SENIOR CAPSTONE COURSE INFORMATION
The department is pleased to announce the Senior Capstone Experience course offerings for the 2013 academic year (Summer, Fall, and Spring). Please read the choices carefully and respond promptly. The Department of Psychology faculty are committed to making sure each student receives the tools and skills necessary to compete for jobs and graduate school positions.
Capstone Requirement
The Capstone Experience requires ONE 3 credit course from the four courses below:
- Field Experience (401), or
- Research Topics (432), (Fall only)
- Seminar (430) or
- Classic and Contemporary Readings in Psychology (435) (Summer only)
The number of seats available is limited. If necessary, the number of credit hours earned (i.e., closest to graduation) will be used to select those students most in need of the Capstone Experience. Other factors to be considered include:
- GPA, and
- A statement of interest for the Capstone Experience.
What you need to do:
1. Submit an application to the Psychology Main Office in WH 102. (See links below.) Summer applications are due by Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. Fall applications are due by Monday, March 17, 2014. Spring applications are due by Monday, October 14, 2013. All applications are due to Whitney House 102 by 4:00 of the deadline. Remember to rank order your preference for the different capstone classes. Links to the currently available application forms can be found at the bottom of this page.
2. You will be notified if upon your admittance to a Capstone option. Once an override has been entered, you can register for the class. An override does not register you for the class. You still register after the override has been processed by the office manager. If you are selected for fieldwork course, there will have a meeting to answer questions and provide information about placement opportunities.
What you need to know:
1. You may not get your first choice, but we will try to honor as many first choices as possible.
2. It is possible that some students will not be allowed into the Capstone Experience for their requested semester (particularly if there is no clear evidence that you are close to graduation.) The exact number allowed to enroll will be dictated by available resources.
3. Preference for Capstones will be given in the following order: 1) number of credits earned in the major (i.e., those closest to graduation); 2) overall G.P.A.; 3) statement of interest.
Senior Capstones for Spring 2014 (due by Oct. 14, 2013, 4:00 pm)
PSY 430: Seminar on Canine Cognition (Dr. Rockenstein)
Dogs have served humankind in myriad ways throughout time and in every part of the world. The relationship between humans and dogs is estimated to be at least 15,000 years old. Dogs herd flocks, assist people with both physical and mental illnesses and disabilities, apprehend criminals, guard facilities, perform search and rescue missions, and serve as family companions. The relatively new field of canine cognition is being studied in the psychology laboratories of prominent universities around the world. In this course, we will examine canine cognition as an aspect of comparative psychology. We will consider the roles played by such factors as genetics, instinct, intelligence, early neurological stimulation, socialization, personality type, and training in the development of the unique partnership between dogs and humans. Limited to 15 students.
PSY 401: Field Experience (Dr. Rockenstein)
You will complete a 90-hour supervised internship in a community setting that is relevant to psychology. It is your responsibility to arrange for an internship site, which must be approved by Dr. Rockenstein prior to the beginning of the course. Possible sites (PDF) might include group homes, nursing homes, children’s programs, the VA hospital, the prison, women’s shelters, schools, the Whitney Senior Center, and human resources offices. Following the application deadline, and the selection of students for the course, there will be an orientation meeting about the field experience class. Limited to 24 students.
Senior Capstones for Fall 2014 (deadline March 17, 2014, 4:00 pm)
PSY 401: Field Experience (Dr. Rockenstein)
You will complete a 90-hour supervised internship in a community setting that is relevant to psychology. It is your responsibility to arrange for an internship site, which must be approved by Dr. Rockenstein prior to the beginning of the course. Possible sites (PDF) might include group homes, nursing homes, children’s programs, the VA hospital, the prison, women’s shelters, schools, the Whitney Senior Center, and human resources offices. Following the application deadline, and the selection of students for the course, there will be an orientation meeting about the field experience class. Llimited to 24 students
PSY 430: Seminar on ....
Sigmund Freud was the first psychologist to systematically explore the influence of what he called the unconscious mind. Later, more empirically minded psychological scientists cast serious doubt on many aspects of Freud’s theory. However, in the past quarter-century psychological science has amassed a large body of evidence indicating that unconscious mental processes indeed exert systematic, powerful, and unseen influences on our behavior, both in and out of the laboratory. In this course we will read books and primary source articles about these findings, discuss the evidence and its implications for understanding ourselves and each other. Limited to 15 students.
PSY 432: Research on...
Students will design an empirical study, collect and analyze data, and summarize the findings of the project in a research report (paper) under the supervision of Dr. Illies or Dr. Buswell. Limited to 12 students.
Application forms
Capstone_application_spring14
Capstone Questions? Contact
Dr. Melcher, jmmelcher@stcloudstate.edu, Whitney House 102, (320) 308-2188
See the Department’s website at http://www.stcloudstate.edu/psychology for latest information.
