Experiential Education in
Psychology*:
Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs)
*Please note that this guide was devised in the context of the
Psychology Department and may not apply to all majors at Monmouth University.
Q: What is Experiential Education (aka ExEd)?
A: Experiential
Education is a general education requirement for ALL students that
seeks to give students
practical, “hands-on” experience in a setting outside of the
classroom environment. This experience is a means of providing
students with
work-related experience and an
opportunity to network in their chosen field.
It
also provides a chance for
academic reflection. Typically, ExEd is fulfilled in
one semester.
Q: What
are the benefits to doing Experiential Education?
A: * Experiential
Education is a great way to learn more about your field of interest.
* It will help you to be sure that the major you
have chosen is really for you.
* It
is a great way to gain experience
that looks great on a resume.
* It allows you to test your skills and narrow in on
your area of interest.
* Employees look for people with prior, hands-on
experience.
* It
is a great way to make contacts and
build up a networking system.
* It could be a source of future employment.
Q: How is the ExEd requirement met?
A: This
requirement can be fulfilled in any of the following ways:
* Study
Abroad: Monmouth has programs in London, Madrid, and
Sydney.
They enable you to take the same number of credits
and many of the same
courses that you would take at Monmouth, for the same
tuition and board costs.
Click here for
more study abroad info.
* Field
Experience (PY 410) :
A course in which students
work in field
placements and complete related class assignments. Students must have
completed 80+ credits, and registration is limited to 15
students per semester
it is offered.
Click
here for field experience syllabus.
* Co-op (PY 288, 388, or 488): Students apply theory and research from
psychology to a practical work experience and are sponsored
by a faculty
member. These are usually paid positions. Students must have completed
30+ credits, and have a 2.00 GPA or higher.
Click here for
co-op syllabus.
* Service Learning (EX287, 387, 487): Students
apply what they learn in the classroom
to a related field as community service.
Click here
for service learning syllabus.
* Internship
(PY 489): Students volunteer their time in workplaces of
interest to them, and they supplement this with a research
paper which also
includes reflections on their learning experience. Internships are completed
in conjunction with a faculty sponsor. Students receive 1 credit per 40 hours
completed per term.
Prior to registering for an internship, students must
devise a set of learning objectives, and then they
address their progress
toward meeting these objectives in a final paper. This paper will also include a
review of literature relevant to the placement and a
journal of their internship
experience. Students
must have an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher, Junior
standing or higher (21 credits completed in Psychology),
and department approval. Click here for
internship syllabus.
* Children’s
Play Lab (PY 342L) :
Research lab completed
along with
a senior thesis.
Subject to availability.
* Intro
to Clinical Psych (PY 401L) : Research
lab completed along with
a senior thesis.
Subject to availability.
Q: What do I have to do to complete the ExEd requirement?
A: 1) Get Informed and Plan
Ahead
2) Find a Placement or
register for a course (e.g. PY342L, PY 410, PY401L)
3) Find a Faculty
Sponsor for the individual types of ExEd Placements
4) Complete
Learning Objectives / Register for Course
5) Go to placement and fulfill course
requirements
6) Have fun in your experience!!
* for a web-based
guide of these steps Click Here.
Q: When should I plan on fulfilling my ExEd requirement?
A: * ExEd
is usually fulfilled during the junior or senior year. (earlier
is fine as well)
* IMPORTANT: The worst thing to do is to put
it off until your last semester
because if you have trouble
finding a placement you may jeopardize your
ability to graduate on time.
Q: When should I start setting up my ExEd placement?
A: * You should start setting up
your ExEd placement a MINIMUM of 2 months
(preferably
one semester) before you want to do the actual placement.
* Planning ahead like this is necessary in
order to insure that you
1) Can find a placement
2) Can find a faculty sponsor and
3) Can be sure to graduate on time
Q: Can I do my Experiential Education during the
Summer?
A: Yes! ExEd can be completed in the summer and is subject to
regular tuition
amounts on a per credit
basis. If you plan on completing your ExEd in the
summer, you should also be sure
to find a faculty sponsor who will be available
over the summer. Another option would be to Study Abroad
during the summer.
(In the past, the Madrid placement is held in the summer.)
Q: Can my placement be near my house?
A: Yes! The geographic location of your placement is
up to you. That is, it doesn’t have
to be near the Monmouth
campus. The most important thing is that the placement
fits your interests and career
goals. The more convenient for you the
better!
Q: How many credits is ExEd
worth?
A: The credit value for
Experiential Education (EX001) can range from
0 – 3 credits depending onthe number of hours you complete at your placement.
Q: How many hours do I need to do for each
credit?
A: You will need to do 40
hours at your placement for each credit.
(1 credit = 40 hours, 2
credits = 80 hours, 3 credits = 120 hours, etc.)
Q: I found a placement through my friend/family/job etc.
Will it count for the requirement?
A: To be certain that a
placement is appropriate please check with either of the
department’s Career Advisor and
Planners (see below).
Q: I want to do an internship, where can I find potential
placements? Who do I talk to?
A: * A
list of potential placements can be found at:
http://www2.monmouth.edu/exed-sequel/gateway.html
* Either of the department’s CAPs can help you locate a placement.
Q: I want to do either a co-op, or a service learning.
Where can I find potential placements?
Who do I talk to?
A: * For
either type of placement, a list of potential placements can be found at:
http://www2.monmouth.edu/exed-sequel/gateway.html
* The LCAC also has people to help you. For help with a
- Co-op, contact Kathy Kennedy
(571-3582; kkennedy@monmouth.edu)
- Service
Learning, contact Marilyn Ward (571-4411; mward@monmouth.edu)
* You
may also find placements in the local newspaper, around your house, or online.
Q: Who are the Career Advisor and Planners (CAPs)?
How can I contact them?
A: * For the upcoming semesters, our department’s
Career Advisor and
Planners (CAP) are:
- Dr.
Ciarocco nciarocc@monmouth.edu
- Dr.
Hiatt dhiatt@monmouth.edu
* You can make an appointment to see either
of them during office hours.
Q: What can the CAPs
help me with?
A: CAPs are available to provide
information to help you find a placement,
a faculty advisor, complete
necessary forms, etc. if you are having trouble.
(However, please keep in
mind that setting up your ExEd is your
responsibility.
The CAP is there to help
you, NOT to do it for you.)
You should also check with
your CAP to be sure a placement is appropriate
for the ExEd
requirement.
Q: Where can I find additional information?
A: Your advisor can also help get you started. More information is available at
Psychology Department Website
http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/~psych/frames/up.html
Monmouth ExEd
Website
http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/exed/index.html
Listing of Opportunities
http://www.monmouth.edu/academics/lcac/exed/webresources.asp
Q: Can any faculty member sponsor my ExEd placement?
A: * No. The
faculty member sponsoring your experience should have
some level of
expertise/comfort with the setting you have chosen. For
example, if you plan on working
with children, you should find a faculty
member who specializes in child
development. For this reason, you are not
required to have your sponsor come
from the Psychology Department.
The best sponsor is the
person with the more experience in your chosen
area of placement, regardless
of department.
*
Also, please keep in mind that faculty members are limited to the number
of students they can
supervise outside of the classroom and may not be
available to supervise you even if
they really want to. Please plan ahead
and contact potential
sponsors well in advance.
Q: If I already have past experience, can that
count?
A: Past experience can count
if it has been substantial (generally 4+ years) and if it relates to your
current program of study. If your past experience qualifies,
and has been approved by a CAP, you may choose to submit a portfolio. (Please
keep in mind that the goal of ExEd is to help
students gain new experiences that will diversify their qualifications and
strengthen their resume/vita. Thus, it
may be in your best interest to have additional ExEd
experiences regardless of what you have done in the past.)
* For University regulations on this, please click
here.
Q: My past experience qualifies for a portfolio.
What does that involve?
A: Portfolios must contain
the following information:
* A resume.
* Official
documentation of the experience (academic transcript, company/organization
letters,
work records, etc.)
* A brief (2-3
page) statement that outlines the time frame,
circumstances, and manner in which
the experiential learning
activities were conducted. Basically, this is your general summary of
what your experience entailed.
This should make it clear why this experience is appropriate
for the ExEd
requirement.
* An academic component that
consists of either of the
following:
* A 5+ page research paper that compares existing
research to your experience.
* A 5+ page reflection journal on what you have
learned from your experience. For this paper, you should be sure to address how
the experience has influenced your career goals, and what it has taught you
about your self. Finally, the reflection journal should also compare/contrast
your experience with what you have learned in classes.
* It is also helpful to include
(as applicable): supervisor evaluations, work submitted as part of
your experience (e.g.
brochures, research results, presentations given, etc.)
Q: Are there portfolios that I can use as an
example?
A: Please check with the CAPs. They can provide examples and/or help guide you as
you assemble
your portfolio.
Q: What are the areas of expertise of the
Psychology Faculty?
A:
|
Psychology Faculty Areas of
Expertise for ExEd Sponsorship |
|
|
Faculty Member (Email) |
Areas of Expertise/ Types of Placements |
|
Dr. Ciarocco |
None specified. |
|
Dr. Demarest (demarest@monmouth.edu) |
None specified. |
|
Dr. Dinella |
Gender and education, careers, and financial
independence. Individual, child and family counseling centers, crisis
centers, women's shelters, school-based settings. |
|
Dr. Hiatt (dhiatt@monmouth.edu) |
None specified. |
|
Dr. Holmes |
Early & Middle Childhood; preschools, day care centers,
primary schools and related field sites.
|
|
Dr. Lewandowski |
Adult Romantic
Relationships; Break-up/Divorce; Marriage; Grief/loss |
|
Dr. Nye |
Leadership and group
processes, social psychology, industrial/organizational psychology,
prejudice. |
|
Dr. Payne |
Attention, perception,
and learning; Statistics and research design. |
|
Dr. Stapley |
Child/adolescent
development; Emotion; Industrial Organizational/ schools, camps, women’s
centers, human resources |
|
Dr. Van Volkom |
Child development and
children with special needs such as autism. Any school, day-care, or
after-school program. |
(Please contact faculty
as soon as possible, spots fill up quickly! Also, keep in mind that your
sponsor can be from ANY department on campus.)
This page created and maintained
by:
Gary W.
Lewandowski Jr. Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Monmouth University
Psychology Department