PSYC 495 Outline

THE KING'S UNIVERSITY

COURSE NUMBER:

PSYC 495

COURSE TITLE:

Senior Psychology Seminar

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Leanne Willson

CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION:

credits 3(hrs lect 0 - hrs sem 3 - hrs lab 0)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This seminar is designed for students obtaining a terminal degree in psychology. Theoretical, ethical and methodological foundations of psychology are explored through reading, discussion and seminar presentations.

Prerequisites: PSYC 485

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Northey, M., & Timney, B. (2015). Making sense: A student’s guide to research and writing. Don Mills, ON: Oxford.

MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:


Assignments	20%
Major course outcomes including Lab Life, Empirical Research Paper, Presentation	80%

	100%

COURSE OUTLINE:

All students graduating from the 4 yr program are required to take this course. The course integrates philosophical
and theoretical foundations with practical implications of the different courses through the development of and
reflection upon student research projects. It will build on research questions initiated in PSYC 398.

Attendance, Preparation, & Participation. The class meets once a week for a one hour seminar. This time will be used to address issues and research progress common to the group. Additionally, each student must meet with the course instructor once a week at an agreed-upon time to set and evaluate goals, and to ensure project progress. Meetings with faculty project supervisors (not necessarily the course instructor) must be set regularly at agreed-upon times. These project meetings may include other students or lab “mates” depending on the faculty project. Students will be evaluated regularly on attendance, preparation for all meetings, and participation in group seminars and meetings. We’ll call this “Lab life”.

Assignments. Expect small assignments every week or larger assignments every few weeks. These assignments will lead us toward the goal of becoming thoughtful, educated, ethical researchers. They will also lead us toward the expected course outcomes – a full research project. The nature of the assignments may vary depending on the specifics of the project in which each student is engaged.

As there is no final exam in this course, the evaluation of your preparation and participation, assignments and the major course outcomes (which will vary by project) will make up your grade in this course.

Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.