Experiential Learning

Experiential Requirements

Each psychology major must complete a minimum of 2 credits (see program plan sheet).

Psychology students must choose at least one outside of the classroom learning experience to meet the program requirements. These learning options include:

  • PSYC-x98 Field Experience (2 credits)
  • PSYC-x49 Cooperative Education Experience (1-4 credits)
  • PSYC-480 Research Project I (1 credit) and
  • PSYC-481 Research Project II (1 credit)
  • PSYC-X99 Independent Study (1 or more credits)

Field Experience

Psychology Field Experience is a selective course in the experiential component of the Bachelor of Arts program in Psychology. In Psychology Field Experience students put into practice the knowledge and skills they are developing in various courses. The Psychology Field Experience provides an opportunity for students to work on a number of objectives. These include:

  • developing and practicing skills needed to plan and direct personal learning in a variety of life situations
  • improving and expanding written and oral communication skills
  • identifying and evaluating the special skills needed by a psychologist to function effectively in applied situations
  • identifying and evaluating personal career and educational goals as they relate to applied settings
  • improving and expanding effective human relation skills
  • developing and expanding ability to manage work related stress effectively
  • developing strategies for identifying possible job opportunities and skills in implementing those strategies.

The overriding goal for Psychology Field Experience is to provide the student with a structured opportunity to explore and test the validity of personal career aspirations within the broad dimensions of psychology.

Further information about Psychology Field Experience is available from the Field Experience Coordinator:

Dr. Ed Biggerstaff, 232-2410,
biggerstaffe@uwstout.edu
115 Heritage Hall



Cooperative Education Program

The Cooperative Education program offers a student who has senior status an opportunity to gain practical work experience through short-term employment in a work setting of particular interest to the student.

The student applies for a position advertised by the Co-op Education Office within Career Services. The application process requires a student to provide a Disk Resume along with the job application. Should an employer be interested, the student will be asked to interview for the position with the employer. Students may either work full time and not attend school, or work part time while attending school part time.

Students are supervised on site by the employer and also interact with a faculty mentor and co-op staff for purposes of supervision, completion of reports, and evaluation of work performance.

Psychology department Cooperative Education mentor is:

Dr. Ed Biggerstaff, biggerstaffe@uwstout.edu
115 Heritage Hall Bldg.
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751-0790

Phone: 715-232-2410


Individual Research Projects I and II

Individual Research Project I provides the student an opportunity to experience the preliminaries of active research through the development of a research proposal which includes a problem statement, review of the literature, and design of the research project.

Individual Research Project II provides the student, upon completion of, or concurrent with, Individual Research Project I, an opportunity to engage in research in a personal area of interest within the behavioral sciences. To complete the requirements the student must complete a research report that meets American Psychological Association guidelines.

 

Independent Study

An independent study offers a student the opportunity to earn academic credit for achieving approved learning objectives that cannot be accomplished in course offerings. The method of obtaining these objectives may vary from student to student but must be agreed upon by the student and his/her faculty advisor who has consented to act in that capacity.

The faculty advisor does not have to be a member of the Psychology Department, but if you wish to use the credit towards your major you must have the signature of your Program Director on your Independent Study form. You must also obtain the signature of the Chair of the Department from which the Independent Study is being earned.

Independent Study forms can be obtained from the Psychology Department Secretary (311 EHS).