Willamette University

Psychology

Senior Experience in Psychology

All psychology majors must complete a Senior Experience in Psychology to fulfill the requirement of the major. Most students elect to complete a field internship (a placement at a community agency or organization), while some elect to complete a research internship (an independent research project).

Below are important documents relevant to the practicum internship and research internship requirements. Right click on the link and choose "Save Target As" or "Save Link As" to download the document.

For more information, see the frequently asked questions.

Senior Thesis Requirement

For most students, the senior thesis paper is completed as part of a 400-level seminar during a student’s senior year, in either the fall or the spring. There are some exceptions to this rule. Click here for more information, and for frequently asked questions regarding the Senior Thesis Paper in Psychology.  Senior Thesis Requirement and FAQs [PDF]

GUIDELINES FOR THESIS, i.e., Senior paper in Psychology:
  • Length:  ~ 4000-5000 words (not including title page, abstract, or references)
  • Type of paper: Argument paper  or Research report
  • Number of references: Minimum of 12 empirical, scholarly  references
  • APA format must be correct throughout the paper, including the reference section
  • Note: topic must be approved in advance by supervising faculty member
  • You must pass the paper with a grade of D or better in order to get credit for your Senior thesis in Psychology.
  • (Honors candidates:  original argument paper or empirical research report)

Syllabi

For details about field internship and research internship requirements, see this recent syllabus:

Forms

Senior Experience Goal Sheets

Field Internship

Research Internship