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Psychology: Preparing for careers in research and service Augsburg insures that its psychology majors are prepared to explore all options in their field. Students must learn both the foundations for research as well as preparation for eventual work in psychology. "We make sure we are preparing students not only for the world of work, but also for the possibility of graduate school," explained Nancy Steblay, professor and department chair. Required of all majors are both a research project and an internship, both of which must integrate their classroom learning and career goals. Underpinning this curriculum is a strong emphasis on learning the principles of scientific methodology and acquiring the critical thinking skills to help make informed decisions - for example, how to discern good evidence from bad in a court of law, or determining what therapy may be best for a client. Internships - integrating work and study experiences Students must define their academic, personal and skill goals - how they want to be different at the end of the internship. During the semester, they keep a journal and write several application papers that are combined into a showcase portfolio. The internships are quite varied. Augsburg students have worked at Courage Center as peer counselors and occupational therapists. One student worked in a domestic abuse program; another stayed on campus and studied industrial safety training in food services. Learning hands-on research Emily Hause considers this unique for an undergraduate program. "I was handed data to run, but didn't actually design and conduct the experiments," she recalled of her own education. Students can either design an original project or link with faculty research in progress. Erin Dooley, a 1999 graduate, approached professor Grace Dyrud and asked if she could work with her. Dyrud was studying gambling habits and how "near wins" (for instance, getting two of the three fruit in a slot machine) affect behavior. This led to a two-year collaboration and lots of experience for Dooley. Dooley began with a questionnaire measuring gambling habits of Augsburg students, which she and Dyrud presented together at the Faculty/Student Research Fair. She then went on to recruit subjects for a study on "perception of chance." In her advanced methods course, she was required to present and defend these findings to fellow students. Dooley also presented at two statewide undergraduate psychology conferences. Last year, Dyrud and Dooley received a faculty/student collaboration grant that paid for travel to attend a national conference on gambling and gaming. Among the few academics in a group of mostly counselors and case workers, Dyrud and Dooley's session proved popular, and they reported presenting to a packed room. Dooley is grateful for the opportunity at Augsburg to "collaborate on a professional level" with faculty members. She told of older cousins studying psychology at other institutions who questioned why she was already doing such "advanced" research. Experience at professional conferences, learning about applying for grants, and carrying out original research are all aspects of Augsburg's program that she believes makes it distinctive. "I am quite proud - I believe we are all quite well prepared when we leave Augsburg," she said. Next year she plans to enter graduate school. |
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