Welcome

Welcome to PSYCH 112: Careers in Psychology, where you will explore the many career options available to psychology majors and learn about the schooling these careers require. You will also obtain critical information necessary for you to be successful as you progress in your major and to prepare for employment or graduate school acceptance. 

Course Description

This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the career opportunities in psychology. Students will explore the different opportunities available in each level of training, i.e. baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate and focus on how to maximize the chances of being accepted into a competitive graduate program. Students will also explore various professional issues including APA accreditation, licensure and certification, ethics, and future trends. Students will be required to participate in career development testing in the Career Center, begin developing their own application materials (vita/resume, cover letter, biographical sketch, statements of purpose, strength/weakness, etc.), participate in videotaped mock interviews, and set out a three to four year career plan. This course is intended for those students who have already decided to major in psychology, rather than those who are simply curious about the field.

Credits: 1

What You'll Get From This Course

This class provides psychology majors with information that can be used to achieve personal and professional goals. As you make some important life decisions, use the resources provided, including your instructor's insight and your classmates' perspectives to guide you in those decisions.

Students who are new to the study of psychology often do not know much about the field or what questions they should be asking. Taking this class will give you a better understanding of the questions you should ask and increase your familiarity with key issues in the field.

In addition to learning more about career options in psychology, you will also learn a variety of strategies for success in preparation for graduate school and your future career including tips on internships and research, how to complete graduate school applications, cover letters, resumés, and interviews. The end of this course will focus and prepare you for issues that you may encounter in your later profession.

We hope that you will see this course as the beginning, not the end, of your efforts to learn more about preparing for a career in psychology, including how to manage your work more effectively and efficiently.

Course Objectives

In this course, you will:

1. Explore career opportunities in psychology.
2. Explain the various levels of training and schooling (i.e.) baccalaureate, masters and doctorate) needed for some careers in psychology.
3. Explain how to maximize your chances of being accepted into a competitive graduate school program or other career opportunity.
4. Explore various professional issues, including APA accreditation, licensure and certification, ethics, and future trends.
5. Participate in career development testing in the career center.
6. Develop job/graduate school application materials (vita/resume, cover letter, biographical sketch, statements of purpose, strengths/weakness, etc.).
7. Develop a 3- 4-year school and career plan.

How the Objectives Will Be Assessed

While you may not be tested on everything you learn in this course, the instructor will be assessing your mastery of all course learning outcomes. Assessments include, but are not limited to:

• Quizzes
  • Multiple-choice, true-false, and short answer
• Writing assignments
• Documents you create with the Career Center

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Resources

Required Text: Auto Access

Textbook Information

Resource Title/Description (books, software, and so forth.)	Author/Provider	Ed./Vol.	13-Digit ISBN (if applicable)
The Psychology Major: Career Options and Strategies for Success (comes with course; charged first day of class)	R. Eric Landrum and Stephen F. Davis	6th	E-6 ISBN: 9780135161531

The required textbook for this course is a low-cost, auto access digital textbook. Your eBook is delivered through VitalSource and is accessible the first day of the term. Your student financial account will be charged automatically on the first day of class. The cost for the current Auto Access book is $35.00. Access the textbook using the link provided in the Textbook Information module of this course. 

If you do not want to use the digital textbook, you must opt out or you will be charged for the digital textbook. Follow this link if you wish to opt out: BYU-Idaho Course Materials List. The publisher is not offering this text in paper form. If you opt out of the e-book offered through the course, you will need to find another way to access the textbook. You can purchase an e-book directly from Vitalsource or try to find another source. However, you cannot pass the course without access to the textbook.

If you choose to opt-out, you can compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. They will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.

NOTE: You will begin reading the textbook during W01, so you will need to purchase the textbook as soon as possible if you wish to opt-out.

Required Registrations

There are several site registrations and software downloads needed for this course.

• Screencast-O-Matic.com: This site allows students to set up a free account to record and share video presentations.
• TypeFocus Career Surveys: You will register for this free website to take four surveys meant to help you in considering potential careers.
  • How to create a password and log in, as well as other pertinent information about these surveys are in the instructions for this activity. 
  • You do not have to take the Campbell Interest and Skills Survey.
• ETS POWERPREP® Online (GRE): This site will allow students to take a free, practice GRE.
• BYU-Idaho Connect: This is a career networking site and is the university's alumni connections network. It puts students in contact with BYU-Idaho employees and other people throughout the United States who have volunteered to answer students' questions about specific careers.
• Mock Interview: In W02, you will schedule a mock interview (to be conducted in W08) with the Career Center by logging into Handshake with your University credentials. Interviews will be completed in W08. 
  • Scheduling a W08 appointment in W02 will ensure you have a reserved time and can complete your W08 assignments. 
  • In W08 you will learn several important tips and tricks for doing well in an interview. Do not schedule your interview before W08 or you will miss out on the extra help studied that week.

Other

Other related articles and website links are provided in the course.

It is your responsibility to make sure you have adequate internet capabilities. It is also your responsibility to make sure you have the Word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software required to complete your assignments.

• You can download free versions of Office 365 as a student of BYU-Idaho.

If you are new to I-Learn, you may find the following page helpful: A Note of Encouragement About I-Learn.

Structure

Time Expectations

This one-credit course is a lot of work; you should expect to spend approximately 3–4 hours of study time each week to complete all the learning activities and earn an average grade (C). Students wanting to get more out of the class will usually need to put in more study time.

Complete all of the learning activities in the order they are listed; do not skip around. You will be notified if any changes are made, such as extending a deadline or excusing an assignment in your instructor's announcements. Be sure to check the course announcements regularly.

Due dates and times for all assignments may be found by accessing the course calendar and each week's Week at a Glance page. If you have any questions about when an assignment is due, contact your instructor.

In order to stay current and learn the most from this class, schedule regular study sessions. Also, be aware that there is no time off for holidays that might occur during the block. Arrange your study schedule so that any holiday activities do not keep you from completing learning activities by the posted due dates and times.

This course will help you learn in an effective and efficient way, often allowing you to learn more in less time. Although some of the learning activities will require you to work on your own, you will also be engaged in discussions with other students and your instructor. Through your group interactions, you will have many opportunities to teach one another by sharing ideas and solving problems together.

This course has been designed to help you slowly build up a knowledge base of ideas and skills. Not all of these ideas and skills will come easily. It takes a lot of work and practice before some things will even start to make sense, so be patient, and as you approach the end of the course, the ideas will start to come together, and you will see how much progress you have made.

Weekly Structure

A course introduction during the first week will orient you to the course and help you download some tools you will need to complete your assignments throughout the rest of the semester. You will also start learning some college success strategies. In the course you will learn to use different tools and strategies to help you move forward in psychology. By the end of the course, you will know how to move forward and will have created several foundational documents necessary to help you reach your educational goals. For a complete listing of the lessons each week, refer to the course syllabus or the "Week at a Glance" pages at the beginning of each week.

Course activities follow a consistent weekly schedule. Weekly activities may include the following:

• Reading assigned texts or viewing presentations
  • Taking reading quizzes 
• Reading about and/or practicing new skills
  • This will sometimes require you to work with the Career Center.
• Participating in group discussions with other class members
• Taking assessments
• Writing papers and other applicable documents
• Completing self-assessment surveys

There are both midweek and end of week due dates. It will help if you plan out your weekly study schedule at the beginning of the week to accommodate these deadlines. The course will be much more enjoyable and you will be able to learn more if you choose not to procrastinate from the beginning.

Again, if adjustments to the schedule need to be made, your instructor will announce the changes to the class on the announcements page. Be sure to read them regularly.

Each week begins with a general introduction and a list of learning outcomes followed by activities listed in the order in which they need to be done. The list of learning outcomes should give you a good idea of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes you will acquire by the end of the week. Take time to read through these outcomes, as they often contain the things that you will be tested on as part of the course. Each of the learning activities has a particular purpose, and each helps support the course outcomes. Some weekly activities prepare you for other learning activities, some give you opportunities to teach one another, and some give you an opportunity to ponder and prove what you have learned.

The self-assessment survey that you will complete at the end of every week contains questions about the learning activities completed that week. Consequently, it is important for you to double-check that you have done all of the learning activities. Complete the self-assessment survey prior to moving on to the next week to ensure you don't miss getting credit for an assignment simply because you forgot to complete the survey.

Major Assignment Overviews

• 4-Year Plan (W04 & W13)
  • Using I-Plan, you will schedule your courses so you can graduate on time.
• Career Research Assignment (W05 - W10)
  • This assignment will help you identify your career interests and help you focus your studies to pursue them upon graduation.
• Mock Interview (W08)
  • This will offer experience in presenting your best self during interviews.
  • The Career Center will offer helpful feedback.
• Resumé (W07)
  • You will complete a resumé that you can submit for a job or schooling application.
  • The Career Center, again, will offer helpful feedback.
• Practice GRE (W11)
  • This is a practice entrance exam required for additional schooling.

NOTE: You will have multiple drafts of some assignments, specifically the Career Research Assignment and the 4-Year Plan. Each draft should noticeably improve the quality of your work.

Paper Specification

Some assignments will require a paper submission. They should all be double-spaced, in Times New Roman, and 12-point font. Additionally, make sure the following assignments meet this criteria:

• TypeFocus & CareerOneStop Self Assessment
  
  • 1–2 pages
• Career Research Assignment*
  • Five pages
  • Must include bibliography
• Vita or Resumé
  • 1–2 pages
• Personal Statement (two pages) and Cover Letter (one page)
  • Three pages total

Proctored Exams and Assessments

Proctorio is used in this course. This makes it possible for students to take proctored assessments and exams without a human monitor present. Proctored exams can be accessed like any other exam, once the software has been installed. (You will do this in W01.) Exams will be recorded by Proctorio and reviewed by the BYUI Testing Center. Any questionable exams will be forwarded to the instructor for further review.

For step-by-step instructions on Proctorio installation, please refer to Student Help: Proctorio in Canvas.

Proctorio will be used on the following quizzes:

• W01 Quiz: Proctorio Practice (Remotely Proctored)
• W02 Reading Quiz: Chapters 1 & 10 (Remotely Proctored)
• W03 Reading Quiz: Chapters 13 & 2 (Remotely Proctored)
• W05 Reading Quiz: Chapters 3 & 8 (Remotely Proctored)
• W07 Reading Quiz: Chapters 5 & 4 (Remotely Proctored)
• W09 Reading Quiz: Chapters 7 & 11 (Remotely Proctored)
• W11 Reading Quiz: Chapter 6 & About Graduate School (Remotely Proctored)

This course has been designed to ensure that the assessment methods used are appropriate ways to measure the learning outcomes. Also, every effort has been made to use fair criteria in grading and administering the assessments. If you ever think an assessment will not give or has not given you a fair chance to show your mastery of the course outcomes, talk with your instructor. He or she will be happy to talk with you and negotiate an alternative assessment that is fair to you as well as to all the other members of the class.

Grading Policy

Your instructor will use the BYU-Idaho standard grade definition criteria listed below to determine your final grade.

BYU-Idaho Standard Grade Definition Criteria

Letter Grade	Percentage Range	Performance Expectations	Letter Grade	Percentage Range	Performance Expectations
A	100%–93%	Outstanding understanding, application, and integration of subject material Extensive evidence of original thinking Skillful use of concepts Ability to analyze and solve complex problems Diligent application of Learning Model principles, including initiative in serving other students	C	76%–73%	Sufficient understanding of subject matter Minimal initiative to be prepared for class Sequenced courses could be attempted, but mastering new materials might prove challenging Participate marginally in the Learning Model
A-	92%–90%		C-	72%–70%
B+	89%–87%		D+	69%–67%
B	86%–83%	Considerable or significant understanding, application, and incorporation of the material, which will prepare students to be successful in next level courses, graduate school, or employment Participate in the Learning Model as applied in the course	D	66%–63%	Poor performance and initiative to learn, understand, and apply course materials Retaking a course or remediation may be necessary to prepare for additional instruction in this subject matter
B-	82%–80%		D-	62%–60%
C+	79%–77%		F	59%–00%	Failure in the course

University Policies

Course Copyright

Materials on BYU-Idaho I-Learn and related sites may be protected by US Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). These materials are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated. Abuse of copyright laws will be strictly enforced.

Preventing Sexual Misconduct

BYU-Idaho prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. Prohibited sex discrimination includes incidents of sexual harassment (including sexual violence), dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking (collectively “sexual misconduct”).

Disability Services

BYU-Idaho does not discriminate against persons with disabilities in providing its educational and administrative services and programs and follows applicable federal and state law. This policy extends to the University’s electronic and information technologies (EIT).

Students with qualifying disabilities should contact the Disability Services Office at disabilityservices@byui.edu or 208-496-9210. Additional information about available resources is found on the Disability Services' web page.

Academic Honesty 

“When you are honest in every way, you are able to enjoy peace of mind and maintain self-respect. You build the strength of character, which allows you to be of service to God and others. You are trustworthy in the eyes of God and those around you. If you are dishonest in your words or actions, you hurt yourself and often hurt others as well. If you lie, steal, cheat, or neglect to give the full amount of work for your pay, you lose your self-respect. You lose the guidance of the Holy Ghost” (“Honesty,” True to the Faith (2004), 84)

Academic Honesty means students do their own work. This also means their instructors will evaluate that work. Students should not be dishonest—this includes all types of work in their courses. Additional information about the complete Academic Honesty Policy can be found on their webpage at The Honor Code: Academic Honesty Policy.

Academic Grievances

Students are encouraged to contact their instructors regarding course-related concerns. If concerns cannot be resolved in this way, students may contact the BYU-Idaho Support Center to formally register a concern or grievance. More information regarding online grievances can be found at The Student Online Grievance Policy.

Other University Policies

Go to the Student Resources module to review the university policies regarding honesty, online etiquette, communication, expectations, etc. 

Contacting Your Instructor

Instructors will inform you of the way they wish to be contacted. (text, email, call between these hours, etc) They are people with lives outside of your class; be courteous and respectful of their time. Any abuse will negatively impact your grade and may result in dismissal from the course and/or University.

Conclusion

As with all the classes you take at BYU-Idaho, it is ultimately up to you to decide what you want to get out of this class. If you choose to approach the things you study in class with an open mind, if you prepare diligently and work hard to complete all the learning activities, and if you humbly seek the Lord’s help to understand the intellectual and spiritual truths discussed in this course, you will have an outstanding educational experience that will be a blessing to you throughout your life in many ways.