Practicum Program and Undergraduate Thesis Program

Options available to selected students include a practicum program and an undergraduate thesis program. The practicum program provides supervised experience in psychological settings throughout the New Orleans area. The thesis program allows undergraduate students to complete formal research projects.

PSYC 497-001, Practicum in Mental Health, is available to juniors and seniors who have completed abnormal psychology. Students who elect this course must be willing to arrange their classes so that they have large blocks of DAYTIME hours when they are free to go to their assigned placement. This means at least 2 half days each week with no classes. Many students schedule all of their classes on either two or three days so they have the remaining days free for practicum activities. A minimum of 10 hours/week will be spent at the practicum site. Interested students must have instructor consent to pre-register for this course. Enrollment is limited to 10 students per semester and the course is offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Each semester interviews for potential students are conducted shortly before preregistration begins. Interviews for the Fall 2000 class will be held in late March. The sign-up sheets are posted on Dr. Matthews' bulletin board (across the hall from her office MO 431).

This practicum is an upper level class that allows students the opportunity to observe in the field of Psychology. Students are assigned to a placement in the applied field where they are given an opportunity to see what really goes on in the field. The instructor matches each student's interests as closely as possible to a placement. The range of placements include working in inpatient hospitals settings, the juvenile court system, independent practice, and a variety of other areas. The class also meets as a whole once a week to discuss issues important to the placement and the field of psychology today. Papers on professional issues are due weekly. Videos on such issues are used in class. The practicum is taught by Janet Matthews, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and licensed Clinical Psychologist.