Psychology Resources for Current Students

Psychology Participation Pool. One of the requirements in PSY 001 is to become more familiar with psychological research. To that end, you are required to participate in a number of studies over the course of the semester. This link gets you to the web page where you can learn more details about this requirement, and see and sign up for research studies. Please follow the Research Credit Sign-up Instructions to sign up for the psychology participation pool.

Plagiarism Policy. One of the skills that is required in many types of professional writing is to present information from other sources, while acknowledging those sources properly; that is, not plagiarizing. The Westmont College Plagiarism Policy describes how plagiarism is defined at Westmont and what the consequences are if one plagiarizes.

Student as a Minor. At times, there may be a student enrolled under the age of 18. Parental consent must be received in order for the minor student to participate in the psychological research studies. A letter to the parent and consent form can be obtained by clicking on the link Student as a Minor.

Reading APA Style Articles and Writing in APA Style

Madigan, Johnson, & Linton article. This article describes how the structure and format of APA style reflects the epistemology of the field of psychology; that is, its ways of knowing and finding out about the world. Reading this article will help you in reading psychological research articles and writing your APA-style paper.

Writing APA Style Summary & Review Papers in Psychology

Plagiarism

What is Plagiarism?

Reducing and Detecting Plagiarism

Information about APA Style

The Basics of APA Style: A Tutorial. This information is useful for understanding the structure and organization of psychological research studies and writing your own paper in APA style. Check out the tutorial on the basics first. Then read through the "What's New in the 7th Edition" tutorial; this information will supplement the tutorial on basics.

Summary of the Most Critical Information in the APA Publication Manual

Examples of Reference Format

Examples of Text Citations

Typing Instructions for Each Section of a Paper

Lab and Key Use Policy

Being given permission to independently use a psychology lab or the animal facilities is a privilege that carries with it responsibilities. A key can only be lent to a student on the following conditions:

1. The key is for his/her professional use only. It may not be lent to other students, and he/she may not allow other students into this room using his/her key.
2. Use of the room is restricted to the student's psychological research or class work that requires its use. It is not a general purpose space for other activities.
3. The room must be reserved for the student's professional activities. He/she must contact the Psychology Lab Coordinator (x7025, psychlabcoordinator@westmont.edu) for access to the Google Calendar for the room so that he/she can check availability and record the days and times of use in advance.
4. The room must be locked after use, all lights and equipment turned off, shades pulled down, supplies put away, and equipment properly cleaned. If the room is found unlocked upon arrival, this must be reported to the Psychology Lab Coordinator immediately.
5. The key must be returned at the end of the semester or whenever requested. The privilege of being lent a key can be taken away at any time.

If you agree with the aforementioned conditions, download the Key Use Policy form (below), have it signed by your research supervisor or professor, and turn the form in to the Psychology Lab Coordinator. A copy of the form will be emailed to you.

Lab and Key Use Policy Form (PDF)

Possible Awards and Honors

Psi Chi Membership

Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, "founded . . . for the purpose of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. Membership is open to . . . women and men who are making psychology one of their major interests and who meet the . . . qualifications" listed below:

1. Completion of at least 3 semesters of college work
2. Completion of 9 semester hours of psychology
3. Registration for major or minor standing in psychology
4. Overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 and cumulative psychology GPA of at least 3.00
5. Ranking in the upper 35% of their class
6. High standards of personal behavior
7. Two-thirds affirmative vote of those present at a regular meeting of the chapter

Major Honors in Psychology

The principal objectives for the Major Honors candidate in psychology are extensive reading preparation, completion of a scientific project, production of a fully documented research paper, and passing an oral examination on the research by a three-member honors committee and guest examiners.

A student is eligible for Major Honors work if both the cumulative academic and major GPAs are at least 3.50. Prior to April 10 of the Junior year, in consultation with a faculty sponsor who serves as Major Honors Chairperson, the student prepares and submits an application to the Academic Review Committee.

After approval, the student submits to the Chairperson a general outline of the program and enrolls for two (2) credits of Honors Study in the Fall of the Senior year. If continuation of the project is approved at the end of that semester, four (4) units of Honors Study are taken the Spring of the Senior year.

The project must be completed by April 15 of the Senior year, followed by a public, oral defense and presentation. An A grade earns an Honors in Psychology designation on the permanent record and is announced in the commencement program.

Full details and procedures of this program are described on the Academic Policies and Procedures webpage.

Willard F. Harley Outstanding Senior Award

This award is presented annually to the graduating psychology major who performs outstandingly in the following categories:

1. Overall GPA, Westmont College only
2. Independent research, in progress or completed
3. Psychology courses GPA, Westmont College only
4. Honors work in Psychology
5. Spiritual maturity and a lifestyle reflecting Christian faith 

C. Eugene Walker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Psychology

This monetary award was established in 2000 to encourage psychology students to attend a psychological convention, meeting, or training session. The award monies must be used for expenses incurred during attendance at professional meetings. Get more information about this award, including the application form.

Summer Research in Psychology

It is possible for students to engage in intensive research during 10 weeks of the summer, supervised by a psychology department faculty member. Housing allowances and small stipends may be available for eligible students. Please contact the department chair for more information.

Conference Funding for Psychology Students 

Psychology students have the opportunity to attend conferences whether to participate or simply attend. Funding is available to cover part or all of the costs incurred and can come from a variety of sources. See funding sources here.

Graduate School

Getting into Graduate School

What Graduate School is Like

Succeeding in Graduate School

Post-Doctoral Goals

Where Our Graduates Go

Graduate Schools

Graduate Programs

Career Opportunities

Careers in Psychology

What our Graduates Do

Advising Alerts:

Before seeing your advisor, please prepare by doing the following:

1. Check the updated course offerings below, and update or create your 4-year plan if you don't already have one.

2. Bring a checklist of major courses, with completed and planned courses noted. (See Major Requirements for Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Science, General; Bachelor of Science, Behavioral Neuroscience.)

3. Select your courses in Waypoint (with days and times) and bring a list of those courses with you. Be sure to take into account your required major courses, course prerequisites, and general education course needs.

4. Be ready to discuss any plans for off-campus programs or other special needs—as in, do the research for this beforehand.

5. If you are pursuing a Minor in Psychology, see requirements here.

6. If you are a transfer student, here is what you need to know regarding transfer credits.

Suggested 4-year Program

The following is a general outline around which either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree program in psychology may be organized. Programs for individual students may vary, however, so students should consult with their academic advisors regularly to plan or modify their programs.

Students must also fulfill the General Education requirements listed in the catalog and should consult with their advisors about how these can best be met.

First Year. General Psychology (PSY 001) should be taken during the first year because it is a prerequisite for all other psychology courses. In addition, Introduction to Statistics (MA 005) should be taken. These two courses may be taken either semester. The remainder of one's courses taken during the first year should fulfill the General Education requirements. Note that taking a laboratory course in Chemistry or Physics for the B.S. degree will also fulfill the Physical Science General Education requirement.

Sophomore Year. If PSY 001 and MA 005, the prerequisites for Research Methods in Psychology (PSY 013), are completed by the end of the first year, the student is prepared to take Research Methods in Psychology in the Fall or Spring of his or her Sophomore year.

In addition, Cultural Psychology (PSY 132) and Abnormal Psychology (PSY 131) are upper division, sophomore-level courses which may be taken concurrently with PSY 013. In the Spring semester, students should plan to take their first psychology laboratory course.

Students who are working on a B.S. degree should also complete some of the requirements from other disciplines like a Mathematics course (from those listed in the B.S. Requirements) or Natural Science courses (from those listed in the B.S. Requirements).

Junior Year. Students may be best served by planning an off-campus experience during one of the semesters of their Junior year. A number of the core courses in psychology should also be completed, especially by students who are planning graduate study in psychology.

These core courses include other lecture and laboratory courses that will help complete the major requirements: Cognitive Psychology (PSY 120), Behavioral Neuroscience (PSY 125), Social Psychology (PSY 122), Lifespan Development (PSY 117), Personality (PSY 140), and Fundamentals of Clinical and Counseling Psychology (PSY 141).

Senior Year. If a student has planned well, he or she is free to focus on the 3 capstone experiences during his or her Senior year: History & Systems (PSY 111), Internship (PSY 196) and Research (PSY 197/198).

Throughout their career at Westmont, students are encouraged to broaden their education by taking courses in other, related disciplines (e.g., Communication Studies, Biology, Physics, Sociology) and deepen their education by doing research or taking tutorials in specialty areas.

Students who select psychology as a major must choose a track within the major: the B.A. track, the B.S. General track, or the B.S. Behavioral Neuroscience track. In the B.A. track, slightly fewer hours are required, which may leave space for more electives, a minor, or a second major. The B.S. degree emphasizes the sciences and serves as preparation for academic or research graduate work in certain areas. If one's courses are chosen carefully, a minor or a second major may also be completed. Both the B.S. and B.A. tracks provide an excellent foundation for graduate school in psychology.

Regardless of the track chosen, the course sequence in the psychology major is composed of three tiers, or levels, of study. The first tier consists of lower division requirements which provide a theoretical and methodological foundation in psychology. These include General Psychology, Statistics, and Research Methods in Psychology.

The second tier is composed of the central content areas of psychology which include Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology, Lifespan Development, Theories of Personality, Abnormal Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Sensation and Perception, Fundamentals of Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Clinical Neurospychology, and other special topics.

The third tier is a capstone experience which is designed to stretch students beyond their previous learning so that they apply their knowledge and skills in examining a specialized area in depth or discovering a new piece of psychological knowledge. This tier consists of a required History and Systems course and Practicum or Research.

Students who expect to pursue graduate school in psychology are strongly encouraged to take Individual Research in Psychology and Capstone Senior Research in Psychology I and II. If graduate school goals involve areas of psychology such as Clinical or Counseling Psychology, Individual Internship in Psychology and Capstone Senior Practicum in Psychology are also recommended. Practicum is also excellent preparation for those intending to begin their careers immediately after graduation.

* Level at which these courses are taught and rank at which students are expected to take them