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: 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. Holmes rholmes@monmouth.edu
- Dr. Hiatt dhiatt@monmouth.edu
* You can make an appointment to see either
of them during office hours.
Q: Who do I contact if I have questions or need
more information?
A: * You should contact the Career Advisor and
Planners (CAP):
- Dr. Holmes rholmes@monmouth.edu
- Dr. Hiatt dhiatt@monmouth.edu
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: 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