Syllabus for PSYC296/299

PSYC 296/299 Research Practicum in Psychology / Independent Research in Psychology

Course Code: PSYC 296/299

Instructor: David Barner (dbarner@ucsd.edu)

Office: 5336 McGill Hall

Quarter:  This syllabus applies to all Fall / Winter / Spring quarters

Units: Up to 12. Each unit represents 3 hours or more of academic activities, as per WASCS credit-hour policy. Therefore, enrollment in 12 units implies 36 hours or more of academic activities during each of the 11-weeks of the quarter. Academic effort in this course is undertaken in pursuit of defined academic goals and expectations to fulfill requirements of the student’s degree program. 

Prerequisites: Admission to the Psychology graduate program at UCSD & prior authorization by the instructor.

Evaluation: Students under my supervision submit a research plan at the beginning of each academic year, broken down by academic quarter. At the end of each quarter of 296/299 instruction, students should submit a report detailing progress on these plans.

Frequency, Duration and Types of Meetings: Weekly 1-hour 1-on-1 meetings, in addition to weekly lab meetings. 

Course Description: This course is designed to provide graduate students with the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct independent research in their respective field of Psychology. This course focuses on developing advanced research methods, critical thinking, and effective academic writing. Students will work closely with the instructor to identify research topics, design research plans, collect and analyze data, and produce a high-quality research report in preparation for submission to an academic journal. The course will also emphasize ethical considerations in research and the effective communication of research findings.

Course Objectives: Students under my supervision should submit a plan at the beginning of the academic year detailing the following information, which will be used at the basis for evaluation at the end of each quarter of 296/299 instruction:

Career goals:

A brief description of current short and long-term career goals.

Targeted graduation/career transition date:

Planned graduation date, planned date for going on faculty job market or applying for industry jobs.

Research Products

• Describe plans for research products, including conference papers & talks, manuscript drafts / thesis chapters, and manuscript submissions.

Scientific Skills & Techniques

• Describe plans to develop skills related to: Written communication, oral communication, mentorship skills / experience, grant writing, professional networking, data analysis.  

• List 3-5 specific skills, techniques, or area of expertise you aim to develop

Assessment and Grading: Grading will be S/U and will reflect whether progress has been made in course objectives outlined by the student’s academic plan.