Undergraduate Studies

*Download the PSCH 399 Form – Independent Study Course

Credit may be obtained for research outside of the UIC Psychology Department through PSCH 396 (under the Director of Undergraduate Studies’ call number), under these conditions (in addition to the normal conditions outlined above):

1. The faculty member and project have been approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS), Dr. Kate Zinsser. For this, you must submit a paragraph or two describing the proposed project, your role in it, and the psychological implications of the research. This must be submitted to the departmental Undergraduate Advisor and the DUGS via e-mail; and request that the faculty member who is your proposed research mentor email DUGS to indicate his/her understanding of the arrangement, and/or to ask any questions about the requirements. This must be done during the normal class registration period prior to the semester you want to register. Students must register for the credit during the normal drop/add period (First 2 weeks of course generally).
2. You must write an APA-style paper about your research experience and hand it in to Dr. Ellen Herbener before the last day of classes. Before you receive a grade, this paper must be approved by your research supervisor, who must send Dr. Herbener a note (email is ok) approving the paper and your work in the course, before the end of exam week. Otherwise you will be assigned a grade of Unsatisfactory.

The UIC Psychology Post-Baccalaureate (Post-Bac) Research and Teaching Fellowship aims to support/mentor recent UIC Psychology graduates interested in pursuing graduate studies in Psychology. As part of the program, participants engage in 10 volunteer hours per week of supervised research with a faculty mentor for a full (9-month) academic year.

To support the efforts of fellows, the department offers each participant a paid Visiting Teaching Associate (VTA) appointment. Meaning, participants will be assigned to serve as a TA for one or more psychology undergraduate courses.

Required Participation:

• TA: Minimum of 20 hours per week; Minimum appointment 50% and Maximum appointment 67%.
• Research: Fellows are also required to volunteer 10 hours per week in a research lab, with the option to participate in periodic professional development events, which include graduate application workshops, career panels, and networking socials.

Participants in the Post-Bac Research and Teaching Fellowship will gain valuable skills in research, communication, academic professionalism, and teamwork that will translate to a variety of future academic and work contexts. In addition to the research and teaching experiences, participants will have the opportunity to engage in professional development workshops focused on enhancing readiness and competitiveness for Psychology graduate applications. Priority for the Fellowship will be given to applicants who recently completed their undergraduate degree at UIC with a major in Psychology, and final decisions will be made by Psychology faculty mentors based on research fit.

In order to be eligible for the Post-Bac Research and Teaching Fellowship, students must have already began working with a psychology faculty member on research (e.g., in PSCH 396, honor’s capstone).

Students should complete the online application and will be required to submit an unofficial copy of their transcripts. The application for fall 2024 is now closed. All interested candidates are encouraged to fill out the inquiry form above. Applications for fall 2025 will open during the spring 2025 semester.

*Please Note: Applicants who graduate spring 2025 or graduated fall 2024 will be considered for placement in the program fall 2025. If you are graduating in December 2024, you do not qualify to apply at this time. Please complete the Prospect Inquiry form above to stay updated on new information.

Students must identify a tenured/tenure-track or clinical-track Faculty sponsor/mentor yo nominate them for the program. Faculty nominations should be sent in an e-mail/letter in to the Associate Department Head, Mike Meinzer (mmeinzer@uic.edu) and Senior Assistant Director, Karla Rivera-Ruiz (mkdcrt1@uic.edu). The email/letter should articulate a commitment to serve as the student’s research advisor (this email may be brief).

• Applications submitted during the application open and close period are guaranteed for review.
• Participation in the Psychology Post-Bac Research and Teaching Fellowship does not guarantee admission into the University nor to the UIC Psychology Graduate program. If the fellow wishes to take classes for credit during their fellow period, they may apply for admission as a Graduate Student-At-Large at UIC. Any application fees, course fees, etc. are the responsibility of the student and will not be covered by the department. UIC employees are eligible for one tuition waiver per year (see here).

^[1] This program is meant for recent graduates who plan to transition to graduate study who might want to gain additional experience before applying; it is not meant to become a permanent job. Participation is therefore capped at a maximum of two years.  

^[2] This is an estimated percent appointment. However, participants are required to commit a minimum of 50% (20 hours weekly) to TA’ing and serving 10 hours weekly as a volunteer in a research lab.

If interested in the program, please discuss with your faculty research mentor.

Psi Chi functions as a federation of chapters located at about 1,100 senior colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Ireland, and New Zealand. The Central Office is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A Board of Directors, composed of psychologists who are Psi Chi members and are elected by the chapters, guides the affairs of the organization and sets policy with the approval of the chapters.

Psi Chi serves two major goals–one immediate and visibly rewarding to the individual member, the other slower and more difficult to accomplish, but offering greater rewards in the long run. The first of these is the Society’s obligation to provide academic recognition to its inductees by the mere fact of membership. The second goal is the obligation of each of the Society’s local chapters to nurture the spark of that accomplishment by offering a climate congenial to members’ creative development. For example, the chapters make active attempts to nourish and stimulate professional growth through programs designed to augment and enhance the regular curriculum and to provide practical experience and fellowship through affiliation with the chapter. In addition, the international organization provides programs to help achieve these goals, including Society and regional conventions held annually in conjunction with the psychological associations, research award competitions, and certificate recognition programs.

The Society publishes a quarterly magazine, Eye on Psi Chi, which helps to unite the members, inform them, and recognize their contributions and accomplishments. The quarterly Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research fosters and rewards the scholarly efforts of undergraduate psychology students and provides a valuable learning experience introducing them to the publishing and review process.

Students become members by joining the chapter at the school where they are enrolled. Psi Chi chapters are operated by student officers and faculty advisors. Together they select and induct the members and carry out the goals of the Society. All chapters register their inductees at the Central Office, where membership records are preserved for reference purposes. The total number of memberships registered at the Central Office is now over 500,000 lifetime members. Many of these members have gone on to distinguished careers in psychology. To learn more about the UIC Chapter of Psi Chi click here.