Research Experience Opportunities
Collaborating with faculty members conducting research in the Department can be a rich and rewarding experience for undergraduates interested in empirical psychology research, and for those seeking to apply to graduate programs in psychology or neuroscience. Graduate programs typically accept only applicants with extensive experience. Our Department offers several mechanisms by which students can take part in psychology research in the laboratory.
Research Opportunities, Reading and Research Tutorials, REBL
The Department of Psychology offers a variety of research opportunities including Reading and Research Tutorials. Reading tutorials ordinarily involve a review of professional literature on a subject agreed upon by the student and faculty member. Research tutorials involve either empirical or theoretical research of a more original nature. Students are also strongly encouraged to seek involvement in the Georgetown Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. The latter offers support for student research and has a competitive summer fellowship program.
Students are encouraged to join research labs and/or enroll in reading tutorials and independent research tutorials. Both reading and research tutorials taken under the guidance of a member of the Georgetown University Psychology Department faculty or under the collaborative guidance of a faculty member at another institution and a member of the Georgetown University Psychology Department faculty can be counted as elective courses toward the major or minor. In order to count as elective credits toward the Psychology major or minor (Research Tutorial or REBL), student research activities must be under the direct supervision of a faculty member in the Georgetown University Psychology Department. No more than six (6) credits of Tutorials or REBL can be counted toward the Psychology major or minor. However, neither reading nor research tutorials can be used to satisfy the distribution requirements of the major. Research tutorials and/or participation in research are particularly recommended for any student wishing to pursue graduate study in psychology. Research Tutorials typically involve a student conducting a small project as part of the larger, ongoing research program of a faculty member. In most cases, a faculty member is not able to accept more than a few students for tutorials each semester.
Students also have the option to enroll in PSYC 401 – 403 Research Experience-Based Learning (REBL) and conduct research for course credit, including course credit in the major/minor. The learning goals for the REBL course draw on all of the learning goals of the undergraduate psychology program. Much of the work will target Goal 2 – Epistemological Foundations – because students will learn firsthand about the methods psychologists use for generating knowledge. Each specific research experience will also impart Foundational Knowledge (Goal 1) about the area of scientific inquiry in which you are participating, the skills and perspectives necessary to apply the knowledge to everyday life (Goal 3), and the Values in Psychology (Goal 4) involved in the ethical practice of research. REBL is available in the Fall and Spring semesters as well as the Full Term Summer Session. For more detailed information on REBL and how to enroll, please read the syllabus.
In planning an undergraduate program, majors should keep in mind that no more than fourteen (14) courses in psychology may be counted towards graduation. All courses are three (3) credits unless arrangements are made with the professor prior to registration. Permission of the instructor is required for all tutorials. Specific requirements are agreed upon between the student and faculty member, but typically, tutorials involve regular weekly meetings and require a paper due at the end of the semester. Tutorial registration forms may be obtained from the College Dean’s Office (108 White-Gravenor) and must be completed prior to registration.
Majors are advised to consult with faculty members early if they wish to do a tutorial. Students who are unsure which faculty members to approach for a tutorial on a given subject should consult with their advisor. Information about individual faculty is located on our Faculty page.