-The Psychology
Degree

-Degrees Granted
by the Department

-Degree Requirements
(pdf format)

-Courses

-Advising

-Research,
Internships
and Fellowships

-Scholarships

-Employment
Opportunities

-Relevant Links

-Talks & Events

-Students in the News
 
 
 
 

As an undergraduate psychology student at Carnegie Mellon University, you will find
that the study of human behavior is a science that is very much alive. At CMU, the
psychology faculty actively pursues research on human behavior with rigorous
methodology, a concern for underlying processes and biological foundations, and
precise, often quantitative, description.

A key feature of our undergraduate program is student research. Majors take two
classes in research methods. Many students perform research by working in a faculty
lab, taking an independent course for credit, doing a senior honors project, or volunteering
to work with a graduate student. The department also actively participates in a nationally
funded undergraduate research program that supports students working for a year in a
faculty lab as a way of recruiting them for mental-health related research careers.
To fund their research efforts, our students frequently receive university undergraduate
research grants, and they are major contributors to the spring undergraduate research
symposium "Meeting of the Minds" In addition, our undergraduates have been very
active in attending professional conferences and presenting research there. In short,
we are very encouraging toward undergraduate research!

So, how can you experience first-hand the excitement of research?
There are many opportunities available in our department, on campus,
and in Pittsburgh in general. To help you sift through the information,
we have highlighted some of the available programs here.
.

Current Openings
$3500 SUMMER Fellowships
Posted 2/7/08

Freshman and sophomores are eligible to receive course credit for participating in
research by registering for 85-198 with certain faculty advisors. This is an excellent
means of getting involved in research early in your academic career. For more
information, see the schedule of classes to see 85-198 offerings.

Faculty and graduate students sometimes post "want ads" for undergraduate
research assistants as flyers in the department corridors or electronically on the
Training & Employment area of the department website.

Each summer, the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh (CNUP)
sponsors a 10-week program in which selected undergraduate students conduct
independent research under the guidance of individual CNUP training faculty.
Information on this competitive fellowship can be found on the CNUP website.

The H&SS Advising Center maintains a website with information on undergraduate
scholarship, study-abroad, and internship opportunities.

The Psychology department is involved in a nationally-funded undergraduate training
program sponsored by the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) called 
"Recruitment of Undergraduates for Mental Health Research". The NIMH Undergraduate
Fellowship Program in Mental Health Research Fellowship at the University of
Pittsburgh aims to recruit and train future scientists for careers in research in the
mental health, behavioral health and related health professions. The program is
designed to give talented juniors and seniors in the biological and behavioral sciences
the chance to conduct a supervised, year-long research project, and to participate
in several research-related educational activities including didactic course(s) work,
clinical observation, interviews, ongoing seminars and lectures.
More information, including application materials, is available at the program website:
www.wpic.pitt.edu/education/ugradmhres   Applications are typically due in May.

The Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) of Carnegie Mellon has a variety of
programs that support undergraduates in all academic disciplines across the university
who want to pursue research projects. The URI awards undergraduate researchers small
grants to cover research expenses, offers summer stipends for full-time research during
the summer and provides funds to offset expenses of presenting research at an
academic conference. The URI also offers support services to help students write
grants, find appropriate mentors, and apply to professional conferences and an on-going
seminar series, in order to help build a sense of community among students on campus
who are engaged in research. See the URI website for details and deadlines.

Each year, the URI organizes a campus-wide event called "Meeting of the Minds"
This celebration of undergraduate research is held on the spring reading day each May.
Psychology students are well represented at this conference and several of our students
have won prestigious awards for presentation of their research.

The H&SS Senior Honors Thesis program provides an opportunity for the college's
most accomplished and promising seniors to work independently, with the close
guidance of a faculty member, in the design and completion of a year-long scholarly
or creative project. The "Honors Program Experience" was conceived as an integrative
and particularly fulfilling capstone for student participants, as well as a vehicle for
creating a distinguished scholarly and creative undergraduate student community.
In addition to the experiences that this provides for senior participants, the program
also provides an attractive academic goal for H&SS freshman, sophomores and juniors.
The H&SS Advising Center has information on program eligibility. For further information
about the program, visit the H&SS Honors Program website.

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
The American Psychological Association (APA) maintains an
undergraduate research website with information on summer research
experiences and research awards.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION -
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES
NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students
through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program.
An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research
programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research
project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students
are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel.
Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent
residents of the United States or its possessions. An REU Site may be at either a US
or foreign location and is typically active in the summer months. For more information
on the NSF REU sites relevant to the psychological research, browse the NSF website
for REU programs in the social and biological sciences.