for the application.
