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Step One: Topic
Basic Methods, Advanced Methods and Lab Course
In all thesis programs, the methods requirements are particularly important and are required to be completed before the end of junior year.
If you have not already completed basic methods course (Psychology 1900 or Statistics 101),
you should do so fall semester of junior year. And in either semester of your junior year
you must take the advanced methods course, Psychology 1901 as well. This requirement is designed
to provide you with skills useful in doing actual psychological research. If you haven't already completed your lab course requirement, you should do this in fall of junior year as well, since it will hopefully give you some skills for your thesis and help you narrow down your area of interest.
You should be sure to take a lab course if you are even
thinking of writing a thesis. In many cases, once you define your
thesis topic, you will need specific methodological knowledge beyond that
provided in your advanced methods course. Your thesis supervisor will
be able either to train you in those methods or inform you how you may
acquire such training. The lab methods course is not a course in the traditional sense; you will not be doing lots of readings, taking exams, or writing many papers. Instead, it is mostly time working in the lab (usually 10-12 hours a week) and attending/participating in lab meetings. Many labs will ask you to do background readings and/or presentations, and all should include some final academic assessment that includes a substantive academic component, such as a 10 page research paper or a presentation. Because lab courses often require that a student receives a lot of training, many ask for a year commitment. Because of this, it is best to try to complete your lab methods requirement in a lab you are considering writing a thesis with, because you will learn the general methods of the lab and begin developing a relationship with the faculty member. You can, however, complete a thesis with someone other than your lab methods faculty supervisor.
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