PsychologyMentored Research PSYC 4998 and 4999 (aka Independent Study) fulfills the research requirement (1 CU) in the Psychology major.
Students must arrange their own mentored research project (PSYC 4998) and may pursue a one-semester project or a or two-semester project. Each semester earns 1 CU, but only 1 CU is required in the major. A maximum of two PSYC 4998 or 4999 credits can count toward your Psychology Major. Any additional PSYC 4998 or 4999 credits will count as electives in the College.
[Please note: PSYC 4998 is Mentored Research; PSYC 4999 is Honors Thesis Mentored Research (used only for seniors in the Psychology Honors Program)].
Please read all relevant information on these web pages before proceeding with the application:
- Guidelines and tips on how to arrange and register for your PSYC 4998
- Descriptions of PSYC 4998 options/faculty mentored research
- Overview of the PSYC 4998 structure and deadlines
To learn more about undergraduate mentored research in our department, please see our PSYC 4998 Canvas site here. This site is available to all Penn users.
A special note for international students:
International students interested in Curricular Practice Training (CPT) should carefully read this information from the College Office: www.college.upenn.edu/cpt
Some international students may need to be registered for Mentored Research/Independent Study that connects to a summer internship for visa purposes.
If you are a Psychology major you will need to register for a Fall course that will satisfy the CPT requirement. This is typically done by registering for a Fall mentored research or scholarly research course (PSYC 4998, PSYC 4999, or PSYC 3999). You are responsible for contacting a relevant faculty member and arranging and registering for mentored research (PSYC 4998, or the Honors equivalent PSYC 4999 if you have been accepted into the Honors program) or scholarly research (PSYC 3999). Instructions for applying for mentored research are posted below. Once you are registered for a Fall course (PSYC 4998, PSYC 4999, or PSYC 3999) that is related to your summer internship you should email the completed CPT form to the Psychology DUS who will sign your CPT form and submit it to SAS.
If your summer internship is not related to any of our available faculty research interests then we suggest you contact faculty in another SAS department and seek a Fall indpendent study that will connect appropriately and register through that department. The Psychology DUS is only able to sign forms for research projects related to the Psychology major in some way, so please consult with us before accepting the internship if you are a major and have any questions.
We suggest that you find a faculty mentor/ Fall course by April at the latest and submit your application for the course with enough time to be registered in early May.
PSYC 4998 Mentored Research Application: Due September 3rd 2024 for research projects starting in Fall 2024.
Please note that PSYC 4998 is the course number for Mentored Research. PSYC 4999 is the course number for Honors Mentored Research (only students accepted into the Honors program will use this course number).
Here is the Mentored Research application:
https://sasupenn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a5J8pMCjnEvhL4a
Mentored Research Progress Report: only for two-semester PSYC 4998/9s that were started in Spring 2024 that will continue into Fall2024:
Here is the Mentored Research Progress Report
https://sasupenn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cBXUk7UMO4rVf0O
This progress report is for research started in the Spring 2024 semester that will be completed in the Fall 2024 semester. This is for students currently enrolled in a 2-semester Mentored Research project. Your PSYC 4998/9 credit will not appear on your worksheet or transcript without completion of this report. Applications are due on September 4th for the Fall. The PSYC 4998/9 credit (1 cu) will be added to your transcript by the Add deadline.