Departmental Opportunities for Undergraduate Involvement

Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the National Honor Society for Psychology. The University of Alabama has an active chapter in the National Society. Requirements for membership include the following:

Completion of at least 3 semesters of college coursework.
Completion of 9 hours of coursework in Psychology.
Registration of Major or Minor in Psychology or related discipline.
Minimum Overall GPA of 3.0.
Minimum Psychology GPA of 3.3.
Two-thirds affirmative vote by chapter members.

Psi Chi also organizes a number of activities that non-members may attend such as discussions about careers in psychology and preparing an application for graduate study in psychology and related areas.

Faculty Advisor: Dr Jerry Rosenberg (jrosenbe@bama.ua.edu).

Applications for membership are available in the Psychology Department Office.

Undergraduate Research for Course Credit (PY 451)
PY 451 will give you the opportunity to get involved with various aspects of research, such as designing experiments, collecting data, and data analysis.   This is a tremendous opportunity for students who plan to go to graduate school. Many graduate programs actually expect applicants to exhibit some degree of research experience. Check the department office for a description of faculty research interests.  Try to find someone whose has interests that overlap with yours.  But, all research experience is good, no matter what area of research you attempt.  IT IS THE STUDENTS’ JOB TO APPROACH THE FACULTY MEMBER ABOUT CONDUCTING RESEARCH WITH THEM.  IT IS BEST TO CONTACT THEM EARLY DURING THE REGISTRATION PERIOD, BECAUSE MOST HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITES AVAILABLE EACH SEMESTER.  Take these classes very seriously and the reward may be twofold.  You can include this experience in your application to graduate school and the faculty members that you work with will likely write a good letter of recommendation for you. 

Research Colloquia
The Department of Psychology sponsors research presentations by outstanding members of the psychology community each semester. Most are scheduled for the first Friday of each month. These colloquia typically attended by faculty and graduate students in psychology, but undergraduate students and persons from other departments are always welcome. These presentations afford undergraduates with a unique opportunity to hear about current research being conducted on a variety of special topics in psychology. Fliers are usually posted advertising upcoming colloquia in various locations in Gordon Palmer Hall. Undergraduate students are welcome to attend any and all research colloquia that are of interest to them.

Endowed Lecture Series
Each year, the Department of Psychology hosts two lectures presented by nationally known scholars in Psychology. The Basowitz Lecture is typically scheduled for the Fall Semester and focuses on Personality and Social Psychology. The Dinoff Lecture is typically scheduled for the Spring Semester and focuses on research in Clinical Psychology.

Other Opportunities for Undergraduate Involvement

Youth Villages
Youth Villages provides volunteer opportunities for those wanting to help troubled children and their families in several states across the southeastern U.S. including Alabama. Information about them and what opportunities may be available can be found at http://www.youthvillages.org.

Brewer-Porch Children’s Center
Brewer-Porch Children’s Center is a social service program and teaching clinic of The University of Alabama. Brewer-Porch is a separate department in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Center provides mental health services to children and adolescents. Undergraduates in the Department of Psychology often find volunteer and work opportunities at Brewer-Porch. More information about the Center can be found at http://www.as.ua.edu/bp/.

Psychology Department Awards

Outstanding Major in Psychology Award

Award Criteria

  1. Senior undergraduate student.
  2. Psychology major.
  3. Academic excellence (award requires a grade point average of 3.5 or higher).
  4. 4. Superior achievement in research, teaching, and/or community service.

Nomination Process

  1. Faculty wishing to nominate a student should ask the student to prepare a vita and a brief statement describing their participation in research, teaching, and/or community service activities.  A description of career goals should also be included.
  2. The nominating faculty member should write a brief letter of support to accompany the student’s materials.
  3. The award recipient will be chosen by the undergraduate committee.
  4. The recipient will receive the award and a gift certificate to the Supe Store during University Honors Week.

Andy Reaves Memorial Award

Award Description

This award was created to identify outstanding minority undergraduate students who show promise towards making a significant contribution to the field of psychology or related social science disciplines.  Andy Reaves was known for his commitment towards teaching, research, and community service.  Thus, preference will be given to students who have demonstrated excellence in more than one of these areas. 

Award Criteria

  1. Junior or senior minority undergraduate student (preference given to seniors).
  2. Psychology major.
  3. Excellence in community service, research, and/or teaching (priority given to students excelling in more than one area).
  4. Academic achievement (award requires a grade point average of 3.0 or higher)

Nomination Process

  1. Faculty wishing to nominate a student should ask the student to prepare a vita and a brief statement describing their participation in community service, research, and/or teaching activities.  A description of career goals should also be included.
  2. The nominating faculty member should write a brief letter of support to accompany the student’s application.
  3. The award recipient will be chosen by the undergraduate committee.
  4. The recipient will receive the award and $100 during University Honors Week.