Good luck!
Important information for ALL seniors
If you are heading into the first semester of your senior year, there are some important deadlines and information you should be aware of:
1. Applying to graduate: If you are graduating in the Spring, you need to apply to graduate by November 1. If you are graduating in the Fall, you will need to apply to graduate by June 1. If you are graduating during Summer, you will need to apply to graduate by February 1. After you have registered for your final semester of classes, the COAS office will do an audit of your transcript to assure that you have all of the IPFW course requirements completed. More information can be found here: http://new.ipfw.edu/offices/registrar/forms/graduation-application.html
2. Psychology department Exit Exam: Once the psychology department has been informed of your intent to graduate, the psychology department secretary will email you to ask you to submit a research paper to the department (preferably one that you have written in your junior or senior year). Once this has been submitted electronically, you will receive a number for you to contact testing services to take the Exit Exam (a graduation requirement). This exam takes up to two hours to complete.
If you are applying to graduate school, there are some additional important deadlines and information you should be aware of:
1. GRE exam: The GRE exam can be taken on the computer at IPFW's Testing Services Center in KT 232. Tests are offered year round from Tuesday-Saturday. Be aware that some graduate school deadlines are as early as December 1, so try to take the GRE in Fall of your senior year. To prepare for the GRE, I would strongly encourage you to read a GRE test prep book or take a GRE test prep course. IPFW's Continuing Studies division usually offers a GRE prep course in early Spring and Fall. Register early as spaces are limited.
2. Graduate Study in Psychology Book: You should expect to be working on your graduate school applications in the first semester of your senior year (usually Fall). Graduate school applications are usually due some time between December 1 and March 15. If you haven't yet decided on which programs you will be applying to, then stop by the psychology department and peruse the Graduate Study in Psychology book. This book, published by the APA, gives information aboout more than 600 graduate programs in the U.S. and Canada. According to the APA website http://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4270094.aspx, these are some of the features of the publication:
- number of applications received and individual accepted by each program
- application and admission dates
- types of information required for an application (GRE scores, letters of recommendation, documentation concerning volunteer or clinical experience, etc.) and the minimum and average scores (GPA and GRE) of the individuals who were accepted into the program
- tuition costs
- orientation and emphasis of the specific program
3. CV and Personal Statement: Your graduate school applications will require a personal statement, and you should supply the professors who are writing your letters of reference with an updated CV and a copy of your personal statement.
4. Letters of Reference: You will need three, or sometimes four, letters of reference for graduate school. The IPFW psychology department offers some specific information about how important these are to your application and how to get good ones online. There are also many other very valuable resources for getting into graduate school here: http://new.ipfw.edu/departments/coas/depts/psychology/resources/gettingin.html
If you are planning to start work after completing your BA, here are some resources that might be helpful to you:
1. Career Services: This IPFW department will help you with your resume, interview skills, and can put you in touch with employers through job fairs and contacts in the community. They can also direct you towards internship and paid-work experiences that you can complete while you are an undergraduate. They offer drop-in career counseling on Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in KT 109 as well as hour-long career counseling appointments. http://new.ipfw.edu/career/
2. Marky Lloyd's Careers in Psychology Page: This website gives information about what you can do with a psychology major. If you follow the link "entry-level jobs," you can find information about which types of entry-level jobs are open to psychology majors. http://www.psywww.com/careers/index.htm
Good luck!