Thesis or Internship?

PROCEDURES FOR PSYC 698 THESIS IN I/O PSYCHOLOGY

1. Students must sign up for Thesis Seminar (PSYC 698) if they decide to complete a thesis, or for Internship Seminar (PSYC 611) if they decide to complete an Internship during their first semester of school (they sign up with the faculty teaching the course but do not actually register for the course until later).
 

How do I decide??????

A thesis is suggested for students who:

• intend to obtain their doctorate.
• have interest in teaching or conducting research.
• intend to consult in the field of industrial/organizational psychology in areas where advanced research and statistical skills are needed.
• have no organization to complete an internship in and are uninterested in an unpaid internship that might be provided for by faculty.

An internship is suggested for students who:

• do not intend to obtain a doctorate.
• are currently working or intend to work in Human Resources or Management areas where advanced research and statistical skills are not required.
• are currently working in an organization where an internship can be completed (either a project or reach performance goals). Someon in this organization with an advanced degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology or a related field must be willing to supervise.
• are willing to complete an unpaid internship opportunity that faculty might provide.

2. The students should begin to attend Thesis Seminar (PSYC 698) during their second semester of graduate school.  However, students may attend Thesis Seminar for a while before presenting their research proposal.  Attendance will be taken in Thesis Seminar and you must attend Thesis Seminar for at least one semester to receive a grade for your completed Thesis.

3.  The student is required to be involved in a major project for which s/he must a) obtain a problem for investigation b) find a faculty sponsor c) submit a detailed written proposal for the project, including a complete literature search and proposed statistical analysis; d) obtain a signed agreement from the faculty sponsor accepting the assignment and the written proposal; and e) produce a final report using APA style covering all phases of the project from planning through data analysis to conclusions for presentation to your committee.

4.  The subject of the project must be in the field of I/O Psychology, broadly defined.  It must be of importance to the field and to organizations, and of a size appropriate for a Master’s degree.

5. Once a project sponsor has been approved, and some work completed on the design of the project, the mentor and the student will ask two additional members to serve on the student’s committee. Students may have one committee member outside of the department.

 6. The student will attend (but not register for) PSYC 698 starting during the second semester of graduate school. Students will attend other Thesis proposals to learn more about the thesis process.  Students will present the project to the class for constructive criticism after he/she has worked through the thesis design with members of his/her committee.

 7. The student will continue to improve the design in consultation with his/her committee and thesis sponsor.  When he or she has worked out all of the details, he/she will get Forms A, B, and C signed.

8.  After data collection, the student will analyze the data as suggested in the proposal with advice from his/her committee head. Once the data are analyzed, the student will finish revising/expanding the introduction and methods sections and write the full first draft of the results and methods.  The student will give the drafts of his/her full report to the advisor, and then to the entire committee, to go through as many revisions as needed.

9. Generally, within the same semester the orals are planned, the student will formally enroll in PSYC 698.  Usually students register for this class when they are implementing the design, analyzing and writing up their results and discussion.  Under normal circumstances, the student is expected to complete the project not later than one semester after formal enrollment in Psyc. 600. Students must continue to register for Thesis credit or Thesis extension every semester after they first register until their thesis is completed.

PROCEDURES FOR PSYC 611 INTERNSHIP IN I/O PSYCHOLOGY

1. See #1 above!

2.  An internship will require students to:

• Find and organization (broadly defined) to work in and complete some kind of project or reach goals set by a field supervisor.
  • NOTE:  This organization can be:
                            1. An organization where the student currently works (related to I/O psychology) OR
                            2.  An organization where the student can find work (paid or unpaid) related to I/O Psychology
    
  • NOTE: Industrial Organizational faculty may HELP to place students in an unpaid internship but cannot guarantee such placement.
• Locate a field supervisor in this organization with an advanced degree (M.S., M.A., M.B.A, Ph.D., Psy.D.) in Industrial Organizational Psychology or a related field to oversee their work in this organization.
  

3. The content of the work must be in the field of I/O Psychology, broadly defined.   The internship faculty teaching Internship Seminar (PSYC 611) must approve the project.

4. Students can begin attending Internship Seminar (PSYC 611) after their first year of graduate school. More information about the seminar will be provided by the faculty during the first meeting. Some students may not be ready to begin attending internship during their second semester. In order to beginning attending, students must:

• Have taken at least 9 credits in the program before they begin the course (if you are determined to do an internship and not a Thesis it may take longer than one semester to locate an organization where you can do your Internship or to find an appropriate project at your place of employment)
• Have an appropriate (approved) project.
• Be FULLY MATRICULATED into the Industrial Organizational Psychology Program.
• Check with those teaching the Internship course before attending the course to make sure that your project is appropriate for an Internship.
• Regularly attend the Internship Seminar (attendance will be taken).
• Complete an Internship contract during the first semester of attending the class.
• Propose what you will do for your project during your first semester of attending the class.
• Attend the Internship Seminar for a total of at least two semesters.
• Make a presentation in Internship Seminar regarding the work or goals you intend to reach in your Internship (Seminar faculty may require additional work).
• Write a qualitative report and make a final presentation regarding the project/goals you completed during your internship.
• The paper and presentation may have a format similar to the following:
  • Organizational Setting and Problem/Issue History
  • Issues/Problem(s) (diagnosed with literature)
  • Proposed goals and Project
  • Implementation
  • Evaluation of Implementation
    

5. Students will need to get approval to register for the Internship class during the second semester of attendance.  Students should provide instructors of the course their name and social security number to the Instructor(s) my clear them to register for the course. Again, Internship will be offered for credit ONLY during the Spring semester.   You should attend internship in the fal semester and register during the spring semester.  If this completely throws off the completion of your thesis it may be possible to attend during the spring semester, finish your internship in the fall semester and register for the actual credits during the following spring semester.

6. The completion of your actual internship should overlap the attendance of Internship Seminar, but may not line up completely.

7. You will register for Internship Seminar during you r second semester of attending the class (only offered for credit during the spring semesters). You will hand in your final paper and make an informal final presentation by the end of this second semester.

8. The faculty of the Internship Seminar will give you a grade for your Internship based on 1) attendance and participation in the Seminar 2) successful completion of Internship 3) proposal and final presentation  4) final paper.  If you do not finish your paper and presentation by the end of the second semester of attending Internship Seminar you will get a grade of incomplete and must complete the Internship and all work by the end of the following semester.