COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY and COUNSELING
COURSE SYLLABUS

PSYC 8999
THESIS
Summer Semester 2008

3 Semester Hours Credit

 

REQUIRED TEXTS 

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).Washington, DC: Author.  

Valdosta State University. (2002). Valdosta State University graduate school thesis and dissertation guide. Valdosta, GA: Author.  

COURSE DESCRIPTION
  
            Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate Program in Department, advanced standing, permission of advisor. (CRN:50322)

M.S. CLINICAL COUNSELING OBJECTIVES

No.

Students will demonstrate:

10

 

 

articulation of the scientific method and knowledge of research and statistical

terminology, and the ability to critically evaluate research based on

methodology used and conclusions drawn

ED.S. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY OBJECTIVES

No.

NASP Objective

2.9

 

 

 

 

School psychologists have knowledge of research, statistics, and evaluation

methods.  School psychologists evaluate research, translate research into

practice, and understand research design and statistics in sufficient depth to

plan and conduct investigations and program evaluations for improvement of

services.

 

Positively Impacting Learning through Evidence-Based Practices

REQUIREMENTS

            Production of an original piece of research completed under the direction of a department thesis committee.   While the thesis chair need not be a school psychology faculty member, it is recommended that at least one school psychology faculty member be included on the thesis committee for VSU School Psychology major.  Specific thesis guidelines and requirements are found in the Thesis and Dissertation Guide   All requirements of the VSU Graduate Catalog in effect upon beginning thesis work must also be met. Instructions for registration may be found at:  

                         http://www.valdosta.edu/registrar/spr05/Registration_Guide_Summer_05.pdf  

            All students must complete basic certification through the Grants and Contracts Office prior to submitting any protocol to the Institutional Review Board (IRB).  The link to the certification process is: Effective beginning Fall Semester 2004, all individuals conducting research using human research subjects, whether faculty, staff, or students, must complete the training provided on-line through the VSU Institutional Review Board (IRB).

 

            You may access the training program at: www.citiprogram.org

 

            The required training modules are numbered 1 through 6.  These are modest in size, usually 4 to 6 questions for each module, and may be completed relatively quickly.  You may retake the modules until you have passed them satisfactorily, with at least an 80% correct score.  A certificate will be issued, and the VSU Office of Grants and Contracts will be notified of your success in completing the training.  No IRB review will be processed without this certificate of satisfactory completion. 

 

            Contact the IRB Administrator at 333-7837 or the IRB Chair, Dr. Green T. Waggener, at 333-4921(E-mail: gtwaggen@valdosta.edu) should you have any questions.

EVALUATION

            Students must usually first complete a thesis proposal and present the proposal to their committee.   An example of a thesis proposal is linked to this statement and  represents one student’s work.  While it is not required that a student formalize their proposal in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, students must have their thesis proposal approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Valdosta State University.  Necessary IRB forms may be found at: http://www.valdosta.edu/grants/institutional.shtml    All other evaluation related issues are based on a student’s departmental thesis committee and the Graduate School.

 

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY


            Consistent with VSU policies, attendance is important; class participation is also essential. Ultimately, participation will be subjectively determined by the instructor and by your thesis committee with the thesis chairperson responsible for all final determinations.  

 

 

COURSE WITHDRAWAL POLICY


            Students withdrawing from the course BEFORE mid-term will be assigned a nonpunitive W.  After midterm, a W or punitive WF, based on course performance, is assigned by the instructor and forwarded to the Registrar's Office for processing.  Please note that if you stop attending class, this does not constitute withdrawing from the course.

 

 

PLAGIARISM and CHEATING POLICY
           

            Students are required to be familiar with Valdosta State University’s Policy on plagiarism and cheating (see VSU 2005-06 Student Handbook, Appendix A,

p. 39).  Excerpts from this policy follow:

 

            1.   No student shall receive or give or attempt to receive or give assistance not authorized by the instructor in the preparation of any essay, laboratory report, examination, or other assignment included in any academic course.

 

            2.   No student shall take or attempt to take, steal, or otherwise procure in an unauthorized manner any material pertaining to the conduct of a class, including but not limited to tests, examinations, laboratory equipment, and roll books.

 

            3.   No student shall sell, give, lend, or otherwise furnish to any unauthorized person material which can be shown to contain the questions or answers to any examinations scheduled to be given at any subsequent date in any course of study offered by the University, without authorization from the University.

 

            4.   Plagiarism is prohibited.  Themes, essays, term papers, tests, and other similar requirements must be the work of the student submitting them.  When direct quotations are used, they must be indicated, and when the ideas of another are incorporated in the paper they must be appropriately acknowledged.        

 

 

            Academic dishonesty is taken very seriously and the range of academic actions that can be taken range from a much lower letter grade to expulsion. The full text of this policy is also available in the College of Education Dean’s Office,

EC room 227.  The following penalties will be enforced, as stated in the Policy:

 

FIRST OFFENSE:        The student will earn a “0” on the assignment, test,
                                       project, etc.

 

SECOND OFFENSE: The student will earn the letter grade “F” for the
                                       course.

            

THIRD OFFENSE:       The student will earn the letter grade “F” for the

                                      course, and further action involving referral of the

                                         matter (with documentation) to the appropriate        

                                         college (university) officials within the administrative         

                                         structure will be taken.

 

SPECIAL NEEDS STATEMENT http://www.valdosta.edu/catalog/0506/ugrad/ungrad_whole_catalog.pdf

           

            Valdosta State University is an equal opportunity educational institution. It is not the intent of the institution to discriminate against any applicant for admission or any student or employee of the institution based on the sex, race, religion, color, national origin, handicap, veteran status, or sexual orientation of the individual.   It is the intent of the institution to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent Executive Orders as well as Title IX and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

 

            Students requesting classroom accommodations or modifications because

of a documented disability must contact the Access Office for Students with Disabilities, 1115 Nevins Hall [http://www.valdosta.edu/ssp/]. Telephone 229-245-2498 (voice) and 229-219-1348 (TTY).

 

 


SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY FULL-TIME FACULTY

 K. T. Hinkle, Ph.D., Associate Professor

L. D. Hilgert, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Voice: (229) 333-5615 

Fax: (229) 259-5576

Voice: (229) 333-5616

Fax:  (229) 259-5576

E-mail: kthinkle@valdosta.edu

E-mail: lhilgert@valdosta.edu

 

 

 

CLASS SCHEDULE

            Student’s thesis committee and the Graduate School determine the individualized schedule during each semester, especially when faculty have chairperson responsibilities for only one or two students.

 

 

 

 

M.S. CLINICAL COUNSELING OBJECTIVES (Outcome Measures)

 

No.

Students will demonstrate:

Activity

Evaluation


10


articulation of the scientific method and knowledge of research and statistical terminology, and the ability to critically evaluate research based on methodology used and conclusions drawn.

 

Class Meetings

Thesis research proposal and writing as well as PowerPoint Presentations for same

 

 

IRB approval

Thesis committee decisions at both the proposal and final defense stages

 

           

 

 

ED.S. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY OBJECTIVES (Outcome Measures)

 

No.

NASP Objective

Activity

Evaluation

 

2.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School psychologists have knowledge of research, statistics, and evaluation methods.  School psychologists evaluate research, translate research into practice, and understand research design and statistics in sufficient depth to plan and conduct investigations and

program evaluations for improvement of services.

 

 

Class Meetings

Thesis research       writing, proposal, and PowerPoint presentations for same


IRB approval

Thesis committee decisions at both proposal and final defense stages

 

THE RIGHT TO VARY FROM THIS SYLLABUS IS RESERVED.