Psychology Student Resources
To make the most of your time at WSU, we encourage you to put yourself out there and pursue opportunities outside the classroom.
You can find information on careers, graduate schools, and other interesting topics from the Association of Psychological Sciences and American Psychological Association.
The American Psychological Association also has guides for writing in APA style. If you want help with your writing skills, the WSU Writing Center offers free tutoring for all students.
Psychology Club
The Psychology Club is open to any psychology major or minor. The club gives students a chance to get to know other psychology students and faculty outside of the classroom.
Club members explore interesting psych-related topics, careers and just hang out. Club activities include guest speakers, movies, volunteer activities, games, and activities with psychology faculty.
Meeting schedules and events are posted on the Psychology Club Facebook and on fliers around Phelps Hall. Occasionally, meeting and event information is emailed to majors and minors.
Scholarships
In addition to the general scholarships at WSU, students in the Psychology programs can apply for many scholarships from the WSU Foundation.
Apply for WSU Foundation ScholarshipsThe Ardis Serafin Young Scholar Award
If you are a junior or senior Psychology (or Biology) major at WSU, you can receive funds to support a year-long independent undergraduate research project.
The typical award is approximately $2800, which can be used to cover research expenses and as a stipend.
This scholarship is awarded every other year. Details about how to apply will be shared with Psychology students early in the fall semester when this scholarship is available.
Graduating with Honors
Psychology majors may apply to graduate with honors. To qualify, students must:
- Have GPA of 3.6 or better
- Complete an approved internship (PSY 404) or research project (PSY 400 or 408) that resulted in publication or presentation at a conference
- Have a record of service to the community, which is broadly defined as the consistent donation of time to assisting the greater community
Talk to your advisors early in your senior year if you are interested in graduating with honors.
Prepare for Graduate School
Many areas of psychology require an advanced degree to practice your skills professionally.
First, you need to find both a degree and a career that works for you. Think about the kind of career you want, then research the type of degree that will help you achieve your goals. These may be doctoral level degrees or master’s level degrees or certificate programs.
We recommend that you:
- Take Careers in Psychology (PSY 311) early in your undergraduate career.
- Think broadly about your career goals and how to get there. What kind of career do you want? What do you want to be doing on a day-to-day basis? You may want to pursue a PhD, but you may be just as happy with a MA degree.
- Find out what different careers entail. For example, there is a huge difference between a School Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, and a School Counselor. Educate yourself before you get too far into the process.
- Talk to people who have the career you would want and find out what degrees they have.
- Be realistic. If you have a GPA of 2.80, you are not likely to get into a PhD program in Clinical Psychology. Look for other options to work toward your career goals.
Estimated Timeline
- Review books on career choices for psychologists (the department library has several titles available)
- Explore and educate yourself about types of degrees and careers
- Start a list of possible schools
- Explore research and internship opportunities
- Use this time to further research your desired schools
- Take practice GREs and study for the GRE
- Apply to take the GRE in the fall
- Refine your final list of schools
- Ask faculty members for letters of recommendation
- Work on your Statement of Purpose
- Send off all materials before their deadlines
Preparing to Apply
Graduate schools will most likely have a minimum GPA that is required to enter their program.
MA programs often have lower GPA requirements than Doctoral programs. Also look at the average GPA of successful applicants in the programs.
Schools may have a low minimal (3.0) but high average (3.75). This suggests that the students they actually accept have much higher GPAs than the minimum.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is the graduate school equivalent to the ACT or the SAT. Most schools set cutoff scores that you must get if you wish to attend their school.
The GRE is split into 2 tests: the General and the Subject Specific (Psychology) test. Your desired schools may require one or the other, or both.
The General test is split up in to 3 sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal and Quantitative. You will want to study all 3 areas and take practice tests before attempting to take this test for a score.
You will register for the GRE General test in advance, and there are testing locations in La Crosse and Rochester.
You will likely want to take the test in early fall of your senior year. You may also consider giving yourself extra time in case you want to retake it.
However, there are pros and cons to retaking the test so it’s best to only retake it if you are certain you can substantially raise your scores.
You will need letters of recommendation from faculty members, preferably in the Psychology Department. Think about which faculty members know your abilities the best.
Talk to them in person and ask if they would be willing to write a letter for you. Also, ask them what information they would like (e.g., transcripts, resume) and how they want to proceed.
Make sure you are clear about:
- which programs you plan to apply to
- when the deadlines are
- whether it is a paper or online recommendation
Research experience and internships can be vital for a successful application in many areas and will always give you a leg up.
The importance of work or internships experience varies depending on the type of program you are applying for.
Relevant experience will help you explore whether you are interested in a particular field and benefit you in the grad school application process.