Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Research -- Get Involved! We highly recommend that you become involved in research with a faculty member with whom you share an interest. The importance of this cannot be overstated. An enthusiastic letter from your research professor can make all the difference in admission to graduate programs. In fact, it is difficult to get into a high-quality graduate psychology program without at least some research experience. Perhaps equally important, you will attain a much better sense of your own enthusiasms and abilities as a
potential behavioral scientist than if you simply acquire classroom knowledge. Most faculty accept undergraduates in independent study or directed research. You may receive credit for directed study by registering for APsy 297/297Z, APsy 397/397Z, or APsy 497Z.
Research Areas: Where to Look and How to Start The Psychology Department at SUNY-Albany has research strengths in biopsychology, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and social-personality psychology. If you plan to attend graduate school, we strongly encourage you to talk with at least one professor in the area of your interest. Descriptions of the areas in the field of psychology, the associated faculty, and the faculty research interests follow. As stressed before, the real place to rise above the crowd and show your potential for professional accomplishment is in research. Psychology is an empirical science and research is the engine that drives it. Research also takes considerable time. For the experience to benefit you, a faculty member, and a research lab, you'll need to get involved early so that you have something to show for your work. Again, you need to make an informed choice about whom you work with and what you work on. Professors vary considerably in style and substance in directing undergraduates in their research projects. On this website you will find descriptions of individual faculty research interests as organized by graduate programs. Beyond simply reading this list, however, you should talk to undergraduates who have worked with these faculty members, and discuss the projects you might want to work on with both the graduate students and the professors who would be involved. Most importantly, thoroughly discuss with the professor what you would be doing, what is expected, how much importance you would have to the project, how much access you would have to him or her, and the like, and then decide if that participation will be valuable for you. Doing research can be one of the best experiences of your undergraduate life - or it can be a miserable waste of time. Which it will be has a lot to do with how informed your choice is.
The Advisement Center in Psychology Social Science 370 Phone: 442-4865; email: psyadvof@albany.edu Academic advisement for declared psychology majors is handled through the Psychology Undergraduate Advisement Office, located in Social Sciences 370. The Advisement Office is directed by Distinguished Teaching Professor Dr. Robert Rosellini and is staffed by doctoral students who have been trained as advisors. Students receive advice and information regarding the curriculum required for a bachelor's degree in psychology. Advisors meet with students and go over their audits and offer suggestions for courses to complete requirements in the major. Students can also find information on graduate programs in psychology and career possibilities. Before seeking out the advisement office, check the Frequently Asked Questions link. Spring 2007 Office Hours (SS370): Monday 8:30 am – 12:30 pm   1:00 pm - 5:00 pm     Tuesday 9 am – 5 pm     Wednesday 9 am – 5 pm     Thursday 9 am – 5 pm