GeorgiaTechSchoolofPsychology

GraduateStudentHandbook

December2016

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OVERVIEWTheSchoolofPsychologyof theGeorgia InstituteofTechnologyoffersprogramsofstudyleading to the degrees ofMaster of Science andDoctor of Philosophy,with fiveAreas ofspecialization: Cognition and Brain Science, Cognitive Aging Psychology, EngineeringPsychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and Quantitative Psychology. All fiveprograms of study provide intensive exposure to the theoretical and methodologicalfoundations of psychology with strong emphasis on quantitative skills. Each student isexpected to show individual initiative in both research activities and academic study,supportedbyclosefaculty-studentcontact.DoctoralDegreeTheDoctoralprogramprovidesthestudentwithspecializedcourseworkandopportunitiesfor research in Cognition and Brain Science, Cognitive Aging Psychology, EngineeringPsychology Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or Quantitative Psychology. Eachcurriculumincludesindividualizedstudyandresearchwithastrongfoundationingeneralexperimental psychology as a basis for this specialization. The goal of the School ofPsychology,reflectedinthestructureoftheprogramdescribedwithinthishandbook,istoprovide an academic environment in which the Ph.D. degree will be completed in areasonableamountoftime.Master’sDegreeTheMaster’sdegree,designedtorequireatleasttwocalendaryears,isintendedtopreparethe student for continuation of graduate work toward the Ph.D. The Master’s degree isviewedasasignificanteducationalachievementandisnotautomaticallyawardedenroutetothePh.D.However,exceptinunusualcircumstances,theSchoolofPsychologydoesnotadmitstudentsforaterminalmaster’sdegree.Ph.D.ObjectivesObjectivesoftheDoctoralprogramrequirethatstudents:1. Demonstrate understanding and use of psychological principles and techniques at anadvanced level. Such use will be based upon a comprehensive knowledge of generalpsychologygainedfromacoresetofcoursesinthefieldofpsychology;2. Read,review,andcritiquepsychological literatureandwriteresearchreportsatalevelofexpertisecommensuratewiththatrepresentedincurrentresearchjournals;3. Demonstrateanabilitytoexplain,use,andapplystatisticalprinciplesandtechniquesatalevelallowingthemtodesignandassistothersindesigningpsychologicalexperiments;

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4. Prepare and use a comprehensive, analytic review of the literature on a psychologicalproblem;5. Present psychological material verbally to professional audiences and demonstrateeffectiveskillsinclassroominstruction;6. Display a high degree of competence in an area of specialization asdemonstratedbyperformanceonadoctoralpreliminaryexamination;7. Demonstratecompetenceinaminorfield.Aminorfieldshouldbechosentosupplementastudent'straininginhisorherspecialtyinamannerconsistentwithhis/heroccupationalgoals.Competence isdefinedasknowledgeof the terminologyspecific to theminor fieldandknowledgeofthemajorconcepts,principlesandmethodologiesofthatfieldrelevanttothe goals of the student. Each student is required to complete aminimumof 9 semesterhoursofcourseworkoutsideofhis/herspecialty.8. Planandexecuteresearchonasignificantpsychologicalproblem;and9. Demonstrateawarenessof currentprofessionalproblems inpsychology(e.g.,ethicalproblems).

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PARTI Generalcourserequirements

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PSYCHOLOGYPROGRAMGENERALREQUIREMENTS Below are the requirements for both the Master of Science in Psychology and the Ph.D.degrees.ItshouldbenotedthattheMaster’sdegreeisearnedenroutetothePh.D.Thus,therequirementsfortheMaster’sdegreearesubsumedinthoselistedforthePh.D.degree.TheInstituteadditionallyrequireseachstudenttocompleteatleastninecredithoursinaminorfieldofstudy. Information about registering for courses can be found starting on page 40 of thisHandbook.

GradepointaveragesItisexpectedthatagraduatestudentwillobtainatleastaBinallcoursesattempted.GeorgiaTech’spolicyisthatastudentmusthaveatleasta2.7GPAforgraduatingwithanMSdegreeanda3.0foraPh.D.degree.If a student receives2 ormoregrades less than aB, especially in a given semester, itwillinfluencehis/herend-of-the-yearevaluation.

TheMasterofScienceinPsychologyThe Master of Science in Psychology prepares the student for continuation of graduatework toward the Ph.D. and/or for employment in business, industry, government, oreducation. Most students require a minimum of two calendar years to complete themaster’sdegree.Studentsmustcompletearesearchthesisaswellas32hoursworthofthecoursesrequiredforthePh.D.StudentsmustcompleteandpassthesecourseswithagradeofBorbetter.EachAreamayhavespecificcorecourserequirements,butataminimum,studentsmustcompletethefollowingbeforereceivingaMaster’s:• The three requiredquantitative core courses (ResearchMethods, Statistics I and

StatisticsII);• Two of the three required psychology core courses (for Engineering Psychology, both

Psyc7101and7202[EngineeringPsychologyIandII]arerequiredfortheMaster’s);• Psyc7105(FirstYearResearchProjectI);• Psyc7106(FirstYearResearchProjectII);• PSYC7000(Master’sThesis;9credithoursminimum).DoctoralProgramTheDoctoralPrograminPsychologyprovidesthestudentwithanopportunityforadvancedstudy in Cognition and Brain Science (CBS), Cognitive Aging, Engineering,Industrial/Organizational, or Quantitative Psychology. Each of the curricula consists ofadditional courses and programs of individual study and research beyond the corecurriculum. Overall, the program will provide all students with a strong background in

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general experimental psychology, quantitative methodology, and the student’s area ofspecialization.Asindicatedabove,thePh.D.Degreeprogramconsistsofcompletionoffourcategories of course requirements: quantitative core courses, general psychology corecourses,professionalcourserequirements,andspecificprogramrequirements.

Finally, in addition to the course work, the Ph. D. student must successfully complete aMaster’s thesis, the School’s comprehensive examination (also called the preliminaryexamination),andanindependentresearchprojectthatculminatesinthePh.D.thesis.

Except for the minor, all School and Area course and research requirements must besuccessfullycompletedbeforetakingthecomprehensiveexam.

TheMinor

FortheDoctorate,theInstitutemandatesthat9credithoursbeearnedinaminorfield(‘theminor’)thatdiffersfromthedisciplineofpsychologyofthePh.D.investigation.Thepurposeof theminor is to encourage awider interest on the part of the student and to provide abroaderbasisfortheevaluationofthestudent'scapabilities.Theminorshouldbepreferablyoutsideofpsychologytoencouragebreadthofknowledge.However,theminorcanbeinanarea inside of psychology, but outside the student’s major program of concentration (i.e.,Engineering, Cognition and Brain Science, Cognitive Aging, Industrial/Organizational orQuantitative).Forexample,astudentintheCognitionandBrainScienceprogramcanminorinEngineering, Industrial/Organizational, Cognitive Aging Psychology, or QuantitativePsychology.

Theminorconsistsofatleastninesemesterhoursofworkinrelatedcourses,selectedbythestudentinconsultationwiththeAdvisorandapprovedbytheGraduateCoordinatorandtheGeorgia Tech Office of Graduate Studies. Courses taken inside the student’s specializedprogramwillnotcounttowardstheminor.Coursetakenfortheminorshouldbeatthe6000levelorabove.Underspecialcircumstances,asingle(3-creditorless)4000levelcoursemaybe used to fill the requirement (but only if it is a course offered outside of the School ofPsychology).Coursesthataretakenaspass/failarenoteligibletocounttowardthedoctoralminor. Courses taken at other Atlanta-area universities, private or public, through theUniversity Center cross-registrationmay be included in theminor. In the case of transferstudents, graduate-level courses already taken at another institutionmaybeused to fulfilltherequirement,eveniftheyhavealreadybeenusedtowardanadvanced(graduate)degreeatanotherinstitution;approvalbytheGraduateCoordinatorisrequired.

The Graduate Coordinator, in conjunction with the Office of Graduate Studies, will pre-approve aminor in concept, before the student takes the proposed courses. This is donethroughaMinorapproval letter(seeFormssectionontheSchoolofPsychologywebsite).The student then submits the minor for final approval after all courses have beencompleted.Studentswhodonotobtainpre-approvaldosoattheriskthatcoursestheytakemaynotultimatelybecountedasfulfillingtheminorrequirement.

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Althoughthestudentneednotcompletetheminorasaprerequisitetobecomeacandidatefor the Ph.D., the minor must be completed and approved in order to be cleared forgraduation.

A listing of previous minors for Engineering Psychology students is available from theEngineeringPsychologyProgramCoordinator

Exception:StudentsinIndustrial/OrganizationalPsychologyarerequiredtocompletetheStatisticsorQuantitativeMethodsMinorbythebeginningofthethirdyearofgraduatestudy.Studentswhowish to take an additionalMinor (i.e., in addition to thisMinor) should talkwiththeirAdvisorabouthowbesttobuildtheadditionalMinorintotheirprogramofstudy.Courses strongly recommended to satisfy theQuantitativeMethodsMinor (only 3 coursesrequired):• PSYC7301IntroductiontoMultivariateStatistics• PSYC7302StructuralEquationModeling• PSYC7303PsychometricTheory• PSYC8060MultilevelModelingSeminar• PSYC8060ItemResponseTheory• PSYC8060MultidimensionalScalingREQUIREDCOURSEWORKFORTHEDOCTORALPROGRAMTheSchoolofPsychologyhastwosetsofrequirements–thegeneralrequirements,commonto all students, and an Area-specific set of requirements. A checklist can be found in theFormssectionoftheSchoolofPsychologywebsite.A.Generalrequirements:A1.Psychologycorecourses:Studentstakethreeclassesfromthefollowinglist:(Exception:StudentsintheEngineeringPsychologyprogramtakefouroftheseclasses)Psyc 6011 Cognitive Psychology (required for students in Cognitive Aging, Engineering Psychology, and CBS) Psyc 6012 Social Psychology Psyc 6013 Biopsychology Psyc 6014 Sensation/Perception (required for students in Engineering Psychology) Psyc 6015 Developmental Psychology Psyc 6016 Experimental Analysis of Behavior Psyc 6017 Human Abilities Psyc 6021 Personality Theories Psyc 6060 Psychology of Aging (required for students in Cognitive Aging) Psyc 6090 Cognitive Neuroscience Psyc 7101 Engineering Psych I

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(required for students in Engineering Psychology) Psyc 7201 Industrial/organizational Psychology (required for students in I/O Psychology) Alloftherequiredcorecoursesmustbecompletedpriortopreliminaryexaminations.Ifthestudentisusingthecoursetofulfillthecorecourserequirement,thenagradeofBorbetterisrequired.IfthestudentearnsagradelowerthanaBthenthestudentmustretakethesamecourseandearnagradeofBorbetter.Ifthestudentdoesnotwantthecoursetocounttowardsthecorecourserequirement,thenthestudentdoesnotneedtoretakethecourse.IfthestudentretakesthecoursetherewillbenochangeintheoverallGPA. A2.QuantitativeCore:All three classes are required: Psyc 6018 Research design (including Responsible conduct of Research, Psyc 6000) Psyc 6019 Stat I Psyc 6020 Stat II For each of these courses, a grade of B or better is required. Any student who earns a grade lower than a B is required to retake the course. A3.First-YearProject:Required during the first year of graduate studies: Psyc 7105 First year Research Project I (first semester of first year) Psyc 7106 First year Research Project II (second semester of first year) A4.Minor(Ph.D.only)(A minimum of nine credit hours) Foreachofthecoursesintheminor,agradeofBorbetterisrequired.(forI/Ostudents,theMinormustbeinStatisticsorQuantitativeMethods.)

B.Area-SpecificRequirementsEach student is expected to be actively involved with her/his Area of specializationthroughout her/his graduate career. This involvement includes topical seminars, surveycourses,andresearchactivities.Studentsareexpectedtoenrollforaminimumofthreeresearchcredithoursduringeachsemesterof their tenureinthegraduateprograminpsychology.Thesecreditsmaybethesishoursorindependentstudycredits(i.e.,theSpecialTopicscourseswithintherelevantArea).B1.CBS:

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Psyc 6040 Topics in Cognition & Brain Science (every semester) Psyc 8080 Seminar in Cognition & Brain Science Psyc 8080 Seminar in Cognition & Brain Science B2.CognitiveAging:Psyc 6041 Topics in Cognitive Aging (every semester) Psyc 7020 Survey of Cognitive Aging Psyc 8020 Seminar in Cognitive Aging Psyc 8020 Seminar in Cognitive Aging B3.EngineeringPsychology:Pysc 6043 Engineering Psychology Research Seminar (every semester) Psyc 7102 Engineering Psyc II (required for MS & Ph.D.) Psyc 7104 Skills and Psyc 8040 Seminar in Engineering Psychology (option a), or two 8040 courses, preferably from different instructors (option b) B4.Industrial/OrganizationalPsychology:Psyc7202EmployeeSelection Psyc7203MotivationandJobAttitudes Psyc7204TrainingandDevelopment Psyc7205Teams Psyc8050SeminarinI/OPsychologyPsyc8050SeminarinI/OPsychology B5.QuantitativePsychology:Fiveadditionalquantitativecourses,whichmayinclude:MultivariateStatisticsPsychometricTheoryItemResponseTheoryStructuralEquationModelingMultilevelModelingLongitudinalModelingCategoricalDataAnalysisMultidimensionalScalingBrown-bagsandcolloquia Note that Psyc 6040, 6041, and 6043 are program Area brown-bag seminars (informalresearchdiscussions),tobetakenpass/fail.Studentsintherespectiveareasareexpectedtoactivelyparticipateinthesebrown-bagsforeverysemestertheyareenrolled.Students in the I/O and Quantitative Areas are encouraged to check with the AreaCoordinatorsoftheseareasformoreinformationontheseArea’sbrown-bagseminars.Inaddition, scholars fromvisitinguniversitiesareperiodically invitedasguest speakers to

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theSchoolofPsychology.AllstudentswithintheSchoolofPsychologyareexpectedtoattenddepartment-wide colloquia that are scheduled throughout the academic year. Thedepartment-wide colloquia typically meet on Wednesday afternoons at 3 p.m., or asannounced, so as not to conflict with scheduled courses. Colloquia meeting times will bepostedinthemainoffice,andmayalsobeannouncedovere-mail.Althoughtopicareasmaynotbedirectlyrelatedtoaparticularstudent’sAreaofstudy,thismediumisprovidedtoaddbreadthandvarietytograduatetraining.End-of-YearEvaluationsAttheendofeachAcademicYear,thefacultymembersofeachAreaconvenetoevaluatetheprogress of their students. This annual review is meant to help students assess theirperformanceon their fourmain responsibilities: (a)progress through courseworkand themilestones, (b) research activities, (c) professional activities (e.g., your performance as aninstructor,TAorRA),and(d)service.Theultimategoalistohelpstudentsbuildaskillsetandavitathatareasstrongaspossible.Consequently,theemphasisfortheseevaluationsisonwhatmakesforastrongacademicvita–thatis,researchactivities.Thescaleusedbyfacultytoassessprogressisasfollows: Rating Label Samplecriteria(astheyapply)3 Commendable a. Completesmilestonesearly

b. GPAof3orbetterc. Highresearchproductivity(firstauthoredand/or

multipleacceptancesinrefereed,qualityjournald. Serviceshowingleadershipinfielde. Superiorteachingand/orTAperformancea

2 Satisfactory a. Completesmilestonesintimelyfashionb. GPAof3orbetterc. Moderateresearchproductivity(submissionsto

refereed,qualityjournals,conferencepresentations,bookchapters)

d. Servicetothedepartment,theinstitute,theprofessione. SatisfactoryteachingandTAperformancea

1 Unsatisfactory a. Doesnotcompletemilestonesintimelyfashionb. GPAunsatisfactory(2.0)c. Lowornoresearchproductivityd. Noserviceorcounterproductiveservicee. UnsatisfactoryteachingandTAperformancea

0 Groundsfortermination

a. Missingmilestonesafterprobationb. GPAunsatisfactorytwicec. Noresearchactivityd. Failuretomeetteaching,TAorotherobligationse. Unethicalbehavior

aFor teaching performance: as based on student evaluations and/or DOTE; for TA: based on supervisor assessment.

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ThespecificformusedfortheseevaluationscanbefoundontheSchool’swebsite.Theformrequires thestudent to filloutaccomplishmentsof thepastyear,and incudesplanning forthefutureaswell.Afterfillingouttheaccomplishmentpartoftheform,thestudentshouldmeetwithher/hisAdvisortodiscussplanning.BothstudentandAdvisorsigntheform.The evaluation forms are due on April 15, to the office of the Graduate AdministrativeAssistant.GraduateCreditEarnedElsewhereFirst-year graduate studentswith previous graduate credit not acquired at Georgia Techmay wish to obtain transfer credit for that work. Graduate courses taken either as anundergraduateorgraduatestudent(intheUnitedStatesorCanada)thatwerenotusedforcredittowardanotherdegreemaybeconsideredfortransfercredit.Studentswhowishtobeconsidered fortransfercreditshouldobtaintranscriptsandsyllabi fortheappropriatecourses. In consultationwith theirAdvisors, theywilldeterminewhether thecoursesaregermane to theirprogramof study.Afterapprovalby theGraduateCoordinator, the formwillbesubmittedtotheregistrarforincorporationintothestudent’spermanentrecords.

BasicRequirementsA studentmay transfer amaximumof 6 semesterhoursof coursework.The courses forwhich transfer credit is sought must be graduate-level courses taken at an accreditedinstitution in theUnitedStatesorCanadaandnotused forcredit towardanotherdegree.Thestudentmustsupplyacurrenttranscriptforthisevaluation.

ProceduresThestepswhichmustbefollowedinallcasesare:1. ThestudentmustconferwiththegraduateAdvisortoascertainwhetherthecoursesto

betransferredarealogicalpartofthestudent'sgraduateprogram.2. If thecoursesareappropriate, thestudentwilldeliver to theGraduateCoordinatora

copy of the current transcript, necessary descriptive materials including catalogdescriptions,syllabi,andtextbooksusedforevaluation.TheGraduateCoordinatorwilldetermine the equivalent Georgia Tech course and the number of credit hoursaccepted.TheGraduateCoordinatorwillsendtheformdirectlytotheRegistrarwithacopyofthestudent'sApprovedProgramofStudyattached.

TransferringMoreThan6HoursIf thestudentwishestotransfermorethansixhours,apetitionmustbesubmittedtothegraduatepolicycommitteeincludingstatementsofpossiblejustificationforthegrantingofsuchapetition,transfercreditforms,andtherecommendationofthestudent'sAdvisor.

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CreditbyExaminationTestingoutofacourseisanalternativetoobtainingtransfercredit.Ifastudenthastakenacourse corresponding to a course taughtby theSchoolofPsychology, and is confidentofhis/her knowledge of that particular area of psychology, the student is encouraged topetition the Graduate Coordinator to allow him/her to test out of the course. Thisprocedureisasfollows:1. The student should petition to the Graduate Coordinator by providing him/her

withacoursesyllabus,coursereadings,gradeincourse,instructor,andinstitution.2. TheGraduateCoordinatormaycontactthefacultymemberwhotaughtthecourseat

the other institution in order to evaluate whether or not the course material iscomparabletothecourseofferedintheSchoolofPsychology.

3. TheGraduateCoordinatorwill contact the facultymemberwho taught/teaches theclassintheSchoolofPsychologyinordertoreceivefinalapproval.

4. Thestudentwillbenotifiedofthefinaldecision.5. Ifthedecisionispositive,andthestudenthascompletedtheappropriateformsand

paid the appropriate fees, the student will be given an examination covering thecoursematerial.

WaiversofCoursesorThesisStudentswhohaveearnedcreditforgraduate-levelcoursesatanotherinstitutionthatarerequiredfortheSchoolofPsychologymayrequestawaiverofthatrequirement.ThisalsoincludesthesiscreditforaMSdegreeatanotherinstitution.

Theprocedureisasfollows:1. TheAdvisorsendsanemailtotheGraduateCoordinatorrequestingawaiver,orwaivers,

forspecificcoursesorthesis.2. The student provides the Graduate Coordinator with a copy of the syllabus for each

courseforwhichthestudentisrequestingawaiver,oracopyofthethesis.3. TheGraduateCoordinatorwillcontactthefacultymemberwhotaught/teachestheclass

in the School of Psychology to determine if the courses are sufficiently similar towarrantawaiver. Forathesis, theGraduateCoordinatorreadsthethesisandmakesasimilardecision.

4. ThestudentandAdvisorarenotifiedofthedecision.

InstituteCriteriaforGoodStandingEach student within the School of Psychology must maintain at least a 3.0 overall GPAmeasured on a 4.0 scale. If a student’s cumulative GPA drops below 3.0, he/she will beplacedonprobationfortwoacademicsemesters.Duringthistimehe/shewillbeexpectedtoraisethisGPAtotheminimumcriterionlevelof3.0.FailuretoraiseadeficientGPAwithinthistimeperiodwillconstitutegroundsforterminationfromtheprogram.IftheGPAisatorbelow2.0foranyonesemester,thestudentmaybeplacedonprobationorterminatedfromtheprogramregardlessoftheoverallGPA.

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PARTIIMilestonesandtheirRequirements

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GENERALEach student is expected to be involved in programmatic research throughout his/herresidencyatGeorgiaTech.Initially,thisresearchinvolvementwillbecloselydirectedbyamemberofthefaculty.Asthestudent'sgraduatecareerprogresses,he/shewillbeexpectedto develop and carry out an individual program of research. A broad outline of researchrequirements within the School of Psychology – the first-year project, the thesis, thepreliminaryexam,andthedoctoraldissertation--ispresentedbelow.Thesearetheminimalresearch requirements. More specific requirements may be made by each individualprogramorbyastudent'sAdvisor.Eachstudentshoulddiscussresearchrequirementsandopportunitieswithhis/herAdvisorasearlyaspossibleafterbeginningtheprogram.As indicated in Part I, students are expected to enroll for a minimum of threeresearchcredithoursduringeachfull-timesemesteroftheirtenureatGeorgiaTech.Thesecreditsmaybethesishoursorindependentstudyhours.Studentsareresponsibleforensuringthattheircourse loadandotherprofessionaldutieswillnot inhibitexecutionoftheirresearchresponsibilities.

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TIMELINEForstudentstoremainingoodstandingintheprogram,theymustsuccessfullycomplete,bythetimetheend-of-yearevaluationisdue(April15)eachofthefollowingmilestonesateachofthesetimepoints:

- BytheendofYear1:Completethefirst-yearproject- BytheendofYear2:DefendaMaster’sthesisproposal- BytheendofYear3:DefendaMaster’sthesis- BytheendofYear4:Completepreliminaryexam- BytheendofYear5:Defendthedissertationproposal- BytheendofYear6:Defendthedissertation

Students who miss a deadline will be put on probation. This will trigger a mandatorymeetingbetweenthestudent,her/hisAdvisor,andtheGraduateCoordinatortodetermineaconcreteplanofaction.Missingthatsamedeadlinebythenextyearlyevaluation(i.e.,morethanoneyearlate)constitutesgroundsforterminationfromtheprogram.Individual adjustments to this timeline can be made for emergencies and/or unforeseencircumstances (e.g., serious illness or disability, childbirth, necessary internships). TheaffectedstudentshouldcontacttheGraduateCoordinatorasearlyaspossibletorequestsuchadjustment.

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MILESTONE1:FIRST-YEARPROJECTEachstudent(includingthosewhoenterwithaMaster’sdegree)isrequiredtocompletearesearchprojectduringhisorher first yearof residenceatGeorgiaTech.Thepurposeofcompleting this research project is to enable the student to develop procedural researchskills.Typically,projectsconsistofresearchactivitiesdesignedbyafacultymemberaspartofanongoingresearchprogram.Thestudentwillbeexpectedtoprepareawrittenreportofhis/herownparticipationintheresearchactivity.

The student should meet with his/her Advisor early in the first semester to set up therequirementsforthefirst-yearproject.Theprojectwillbeevaluatedbytworeaders–oneisthe student’smajor Advisor, the second is selected by the student and the Advisor. TheAdvisoristheinstructorofrecordandisresponsibleforenteringthestudent’sgrade.

Thegradeforthefirstsemestercourseinthesequence(First-YearResearchProjectI,Psyc7105)willbebasedonevidenceofprogresstowardscompletingtheproject. Boththefirstandsecondreadersshouldreviewtheevidence-of-progressreport.ThegradewillbebasedonaconsensusbetweentheAdvisorandthesecondreader.Theevidence-of-progressreportmustbeawrittendocument(deliveredonofbeforetheWednesdaybeforeThanksgiving)thatincludesthefollowinginformation:

• Whatthestudentaccomplishedduringthefirstsemester.• Thenatureandscopeoftheprojecttobeaccomplishedduringthesecondsemester.• Atimelineforfinishingtheprojectduringthesecondsemester.Thegradeforthesecondsemestercourse(First-YearResearchProjectII,Psyc7106)willbebasedonthequalityofthefinalproduct(as agreed upon by the student and Advisor at the beginning of the first semester). Thewrittenproductmustbesubmittedtothestudent'sAdvisorandthesecondreaderbyApril15.ThestudentmusthavepermissionfromtheGraduate Coordinator to submit the report after this date. The research project will bereviewedbythestudent'sresearchAdvisorandthesecondfacultyreader; the finalgradewillbebasedontheconsensusoftheAdvisorandthesecondreader.

Therearefouradditionalresearchformatsconsideredacceptablefortheannualproject:1.M.S. proposal: Formal research proposals can be used to fulfill the requirements of thefirst-yearresearchreport,butonlyifthewrittenreporthasbeensubmittedtothestudent'sthesis committee prior to the submission deadline. Works-in-progress and rough draftssubmitted to the student's research Advisor are not acceptable products for the first-yearreport.

2. Paper submitted for publication: Research papers for which the student has played aprimaryroleintheresearchprocess(i.e.,sole-orfirst-authorpapers),andwhichhavebeensubmitted or accepted to a peer-reviewed journal are acceptable as submissions for theannual report. Formulti-author paperswhere the student is not the first author and it isdeemedby theAdvisor that the studentmadea significant contribution to theproject, thestudentmust also submit a detailed report of their specific contributions to the paper co-signedbytheAdvisor.

3. Theoretical paper: Although a theoretical paper can be used to satisfy the first-yearresearch requirement, students are discouraged from using this option. The goal of the

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researchrequirementistoenablethestudenttodevelopsophisticatedproceduralresearchskills.Whilegoodtheoreticalscholarshipisacrucialfoundationforgoodempiricalresearch,it isnot sufficient to ensuredevelopmentof sound,practical research skills.Toemphasizethispoint,studentsshouldbeawarethatfailuretousetheresearchrequirementtoconductactualresearchcanhaveanadverseimpactonhis/herannualevaluation.4. Graduate fellowship proposal to a national organization: A grant proposal to a nationalorganizationsuchastheNSForNIH,submittedduringthecourseofthestudent’sfirstyearorcompletedinthefirstyearandtobesubmittedinthesecondyear,countsasafirst-yearproject.Failuretosubmittheproposalisequivalenttofailuretosubmitthefirst-yearproject.

Exception:TheEngineeringProgramArearequiresanempiricalproject for the first-eyarproject.Failure to submit the written product as required constitutes grounds for probation orterminationfromtheprogram.

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MILESTONE2:MASTER’STHESISEach student entering the School of Psychology without having previously completed aMastersthesiswillberequiredtocompleteonewhileinresidenceatGeorgiaTech.ThesisresearchmustfulfillbothprogramandInstituterequirements.PrerequisitesWorkonthethesismaybeginatanytimeduringthefirsttwoyearsofresidencyintheSchoolof Psychology. However, all course requirements for theMasters degreemust be satisfiedbefore the student is eligible for the oral defense of the thesis. In addition, the student'stranscriptmustshow32totalhoursofcredit. Sequence Thesisresearchshouldproceedinthefollowingsequence:1. Researchtopicselection:Thestudent, togetherwithhis/herAdvisor,shouldchoosearesearch topic. The student should then conduct a literature reviewof the topic area andprepare a written draft of the master’s proposal. This draft generally also includes apreliminaryexperimentalmethodologyanddesign.2. Forming the committee: The student, together with his/her Advisor, will selectmembersforathesiscommittee.Thiscommitteewillnormallybemadeupofthreefacultymembers from the School of Psychology (i.e., tenured or tenure-track faculty) or twomembersfromPsychologyandathirdmemberfromanotherSchoolwithintheInstituteora scientific scholar not affiliated with Georgia Tech. For Engineering Psychology, thecommitteechairmustbeEngineeringPsychologyProgramfaculty.Individualswho are not tenure or tenure-track faculty at Georgia Tech require a vote ofapproval from two-thirds of the tenured and tenure-track faculty of the student'smajorArea. To request approval, the student contacts the Area Coordinator of the relevantgraduateArea,andprovides theCoordinatorwithabiosketchof theputativemember,aswellasabriefexplanationofthereasonforinclusionofthispersononthecommittee.FinalapprovalofthecommitteesrestswiththeSchoolChairortheChair’srepresentative. 3. Proposing the MS thesis: The student will make a public oral presentation of theproposaltothethesiscommitteeandotherinterestedstudentsandfaculty.Thispresentationistechnicallyintendedforthethesiscommittee;however,otherfacultyinputisencouragedto help the student recognize possible difficulties in her/his research plan prior toconductingtheresearch.Acopyofthefinalproposalshouldbesubmittedtoeachcommitteemember and to the Psychology office at least twoweeks prior to the scheduled proposalmeeting.AnelectroniccopyoftheabstractshouldalsobesubmittedtothePsychologyofficefordistributiontotheentirefacultytwoweeksbeforetheproposal.4. Formalapprovalofthesistopic:Aftertheoralpresentation,thestudent’scommittee

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members must approve the thesis proposal. The student should bring a completed"Request for Approval of Thesis Topic" form, available on the School’s website, to besignedbycommitteemembersaftertheoralpresentationiftheproposalisapproved.TheformshouldthenbesubmittedforapprovalfirsttotheGraduateCoordinator,andthentotheGraduateSchool.Atthistime,appointmentofthethesiscommitteeismadeofficial.Thestudentthencarriesouttheproposedresearchinconsultationwiththethesiscommittee.5. Completing the thesis: Copiesof the completed thesis are submitted to the student'sthesiscommittee inpreparation for theoraldefense.The thesismustbe in finished formwithrespecttocontent,format,andtypographicalaccuracy.Onecopyofthethesisshouldbe submitted to each committeemember and to the Psychology office at the latest twoweekspriortothedateoftheoraldefense.AnelectroniccopyoftheabstractshouldalsobesubmittedtothePsychologyofficetwoweeksbeforethedefense.6. Oraldefense:Aftertheoraldefense,thecommitteevotesonthedecision,whichcanbe‘fail’, ‘passwithrevisions’,or ‘pass’. Iftheoutcomeis ‘passwithrevisions’,theCommitteewill provide the student with clear instructions on what those revisions should entail.DependingonthedecisionoftheCommittee,theimplementationofthoserevisionsmightbeoverseenbytheAdvisor,orbythewholeCommittee.7. Instituterequirements:Thethesismustnowbesubmitted to theGraduateSchool forapproval (http://thesis.gatech.edu)), but first must meet certain institute and graduatedivision requirements. In order to graduate, the student must (1) submit an ApprovedProgramof Study form (paper form), aChangeofMajor form (paper), andaPetition forDegreeform(online)totheRegistrar(notethattheseformsaredueaboutasemesterbeforethe student is expected to defend, see page 51 and following); and (2) submit a thesisapproval formwhich is to be signedby the committee and a copygiven to theGraduateCoordinator'sadministrativeassistantbeforesubmissiontothegraduateSchool.

GeorgiaTechhasspecificformattingrequirementsforthethesis,whichdifferfromstandardAPA format. The manual and templates can be accessed throughhttp://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations.

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MILESTONE3:PRELIMINARYEXAMSGeneralRequirementsIn order to complete a Ph.D., students must pass a set of doctoral preliminary exams(prelims). These exams are designed to measure the student’s understanding of an area.Theseexamsvaryinnatureandformatdependingonthestudent’sprogramrequirements,whichareoutlinedbelowforeachArea.In order to take prelims, a student must have completed a Master’s degree, must havecompletedthecorecurriculum(includingtheQuantitativeCore,thegeneralpsychologycorecourses, and any courses required by the student’s Area), and must have obtained theapproval of his/her prelims committee. It is not necessary to have completed a minor inordertotakepreliminaryexams.CommitteeThe committee will be composed of at least five members. The Chair of the committee(typically the student’s Advisor) and two additional members of the committeemust betenured or tenure-track faculty from the School of Psychology. Other members of thecommitteemayincludeadjunct facultyof theSchool, tenuredortenure-trackfacultyfromotherunitsofGeorgiaTech,orscholarsfromotherinstitutions.ForEngineeringPsychology,the committee chair plus at least one other committee member must be EngineeringPsychologyProgramfaculty.Individualswho are not tenure or tenure-track faculty at Georgia Tech require a vote ofapproval from two-thirds of the tenured and tenure-track faculty of the student'smajorArea. To request approval, the student contacts the Area Coordinator of the relevantgraduateArea,andprovides theCoordinatorwithabiosketchof theputativemember,aswellasabriefexplanationofthereasonforinclusionofthispersononthecommittee.Thebiosketch and the text detailing the contribution of the to-b-approved member to theprelims/dissertationwillbeattachedtothePreliminaryExaminationApprovalFormthatissignedaftertheproposalmeeting.Approvalsofthecompositionofthepreliminarycommitteemustoccurbeforeanymeetingof thecommittees. ThestudentmustcompleteaPreliminaryExaminationapproval form;this must be signed by the committee members, the Area Coordinator, the GraduateCoordinator, and the School Chair or her/his representative. The signed approval formsmustbekeptinthestudent'sfileinthemainPsychologyoffice.IncaseofafailinggradeIfthestudentdoesnotpassthepreliminaryexam,thepreliminaryexaminationcommitteewill meet to discuss a plan of action. Such action may include (as applicable) requiringmajor orminor revisions in the document; requiring a new documentwith a new topic;requiringthestudenttoredothewrittenexam,inpartorasawhole;requiringthestudenttoredo theexamwithadifferent formator topic focus; requiring thestudent toredo theoral defense; or failing the student, with the consequence that the student will not beadmittedtothePhDcandidacy.

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Area-specificrequirements:CognitiveAgingandCognitionandBrainScienceProgramsImmediately after the committee has been established, a meeting must be held with thecommitteemembers (individually or in group) to discuss the format, appropriate areas ofstudy, and suggested readings.The student shouldbeprepared toprovideextensive inputconcerningtopicareasandreadings.The student, in consultation with the Advisor, selects one or more of the four followingexaminationformats,whichmustbeapprovedbytheprelimscommittee:1. Take-home paper on a specific question or set of related questions – length of time isnegotiable,buttypically7-14days;thequestionorsetofquestionsaretypicallywrittenbyAdvisorwithinputfromcommitteemembers;2. In-classexams –5setsofquestions (onesetpercommitteemember); formataswellasbreadthanddepthofcontentareasarenegotiatedwitheachcommitteemember;thestudentis given approximately4 hours per set of questions, one or two sets of questions per daywithina5-dayperiod,typically;3. Oralexamination–lengthandcontentareastobenegotiatedamongcommitteemembers.4. Areviewpaper– lengthandcontentareastobenegotiatedamongcommitteemembers.By default, the process and evaluation of the paper follows the process outlined below.Modifications to this process must be negotiated with the committee prior to the initialmeeting.Theprelimspapershouldconsistofthefollowingsections:- TitlePage- TableofContents- ExecutiveSummary(insteadofanabstract;thisisa2-3pageoverviewofthepurposeandfindingsofthepaperasawhole)- TextofthePaper

o Headingsandsubheadingsshouldbeusedo The text section of the paper (not counting tables, figures, or references)cannotexceed75pages(double-spaced,12pointfont)

- ReferenceSection- Appendices - thestudentshouldbeaware that thesematerialsmaynotbe reviewed indepthorconsideredinthedeterminationofthegrade.ThepapershouldfollowAPAformatandstyleguidelinesexceptasnotedabove.

Sometime before the prelims paper is finalized, the Advisor is allowed to give generalguidance to the student based on a draft of the paper. The specific timing of this reviewshouldbedeterminedbythestudentandAdvisor-allowingtimefortheAdvisortoreadthedocumentandtimeforthestudenttomaketherecommendedadjustmentsbeforethepaper

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isdue.

Area-specificrequirements:EngineeringProgramPurposesandGoalsThe purpose for the preliminary exam is to ensure that the student has achieved anacceptablelevelofmasteryofadesignatedareainpsychologyappropriatetothedoctoratedegreeandispreparedtoengageinindependentresearchatthelevelofthedissertation.Goalsforthepreliminaryexaminclude:1. Demonstrationofproficiencyandknowledgein proposed area of expertise - Thestudentshouldbeable to integrate ideas across relatedbutdistinct literatures; shouldbeable toidentifymainprinciples, ideas,andarguments in the fieldof study;andshouldbeable todefend and analyze major hypotheses in the area by citing empirical evidence andtheoreticalarguments.2. Demonstration of language/writing skills - Thestudentshouldbeabletoprepareapaperor written response that is well organized, coherent, and accessible, as well asgrammaticallycorrect.3. Demonstration of creative thought - Thestudentshouldbeabletopresent ideasthatarenot contained in the literature but are supported by the literature. Thismay include thegenerationofnewmodels,hypotheses,orframeworks-withpossiblesolutionstoproblemscontained within the literature. The demonstration of creative thought is of paramountimportance,withoutit,thestudentwillnotpassthepreliminaryexamination.

CommitteeStructureComposition of the committee will be consistent with the School of Psychology rulesgoverning eligibility of faculty to serve on doctoral committees. The committee will becomprisedofat least fivemembers, at least threeofwhichmustbe regular facultyof theSchoolofPsychology.TheChairofthecommitteemustbearegularfacultymemberoftheSchool of Psychology and, generally, must be an active member of the EngineeringPsychology program. The projected dissertation Advisor will appoint this committee inconcurrence with the student and the Engineering Psychology Area Coordinator. TheAdvisorwillChair thecommitteeandhaveprimaryresponsibility to coordinate theexamprocess,gatherevaluations,andreporttheresultstothefaculty.

FormalCommitteeandStudentMeetingPrior to formallybeginning thepreliminaryexam, thestudentmustmeetwith theentirecommittee.Thestudentwillgiveabrief (5-10minute)presentationon thedomainalongwithspecific issues tobeaddressedbytheexamination. In themeetingthe formatof theexaminationisagreedupon,thescopeisdefined,andthedateforcompletionisnoted.

MethodsforDeterminingContentThepreliminaryexaminationcommitteeshoulddesigntheexamination for the individualstudent. What constitutes a designated area is a judgment of the preliminary examcommittee.Methodsfordeterminingcontentgenerallyarenegotiatedbetweencommittee

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andstudent,basedupontheareasofproposedexpertise identifiedbythestudent.Thoseareas emphasized should be relevant to the specific focus of the dissertation, althoughbreadthinthegeneralareaofexpertisemustalsobedemonstrated.Aninitialstepdefiningthe content will be a reading list compiled by the student in consultation with thecommittee. Additionally, the student should prepare an outline and a summary of thedomaintobecoveredwithintheexamination.Thesummaryshouldnotexceedtwopages.Othermethodsofdeterminingcontentmaydependontheexactformatoftheexam. For reference see: Bem, D. J. (1995). Writing a review article for Psychological Bulletin. Psychological Bulletin,

18, 172-177.

MethodsforDeterminingFormatTo satisfy thepurposes andgoals for theexam theEngineeringPsychologyFacultyhavedecided that the major paper best meets these goals. Nevertheless, there may be otherformatsfortheexam.Thesemightincludecombinationsofaclosed-bookandatakehometest, a major review paper with a subsequent oral examination, etc. The final format isnegotiated between the student and the committee. Each member of the committee isexpectedtocontributetoandevaluatethefinalproduct.Theexaminationandsubsequentproduct should be a committee and not simply an Advisor creation. The preliminaryexamination form should be prepared by the student and signed by the Advisor, thecommittee members, and the student. Copies of this form must be forwarded to theEngineeringPsychologyAreaCoordinatorandtotheGraduateCoordinator.

TimetoCompletetheExamThemaximum time allowed to complete the prelim exam is fourmonths from time theAdvisor signs the preliminary exam form. The Advisor normally signs the preliminaryexaminationformduringtheformalmeetingwiththeexaminingcommittee.

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GradingSystemforPreliminaryExamPapersinEngineeringPsychology

Grade SampleCriteriaPasswithCommendation

Paperisofextremelyhighquality.

Pass Papermeetstheexpectationsofthecommitteemembers;itisofhighqualityandnochangesarerequired.Committeemembersmayprovidecommentsandsuggestionsthatareformativeinnature,forfutureprojectsdonebythestudent.

RevisionsRequired

Thepapermustberevisedandre-reviewed.Committeemembersshouldprovidealistofthespecificissuesofconcernthatwillneedtobeaddressedbythestudentbeforethepaperwillbeconsideredapass.CommitteemayrequesttorequireafullrevieworonlyareviewbytheCommitteeChair(student'sAdvisor).

Fail Thepaperdoesnotmeetthegoalsdescribedaboveandarevisionwouldnotbesufficienttoachievethegoals.

Process1. Sometime before the prelims paper is finalized, the Advisor is allowed to give generalguidance to the student based on a draft of the paper. The specific timing of this reviewshouldbedeterminedbythestudentandAdvisor-allowingtimefortheAdvisortoreadthedocumentandtimeforthestudenttomaketherecommendedadjustmentsbeforethepaperisdue.ThegistoftheAdvisor'scommentsmightinclude:

o youarenotdoingenoughintegrationo youneedmoresummarysectionso thesectiononXisveryconfusingo youhavetotallyomittedtheworkofDr.Qwhichisveryrelevanto youneedtofocusonshorterparagraphsandcrispersentenceso makesurethereisareasonforeverysectionandclearlinkagestothegoalsforthepaper

2. By5PMontheagreedupondate(atmost4monthsaftertheAdvisorsignsthePrelimFormaftertheformalpreliminarycommitteemeeting),thestudentwillprovideelectronic(orpaper)copiesofthepapertoeachmemberofthecommittee.(NOTE:Ifthestudentdoesnotprovideapaperbythe4-monthdeadline,thestudentwillreceiveagradeofFail.)3. The Committeemembers agree to review the paperwithin onemonth, and providetheir gradewith supporting comments to theCommitteeChair (the student'sAdvisor).(Notethatifthemonthincludesholidays,slightadjustmentsmaybemadetothegradingtimeframebythecommitteechair.)

4. TheCommitteeChairwillintegratethecommentsanddetermineifconsensushasbeenreached.TheCommitteeChairshoulddraftalettertothestudent-thelettershouldthenbereviewedby the committeemembers to ensure that the contents accurately reflect theirviews.Ifrevisionsarerequired,thecommitteeshoulddecideifafullcommitteereviewisrequiredoftherevisionoronlyareviewbytheCommitteeChair.

5. TheCommitteeChair should then scheduleameetingwith the student todiscusstheresults.

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6. Ifrevisionsarerequired,thestudentwillhaveonemonthfromthemeetingwiththeAdvisortomakethechanges.Therevisedpapershouldbeaccompaniedbyanexplanationofhow(andonwhatpages)theissueswereaddressedandchangesweremade.7. Within2-weeks, therevisionwillbegradedasPass/Fail;either the full committeeortheChair(see#4above)willgradetherevision.PrelimsPaperFormatTheprelimspapershouldconsistofthefollowingsections:

• TitlePage• TableofContents• Executive Summary (instead of an abstract; this is a 2-3 page overview of the

purposeandfindingsofthepaperasawhole)• Text of the Paper - tables and figures should be embedded within this

sectionheadingsandsubheadingsshouldbenumberedo thetextsectionofthepaperisnottoexceed75pages

• ReferenceSection• Appendices - the student should be aware that these materials may not be

reviewedindepthorconsideredinthedeterminationofthegrade.

ThepapershouldfollowAPAformatandstyleguidelinesexceptasnotedabove.

PrelimsGradingThe decision about the prelims grade will be based on the majority opinion of thecommitteemembers. The goal is to have a consensus of the committeemembers but atleast4ofthecommitteemembersmustvotetopass.

PrelimsFeedbackThe Advisor will provide a summary letter/email to the student. Specific comments fromcommitteememberswill beprovidedwith theirpermission. If revisions are required, theletterfromtheAdvisorwillcontainalistoftheissuesthatmustbeaddressedintherevisionof the paper. (The Advisor might want to confer with the committee members prior toprovidingthislettertothestudent.) Thestudentisthenencouragedtomeetwithindividualcommitteememberstobetterunderstandtheissueseachraised.Area-specificrequirements:I/OProgramThe purpose for the I/O preliminary exam is to ensure that the student has achieved anacceptablelevelofmasteryinpsychologyandthesubfieldofI/Opsychologyappropriatetothedoctoratedegreeand is sufficientlyprepared toengage in independent researchat thelevelofthedissertation.PreliminaryExaminationGoals:

1. DemonstrationofdomainproficiencyandknowledgeThestudentshouldbeabletoorganizescientificfindingsacrossdistinctliteratures;shouldbeable to identifymainprinciples, ideas, andarguments in theproposed

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doctoralfieldofstudy;andshouldbeabletodefendandanalyzemajorhypothesesintheareabycitingempiricalevidenceandtheoreticalarguments.

2. Demonstrationoflanguage/writingskillsThe student should be able to prepare a paper orwritten response that is well-organized,coherent,concise,andaccessible,aswellasgrammaticallycorrect.

3. DemonstrationofcompetenceforgeneratingoriginalworkThestudentshouldbeabletopresentideasthatarenotcontainedintheliteraturebut are supported by the literature. This may include the generation of newmodels, hypotheses, or frameworks - with possible solutions to problemscontainedwithintheliterature.Thedemonstrationoforiginal,creativethoughtisofparamount importance; without it, the student will not pass the preliminaryexamination.

TheChairofthecommitteewillhaveprimaryresponsibilitytocoordinatetheexamprocess,gatherevaluations,andreporttheresultstothefaculty.OptionsTheI/Oprelimsystemprovidesthreeoptionsforcompletingthepreliminaryexamination,asdescribed below. It is expected that the student and Advisor select the one that is mostappropriateforthestudent.Foreachoption,therewillbeareadinglistthatisapprovedbythe examining faculty. This list will represent the minimum reading background for thePreliminaryExamination.Option1.Twowrittenprojects in I/Opsychology.Withthisoption,thecandidatewillpreparetwowrittenprojects,selectedbythestudentandhis/herAdvisorfromthreetopicdomains:i. IndustrialPsychology,ii. OrganizationalPsychology,iii. I/O-Methodology.Each projectmust be approved by at least two I/O faculty “readers,”whowill review theproposedproject andgrade the finishedproduct. Fourunique facultyreaders (beyond thestudent’smajorAdvisor)mustbeinvolvedacrossthetwopapers.Thatis,eachpaperwillbereadbyaminimumoftwoadditionalfaculty,thoughtheadditionalfacultymembersforeachpapermaybedifferent.Eachprojectwillprovideacomprehensivereviewoftheliteratureonatopicrelevanttothefieldspecifiedabove.Thecandidatewillbeexpectedtoalsoprovidehis/herownsubstantivediscussionthatbuildsontheliteraturetogainsomenewinsightorconclusions. Eachpapermust follow APA format and style guidelines. The maximum page limit for each projectpaperis35pages(textonly).Option2. Majorpaper.Withthisoption,thecandidatewillprepareonewrittenprojectwithinthedomainofI/Opsychology.Procedure:1. Thetopicof thepaperwillbe jointlyagreeduponbythestudentandtheChairof thestudent’s preliminary examination committee (typically the student’s projecteddissertationAdvisor).

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2. Oncethetopicandthecompositionofthecommitteeareestablished,thestudentwillprepareanddistributeawrittenoutlineandcomprehensivelistofrelevantreadingstoallcommittee members for review. The student will meet with committee members(individually or in a group) to discuss the planned document and readings, and makerevisionstothepaperoutlineandreadingsasneeded.Eachcommitteememberwillsigntheproposedmajorpaperpriortothestartoftheproject.3. Themaximum time allowed to complete themajorpaper is sixmonths from the timethat the student’s Advisor signs the preliminary exam form to the time that the studentsubmits a completed paper to his/her Advisor. The Advisor normally signs this formfollowing approval from all members of the committee. The student must provide eachmemberofthecommitteeawrittenandelectroniccopyofthepaper.Scope&Format:Theexpectation is that this paperwill be of apublishable,PsychologicalBulletin type inboth quality and scope. There are several useful published tutorials available thatdescribes how to effectively write a paper that is acceptable for Psychological Bulletin.Studentsareexpectedtofamiliarizethemselveswiththeseresources,astheirassessmentwillbebasedonhowcloselytheycometowritingapublishablemanuscript.Thesesourcesinclude(butarenotnecessarilylimitedto):Baumeister, R. F. & Leary, M. R. (1997). Writing narrative literature reviews. Review of

GeneralPsychology,1,311-320.Eisenberg, N. (2000).Writing a literature review. In R. Sternberg. Guide to Publishing in

PsychologyJournals.Cambridge,UP.Hinshaw,S.P.(2009).Editorial.PsychologicalBulletin,135,511-515.ThepapermustfollowAPAformatandstyleguidelines,exceptasnotedbelow,andcontainthefollowingsections:

• TitlePage• TableofContents• Executive Summary (instead of an abstract; this is a 2-3 page overview of the

purposeandconclusionsofthepaperasawhole)• TextofthePaper

o Headingsandsubheadingsshouldbeusedo The text section of the paper (not counting tables, figures, or references)cannotexceed75pages(double-spaced,12pointfont)

• References• TablesandFigures• Appendices. Appendices should be used sparingly, since thesematerialsmay

notbereviewedin-depthorconsideredinthedeterminationofthegrade.Modifications to this process must be negotiated with the committee prior to the initialmeeting.Option3.Exam.Theexaminationcontainstwoparts.In Part 1, two questions each are administered from the Industrial Psychology,

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OrganizationalPsychology, andQuantitativeMethodsdomains, respectively. Five facultymemberspreparetheexaminationandgradethefinishedproduct.In Part 2, a comprehensive paper iswritten based on a topic selected by the student’scommittee.TheexamsandpaperarescoredbythecommitteeandscoresareprovidedtothecommitteeChair.Thecandidateisgiventwoweekstocompletetheexamination(bothparts).GradingSchemeExamswill be evaluated by committeememberswithin onemonth of exam completion.Major papers and written projects will be evaluated by committee members within sixweeksofreceiptofthestudentdocuments.EachcommitteememberwillprovidetheChairof the committee with an evaluation of the student’s work using the following scoringscheme:Grade SampleCriteriaPasswithCommendation

Writtenwork(s)areofuniform,extremelyhighquality.

Pass

Writtenwork(s)meettheexpectationsofthecommitteemembers;itisofhighqualityandnochangesarerequired.Committeemembersmayprovidecommentsandsuggestionsthatareformativeinnature,forfutureprojectsdonebythestudent.

RevisionsRequired

Thepapermustberevisedandre-reviewed.Committeemembersshouldprovidealistofthespecificissuesofconcernthatwillneedtobeaddressedbythestudentbeforethepaperwillbeconsideredapass.CommitteemayrequesttorequireafullrevieworonlyareviewbytheCommitteeChair(student'sAdvisor).

Fail Thepaperdoesnotmeetthegoalsdescribedaboveandarevisionwouldnotbesufficienttoachievethegoals.

Area-specificrequirements:QuantitativeProgramThe Quantitative Psychology program provides two options, fromwhich the student andAdvisorselecttheonethatismostappropriateforthestudent,asfollows:Option 1.Major paper.With this option, the candidatewill prepare onewritten projectwithinthedomainofQuantitativePsychology.TheexpectationisthatthispaperwillbeofaPsychological Bulletin quality and scope. The preliminary examination committee willapprovetheoutlineofthepaperandgradethefinishedproduct.Option2.Exam.Thepurposeoftheexaminationistoensurethatthestudenthasacquiredknowledgeandskillsthatrepresentquantitativepsychologyasadiscipline.Theexamwillalsoenablethestudenttodemonstratehisorherdepthofknowledgeinoneormoreareas.The examwill be administered in four sections. Therewill be five questions per section,fromwhich thestudentmustchoosethreequestions toanswer.Theexaminationswillbe

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conductedover fourdays,with fourhoursdevoted toeachsection.Thestudent’s readinglist should reflect a broad range of topics in quantitative psychology (e.g., AppliedStatistics/Data Analysis, Measurement, Methodology, etc.) and must be approved by theexaminationcommittee.Theexaminationcommitteewillconstructquestionsbasedonthesources cited in the reading list. The studentmay bring to the examination, in paper orelectronic format, all the papers on the approved reading list. Because the examwill betaken using the standard School of Psychology word processing software, the studentshould be prepared to type or insertmathematical equations into a document with thatsoftware.

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MILESTONE4:DOCTORALDISSERTATIONDissertation research activity should proceed in the same sequence as outlined for theMaster'sthesis.

For the dissertation, however, committee membership must consist of five facultymembers,withat leastone facultymemberoutsideof theSchoolofPsychologyandthreetenured or tenure-track faculty members of the School of Psychology. For EngineeringPsychology, the committee chair plus at least one other committee member must beEngineeringPsychologyProgramfaculty.

Individualswho are not tenure or tenure-track faculty at Georgia Tech require a vote ofapproval from two-thirds of the tenured and tenure-track faculty of the student'smajorArea. To request approval, the student contacts the Area Coordinator of the relevantgraduateArea,andprovides theCoordinatorwithabiosketchof theputativemember,aswellasabriefexplanationofthereasonforinclusionofthispersononthecommittee.Thebiosketch and the text detailing the contribution of the outside member to theprelims/dissertationwillbeattached to the“Admission toCandidacy” formthat issignedaftertheproposalmeeting.

The dissertation research cannot be initiated until the student has passed his/herpreliminary examination and oral proposal of the dissertation project. The sameproceduresforthedistributionoftheproposalandthefinalcopyofthedissertationshouldbefollowedasfortheMaster’sthesis.Studentshavesevenyears fromtheendoftheterminwhichtheysuccessfullypasstheirpreliminaryexaminationstograduate(i.e.,tosuccessfullydefendtheirdissertationresearch).

GeorgiaTechhasspecificformattingrequirementsforthedissertation,whichdifferfromAPAformat required by the School of Psychology. The manual and templates can be accessedthroughhttp://www.grad.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations.

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PartIIIResources

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ACADEMICADVISINGEachfirst-yearstudentwillbeassignedtoanacademicAdvisor.AssignmentswillbemadebeforeastudentarrivesatGeorgiaTechorassoonaspossibleafterastudent’sarrival.TheacademicAdvisoristhetenuredortenure-trackPsychologyfacultymemberwhowillserveto provide guidance in academic and related areas during a graduate student’s academiccareeratGeorgiaTech.EachstudentmusthaveanacademicAdvisorthroughouthisorhertenure in the program. An academic Advisor is required for admittance into the Ph.D.program.FunctionThe academicAdvisor’s function is to determinehow tomeet the goals andneeds of theindividualstudentmosteffectivelyandtoprovideguidanceongraduatestudy,including:

1. coursework2. choiceandstructureofminorarea3. internshipsandotherprofessionalactivities4. resolution of problems with coursework as the student progresses through theprogram

The academicAdvisorwill play a part in the year-end evaluation of the student andwillreceivethestudent’sannualreport.MeetingsAftertheAdvisorhasbeenassigned,thestudentshouldrequestameetingwithhisorherAdvisor. It is theresponsibilityof thestudent to initiatemeetingwith theAdvisor.DuringthismeetingthestudentandAdvisorshouldbegintoplanthefirst-yearproject. Neartheendoffirstsemester,studentsshouldarrangeameetingwiththeirAdvisortotalkabouttheresults of the first semester’swork on the first-year project and outline the plan for thespringsemester.Priortotheend-of-yearevaluationdeadline(April15),thestudentshouldarrangeameetingwithhis/herAdvisorinordertoreviewthestudent’sprogress.Aftertheend-of-yearevaluationsarecompletedbythefaculty,eachstudentshouldarrangeameetingwithhis/herAdvisortodiscusstheresultsoftheevaluation.ChangingAdvisorsAny graduate student can change his or her academic Advisor at any time and for anyreason. Because successful completion of any graduate program requires a goodworkingrelationshipbetweenthestudentandfacultymentor,togetherwithamatchofinterests,itisimportant that each graduate student bematched correctlywith a research Advisor. ThestudentmustrealizethatchangingAdvisorsshouldbedoneinatimelyfashionbecauseofresearch requirements. Changes can bemade by first gaining approval for the transitionfrom both the current and future Advisors. The student should then notify the GraduateCoordinatorof thechange.Everyeffortwillbemadeto fulfill thestudent’srequest foran

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Advisorchange.Ifastudent’sAdvisorbecomesunavailable(e.g.,duetolong-termillness,death,retirement,amoveawayfromtheInstitute,orbychoice),itisthestudent'sresponsibilitytosecureanewAdvisor.However,theSchoolshallmakeeveryefforttosupportthestudentinfindinganewAdvisor,onconditionthatthestudentisingoodstandingwiththeInstitute(includingbeingregistered) and has received a score of ‘commendable’ or ‘satisfactory’ on the last end-of-yearevaluation.WhilethesearchforanewAdvisorisongoing,theGraduateCoordinatorwillserveasthestudent’sAdvisorinanadministrativecapacity.IfthestudenthasnotsecuredanewpermanentAdvisorbytheendofthenextcompletesemester,thestudentwillbeplacedonprobation.

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FINANCIALASSISTANCENotethatfundingisfortheacademicyear,notthecalendaryear.GraduateAssistantshipsResearchAssistantships(GRA)Availability: Currently, research assistantships are available with faculty members whohavetheirownresearchgrantsorsomeothertypeoffundingrequiringresearchassistants.Thenumber,availability,anddurationofthesepositionsvaryeachsemester.Expectations:Researchassistantshipsaretypicallyawardedonahalf-timebasis(20hoursperweek). The supervising professor is responsible for determining a list of duties andresponsibilities,andmonitoringandtrainingresearchassistants.ItisagainstGeorgiaTechpolicyforgraduatestudentstobepaidformorethan20hoursperweek.

TeachingAssistantships(GTA)Availability:Currently,departmentalteachingassistantshipsareawardedbytheSchoolofPsychologytostudentswithinthefirstfouryearsoftheirtenure.Thenumberofteachingassistantships available to senior students each academic year is dependent upon theplannedcoursecurriculumandontheendofyearevaluations.Itshouldbenotedthatveryfewteachingassistantshipsareavailableduringthesummerterm.Expectations: A teaching assistantship involves performing the duties listed below forbetweenoneandthreeprofessors.Exactdutiestobeperformedmayvaryaccordingtotheneedsoftheindividualprofessortowhomtheteachingassistantisassigned.Forinstance:

1. Constructingandgradingcourseexaminationsandquizzes2. Assumingclassesinabsenceoftheprofessor3. Maintainingteachingmaterialsanddata4. Library,photocopying,andreferencework5. Assistingininstruction-relatedresearchanddemonstrations

InstructorPositionsLaboratoryInstructorsAvailability: The number of laboratory instructors available is dependent upon theplannedcoursecurriculum.Expectations:Laboratoryinstructorsteachanundergraduatelaboratoryportionofacourse,with a faculty member teaching the lecture portion. In order to teach a lab it isrecommendedthatastudenthavetakenPSYC7701(TeachingPracticum),buthe/sheneednothavereceivedaMaster'sdegree.

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CourseInstructorAvailability: The number of instructors available is dependent upon the planned coursecurriculum.Expectations: Advanced students who have completed both the Master's degree and theTeaching Practicum coursemay be given responsibility for teaching an entire class as anInstructor. The course taught usually will be a General Psychology course or one of theservice courses taught by the School. The service courses include Abnormal Psychology,Developmental Psychology, Engineering Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology,Personality,andSocialPsychology.OtherPositionswithintheSchoolofPsychologyAvailability:EmploymentisalsoavailablethroughtheSchoolofPsychologyforspecialneeds,such as laboratory technician or departmental administrative assistant. For moreinformationconsulttheAssociateChair.Internships/OtherEmploymentTheSchool of PsychologyatGeorgiaTechhas established relationshipswith corporationsand agencies in the metropolitan Atlanta area. These agencies have provided graduatestudentsatTechwithvaluableexperience inanumberofareas.All internshipsmust beapprovedby the School.Studentswhoare interested inobtaininginternshipsoroutsideemploymentshouldconsultwiththeirAreafaculty.Studentsoninternshipareexpectedtobe enrolled as full-time students, and registered for special project hours with a facultymember who will serve as an on-campus supervisor for the internship. Some of theorganizations that the School of Psychology has established internships with in the pastinclude:• GeorgiaTechResearchInstitute(Eng.,I/O,Quant.)• CEISMIC(I/O)• BellSouth(I/O&Eng.)• Coca-Cola(I/O)• OfficeofMinorityEducation(OMED)(I/O)• Google(Eng.)• CenterforTeachingandLearning(CETL)(I/O)• Lockheed(Eng.)• IBM(Eng.)• NCR(Eng.)• AT&T(Eng.)• UnitedParcelService(I/O)Note:TheEngineeringandI/OPsychologyprogramsconsideritunacceptableforfirstyeargraduate students toworkmore than half time and/or towork outside of the School of

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Psychology.Thefacultyoftheseprogramsmustapproveanydeviationsofstudentswithintheir program from this policy. Within I/O, all internships must be approved by thestudent'smajorAdvisorandtheAreacoordinator.This isrequiredsothat theAreahasarecordofallstudentplacementsandsothattheAreacanhelpstudentseffectivelydealwithandlearnfromtheirinternshipexperiences.For Engineering Psychology students, the following guidelines for internship have beenestablished:

a. Pre-Master’sDegree

i. OnlyallowedtodoaninternshipinthesummerandonlyiffundingnotavailablethroughTAorRA,basedonconsultationwithyouradvisor

b. Post-Master’sDegree(thesisdefendedandturnedintoGT)

i. Candoaninternshipduringanysemesterii. Preferredlengthremainsonesemesterbutcanlastuptooneyearifagreed

uponwithyouradvisor.FINANCIALAID

TuitionWaiversGraduateTeachingandGraduateResearchAssistantshipsfortheFallandSpringsemestersautomaticallyincludeawaiveroftuitioncosts,withtheexceptionofallfees.

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RESPONSIBLECONDUCTOFRESEARCHGeneralEthicsGuidelinesAllgraduatestudentsareexpectedtofulfilltheiracademicresponsibilitieswiththehighestofethical standards. Academicmisconduct, dishonesty, or violations of ethical standardswillnotbe tolerated inany formandcouldresult in immediate termination fromtheprogram.Academicmisconduct can be described as any act that does, or could, improperly distortstudentgrades, researchreports,orotherstudentacademicrecords.Suchacts include,butneednotbelimitedto,thefollowing:1. Possessing,using,orexchangingimproperlyacquiredwrittenorverbalinformationin

the preparation of any essay, laboratory report, examination, or other assignmentincludedinanacademiccourse;

2. Substitutionfor,orunauthorizedcollaborationwith,astudentinthecommissionofacademicrequirements;

3. Submissionofmaterialthat iswhollyorsubstantiallyidenticaltothatcreatedorpublished by another person or persons, without adequate credit notationsindicatingauthorship(i.e.,plagiarism);

4. Falseclaimsofperformanceorworkthathasbeensubmittedbytheclaimant;5. Alteration or insertion of any academic grade or rating so as to obtain unearned

academiccredit;6. Deliberate falsification of a written or verbal statement of fact to a member of the

facultysoastoobtainunearnedacademiccredit;7. Forgery,alterationormisuseofanyInstitutedocumentrelatingtotheacademicstatus

ofthestudent;8. Violations of rules and principles relating to the ethical treatment of human or

animalsubjects;or9. ViolationofethicalstandardspublishedbytheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation.Students should be familiar with the Student Rules and Regulations published in everyedition of the Institute catalog. The student conduct code is a part of these rules andregulations. If academic misconduct is suspected, the case will be turned over to theappropriateGeorgiaTechauthority.Students should also be familiar with the Code of Ethical Responsibilities compiled andpublishedbytheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation.Asgraduatestudents inPsychology,studentsareexpectedtoabidebytheseethicalprincipleswithoutexception.Failuretodosowillresultinterminationfromtheprogram.ResearchApproval:HumanSubjectsIntroduction

This sectionprovides informationon theprocedures andpolicies for the involvement ofhumansubjectsbyanyoneatGeorgiaTech.Amoredetailedsetofpolicies isavailable in

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thePsychologyoffice.Avideoseriesentitled“ProtectingHumanSubjects”isalsoavailableinthePsychologyOffice.AllinformationpertainingtoresearchpolicycanbefoundintheIRBwebsitesectiononresearchpolicies.:www.compliance.gatech.edu/irb/policies.shtmlPolicyAllPsychologystudentstudiesrequiringtheuseofhumansubjectsmustbesponsoredby a Psychology faculty member and approved by the Georgia Tech InstitutionalReview Board (IRB). The approval requirement is not limited to theses anddissertations but applies to all studies performed under the aegis of the School ofPsychology.FieldExperimentsAny study conducted by a Georgia Tech student requiring use of human subjects from facilities other than Georgia Tech must conform to the policy described in the preceding section. EthicsThe involvement of human subjects requires the highest ethical standards. It is theresponsibilityofthestudenttoknowthesestandards.AllstudiesinvolvinghumansubjectsmustfollowthestandardsofethicsestablishedbytheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation(availableinPsychologyoffice)andtheBelmontReport(availableontheComplianceOfficewebsitelistedabove).Itistheresponsibilityofthestudentinvestigatortobecomefamiliarwith these standards because a violation of the established ethical principles may begroundsfordismissalfromtheprogram.SubjectPoolThe School of Psychology encourages students in psychology classes to participate on avoluntary basis in studies authorized by the School. The subject pool is comprised ofundergraduate studentswhovolunteer for research studies in exchange for course credit(with the participation of their instructors) or formoney. As specified above, all studiesrequiring human subjects must be approved by the Georgia Tech IRB, whether they arerecruitedfromtheSchoolofPsychologysubjectpoolorfromoutsidetheInstitute(e.g.,oldersubjects recruited from the community for Cognitive Aging studies). Note: A database ofpotentialsubjectsforagingstudiesismaintainedbytheCognitiveAgingFaculty.SonaSona is a web-based experiment scheduling and tracking system used by the School ofPsychology. Refer to www.gatech-psych.sona-systems.com for information about thissystem.CourseCredit

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All course credit for student participants is to be issued through Sona immediately uponcompletionofthestudent'sparticipation.Ifmonetarypaymentwasgivenforasession,thencreditcannotalsobegiven.IfanExperimenterfailstoshowupforanappointmentwithastudentvolunteerparticipant,theExperimenterwilllosehisorherabilitytousethesubjectpoolforalengthoftimetobedeterminedbytheSchoolChair.EXPERIMENTALSESSIONSCANNEVERBECANCELEDBYTHEEXPERIMENTERSIMPLYFORTHECONVENIENCEOFTHEEXPERIMENTER.VoluntaryParticipationSubjectsmustbegiventheopportunitytorefusetoparticipateinthestudyeitherpriortoorduring the study. Theremaybenopenalty assigned fornot participating in a study. Thisoption must be specified by the investigator, in writing, by including it on the informedconsent form. A written consent form, describing the experimental procedure, any risksbeyondthoseencounteredindailyliving,andthestatementspecifyingthatthesubjecthasthe right todiscontinueparticipationat any timemustbe signedbyeach subjectprior toparticipation intheexperiment.Theseconsent formsmustbekepton file forno less thanthreeyearsaftercompletionofthestudy.DebriefingAftertheexperimentalsession,subjectsshouldbeinformedastothenatureofthestudyandthepossibleuseofthedata.Thisdebriefingmustbeconductedinasystematicmanner.Eachsubjectmustbegiventhenameandphonenumberofan individualwhomaybecontactedshould any further questions arise concerning the experiment. A written synopsis of thestudyshouldalsobeofferedtothesubjectafterthestudyhasbeencompleted.

PublicationswithStudentsasSoleAuthorsStudentsareencouragedtopublishreportsoftheirresearchinprofessional journals.Thissectiondealswithsomeissuesthatoccurwhenastudentisthesoleauthorofamanuscript.Generally,journalsdescribetherequirementsformanuscriptsubmissionineachpublishededitionofthejournal.MostjournalsrequiremanuscriptstobetypedinaccordancewiththePublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation.ThismanualisavailableforpurchaseattheGeorgiaTechBookstore.ReviewandApprovalFor any proposed publication identified as a product of the Georgia Tech School ofPsychology, the student must submit the manuscript to his/her Advisor for review andapprovalpriortojournalsubmission.FinancialResponsibilityAnycostassociatedwithproductionof themanuscript is theresponsibilityof thestudent.

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However,occasionallythefacultymemberdirectingtheresearchmayhavefundsavailableto defray the publication costs. The student should make arrangements to secure funds(personal or otherwise) to pay publication costs prior to submitting the manuscript foreditorialreview.Manyjournalschargeonlyfor"additional"reprints,withsomenumberofreprintsprovidedfreeofcharge.Ifadditionalreprintsarenotordered,thenthosejournalsare "cost free". However, there are some journals that charge special set-up fees, proofmodification fees, etc. Journals that charge on a per pagebasis are evenmore costly. Thestudent is advised tounderstand thepolicyof the journal regardingcostsassociatedwithpublicationpriortosubmittingthemanuscript.

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TAKINGCOURSESATGEORGIATECHIntroductionThissectiondealswithregistration ingeneral, forall semestersand forall studentsofallstandings. It outlines procedures involved in registration (including pre-registration).Descriptions of how to drop and add courses, and of requirements specific to graduatestudentsarealsoprovided.A followingsectionaddresses the resolutionofproblems thatmayarise.RegistrationprocedureschangefrequentlyatGeorgiaTechandyoushouldrefertoOSCAR(On-lineStudentComputerAssistedRegistration;oscar.gatech.edu).Pre-RegistrationIfthestudentplanstotakespecialproblemhoursorreadinghours(8900-8908),thesisordissertationhours(7000,9000),s/hemustfilloutaspecialrequestformentitled"PetitiontoEnrollinSpecialProblems,SpecialTopics,Thesis/Dissertation".Thisformcanbefoundat the psychology office and on Forms section of the School of Psychology website. Thestudentmustfillouttheformandhavetheprofessorwhoissupervisingthecoursesignit.ThecompletedformthenmustbegiventotheGraduateAdministrativeAssistantbeforethestudentregistersforthesehours.WhereandHowtoRegisterTherelevantwebsiteis:http://oscar.gatech.edu.SeeOSCARforspecificinstructionsforusingthissystem.AddingandDroppingYoucandropand/oraddclassesusinghttp://oscar.gatech.edu. .Changesmaybemadetoyour scheduleprovided the allotted time for registrationhasnot expired. In general, youwill have until the last day of Phase II registration to add and/or drop classes withoutpenalty.PaymentofFeesStudentsmust pay tuition and fees each semester at the Bursar's Office by the deadlinelistedintheOSCAR.Iffeesarenotpaid,yourregistrationwillbecanceled.Typically,tuitionandfeesaredueonthelastdayofPhaseIIRegistration.Paymentsmaybemadethroughthemailbycheckormoneyorder, inpersonat theBursar’sofficebycash,check,moneyorder,orcreditcard,andoverthephone.Somecreditcardsarenotaccepted.CheckwiththeBursar'sOffice.:www.bursar.gatech.edu.

IfyouarepaidbytheInstitute,youcanalsohavefeespaidbypayrolldeduction.This

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deduction must be set up before the fee deadline. Payroll deduction can be set upthroughtheOSCARsystem.CourseLoadHourly course load requirements are outlined below. Please note that the number ofrequired letter grade or pass/fail hours outlined belowmust not be reduced during thesemesterbydroppingacourse.Full time students must be registered for a minimum of 12 hours letter grade and/orpass/fail (9 hours during the summer semester). Under exceptional circumstances, up tothreehoursofauditmaybeusedtocompletetherequired12,withpermissionofstudent'sacademicAdvisor.Full-timestudentsonlyworkingonathesisordissertationmustcarry12hoursof7000or 9000 course hours, as appropriate. Students with FELLOWSHIPS, TRAINEESHIPS,REGENT'SOPPORTUNITYSCHOLARSHIPS,orTUITIONWAIVERSmustbeenrolledfor12hourslettergradeand/orpass/fail.MinimumloadforSTUDENTSONVISASis12hourslettergradeand/orpass/failexcludingaudit,exceptsummersemester. RegistrationProblemsHoldsplacedonastudent'sregistrationmustbeclearedbeforeregistrationisallowed.Listedbelowaresomeoftheholdsthatyoumayencounter.Inaddition,whotoseeasafunctionoftheholdisprovidedinparentheses.

ACADEMICSTANDING(Registrar)ACCEPTED,NOFINALOK(GraduateAdmissions)ADMISSIONCODEDONLY(GraduateAdmissions)BUSINESSOFFICE(Cashier'sOffice)CO-OPDIVISION(Co-OpOffice)DEANOFSTUDENTS(DeanofStudents)DIRECTOROFHEALTH(Infirmary:oftencausedbylackofcompletedhealthform)FINANCIALAIDOFFICE(FinancialAid)HOUSING(HousingOffice)LIBRARY(CirculationDesk,Library)MAJORSCHOOL(PsychologyOffice:oftencausedbylackofPetitiontoEnrollform)NATIVELANGUAGE(ModernLanguageDepartment)PARKINGANDSECURITY(ParkingandSecurityOffice:oftenduetoanoutstandingfine)READMISSIONSNOTFINALOK(GraduateAdmissions)SAC(StudentAthleticCenterOffice)SCHEDULEHOUROVERLOAD(ToCorrectHold:removeexcesshoursbyaschedulechange)SPECIALBYADMISSIONS(GraduateAdmissions)SPECIALBYRECORDS(StudentRecordsOffice)SPECIALBYREGISTRAR(RegistrarOffice)WITHDREW(RegistrarOffice:mustapplyfor

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readmission)

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TAKINGCOURSESATOTHERSCHOOLSInthecourseofyouracademiccareeratGeorgiaTech,youmaywanttotakecoursesthatarenotofferedhere.Thisoftenoccurswhentryingtoassemblecoursesforyourminor.Inordertobroadenyouracademichorizons,onecantakecoursesatanumberofareauniversities(fornoextratuition)whileenrolledatGeorgiaTech.HowmanycoursescanIcross-registerfor?YoucanhaveuptoninehourscountingtowardyourMaster'sdegree. Ph.D.creditmustbeapprovedonacase-by-casebasisbytheDeanoftheGraduateDivision.Youcannottakemorethantwooutsidecoursesatatime.Arethereanyotherrestrictions?Yes, the course cannot be one that is offered at Georgia Tech. It is also advisable that thecourse fits into your academic program. Talk to your Advisor before beginning any of thisprocess.Ofcourse,youmustalsobeingoodacademicstanding.WherecanItakeoutsidecourses?Therearequiteafewplaces,including:

• AgnesScottCollege• AtlantaCollegeofArt• ClarkAtlantaUniversity• ColumbiaTheologicalSeminary• EmoryUniversity• GeorgiaStateUniversity• InstituteofPaperScience&Technology• InterdenominationalTheologicalCenter• KennesawStateCollege• MercerUniversityinAtlanta• MorehouseCollege• MorrisBrownCollege• OglethorpeUniversity• SouthernTechnicalInstitute• SpelmanCollege• UniversityofGeorgia

HowdoIgetstarted?OnceyouhavetalkedtoyourAdvisor, theformsareavailableat theRegistrar'soffice.Notethat all of these formsmust be submittedbefore the early (Phase I) registrationperiod, so

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start early. Also note that the "native" students will have registration priority over cross-registering students, so you will not know if you have a place in your requested class orclassesuntilafterthatSchool'snormalregistrationperiodisover.Thefollowingareapproximatedeadlinedates:Fall:July26Spring:December5Summer:June5Howarethegradesrecorded?Thecourseswillbelistedasauditedcourses(usuallytheoutsideSchoolnameisincludedintheartificialcodenumber),andwillbetreatedastransfercredits.Sincethesearetreatedastransfercredits,theywillnotbeincludedingradepointaveragecalculations(thesehourswillcountasresidentcredit).Youmustalsorequest that thehost institutionsendanofficial transcript toStudentRecordsoncethetermiscompletedsoyouwillreceivecredit.

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LEAVEOFABSENCEPOLICYAstudentdesiringtotakeaone-semester(FallorSpring) leaveofabsenceshouldsubmitarequest inwriting to their Area (signed and approved by their Advisor) for approval andthentotheGraduateCoordinator.However, ifastudentisnotenrolledfortwoconsecutivesemesters, including summer term (e.g., Fall & Spring or Spring& Summer), he/shemustreapplytoGeorgiaTechthroughtheGraduateSchool.ReadmissionwillbebasedonAreaanddepartmentalapproval.

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INTERNATIONALSTUDENTSIntroductionThis section is intended as a reference for non-U.S. citizenswho areplanning to attendGeorgiaTech. It shouldbenoted,however, that the following information is continuallybeingupdatedandmodified,soanyspecificinquiriesshouldbedirectedtoInternational Student Services and Programs (OIE;oie.gatech.edu/isss/index.html)(404)894-7475TheOIEofficealsoissuesthe"InternationalStudentHandbook,"areferencedesignedtogiveInternationalStudentsbasicinformationrelevanttotheirstatusasnon-U.S.citizens.Werecommendthatmatriculatinginternationalstudentsobtainthehandbookandmakereference to it throughout their stay at Georgia Tech. An International StudentOrientationisalsoofferedbyGeorgiaTechatthebeginningofeachsemester. Incomingstudents should contact the OIE office to confirm the exact date and details of theorientationeachyear.ImportantIssuesThe following are important issues that incoming International Students will likely beconfrontedwithbeforeregisteringforclassesatTech:(Excerptsfromthe"InternationalStudentHandbook")1. Health insurance: All international students are required to have a major medicalhealthandaccidentinsurancepolicythatmeetscertainminimumrequirementsfortheirentirestayintheUnitedStates.Ifyouarecoveredbyamajormedicalpolicythatdoesnotmeet these requirements (contact OIE office for details), or if you do not have majormedical insurance coverage, youwill be required to purchase the special Georgia TechHealth and Accident Insurance Policy. Georgia Tech is currently in the process ofdevelopingasystemwherebyallstudentswillautomaticallyreceivehealthcoverageoncethey have been accepted, but it remains the responsibility of each individual to ensuresufficient personal coverage. If you are already covered by amajormedical policy, youmustbringacopyofyourpolicy(andproofofyourcurrentcoverageunderthatpolicy)withyouwhenyoucometoTech.MedicalEntranceFormandTuberculosis(TB)Screening:Inyouracceptancepackage,youshould have aMedical Entrance Form and a Certificate of Immunization. Both of thesemustbecompletedandsubmittedtotheStudentHealthCenterbeforethedeadlinedateindicated on the Medical Entrance Form. The Certificate Of Immunization must bereviewedandsignedbyamedicalprovidershowingproofofyour immunitytomeasles,mumps, and rubella. All matriculating international students must also providedocumentation of TB screening prior to registration. Failure to complywith the abovecouldleadtodelayofregistration.ContacttheOIEofficeforalistofhealthdepartments

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andfamilyphysicianswhocanprovidetheseservicesforyou.2. SocialSecurityNumber(SSN):AnyonewhoearnswagesintheU.S.musthaveaSSN;thisnumber identifies eachpersonand themoney thatbelongs tohimorher.Non-U.S.citizens can also obtain a SSN as long as they have a job or a job offer (e.g., anassistantship).TheclosestSocialSecurityAdministrationOfficeis locatedat55MariettaSt (corner ofMarietta & Forsyth Streets). The telephone number of the Social SecurityOfficeis404-331-4155.YouwillberequiredtohavethefollowingdocumentswhenyouapplyforyourSSN:yourI-94form,yourpassport,yourI-20orIAP-66,andyourjobofferletterfromGeorgiaTech.TheSSNwillbemailedtoyouinapproximately2to6weeks,soyou'll want to start the process early. International students should obtain the latestupdates from the OIE office. Applications for the SSN are available at the InternationalStudentOrientation.3. EmploymentandScholarships:DonotplantoseekemploymentintheU.S.otherthangraduate research or teaching assistantships; it is illegal for either a F-1 or a J-1 non-immigrant to be employed outside the boundaries of Georgia Tech without specialpermissionfromtheOIEofficeortheImmigrationandNaturalizationService(INS).Onarelated issue, international students will not be permitted to begin employment asresearchorteachingassistantsbeforethefirstsemesterforwhichtheyareregistered(i.e.,if you want to start work during the summer, you must register for hours during thesummer semester). As well, non-U.S. citizens are not eligible for a number of U.S.scholarships that are made available to American graduate students (e.g., PresidentialScholarships,NIATraineeships). Studentsmaywant to pursue fundingopportunities intheir countryof origin prior tomoving toGeorgia.Note that evenwithinGeorgiaTech,internationalstudentsmaynotbepaidforworkingmorethan20hoursperweek.4. I-20/I-9:OnceyouhavebeenacceptedatGeorgiaTech,youwillreceiveanI-20form,whichenablesaninternationalstudenttoobtainanF-1(student)non-immigrantstatus.Itshouldbenoted that if youdidnot receive funding fromGeorgiaTech youwill need toprovideproofofsufficientfundspriortoreceivingtheI-20.YoushouldtakethisI-20formtotheU.S.consulateinyourcountryoforigintogetavisa,whichisnormallyared,blue,orgreen seal stamped onto a page of your passport. This sealwill give you permission toentertheUnitedStatesaspecifiednumberoftimesuntilaspecificdate,whichiswrittenontheseal.WhenyoucrosstheborderintotheU.S.forthefirsttime,youwillalsoreceiveanI-94form(anentrypermit),whichyoushouldkeepwithyourpassportatalltimes.YouwillalsoberequiredtofilloutanI-9form(whichisproofofyouridentity)onceyouarriveatTech.ItisveryimportantthatyoucontacttheOIEofficeonceyouarriveatGeorgiaTech to ensure that you have filled out all necessary forms correctly; this willminimizeyourchancesofevergettingintotroublewiththeINS.5. TravelOutsidetheU.S.:IfyouareplanningtoleavetheU.S.temporarilyforanyperiodof timeand if youhaveanF-1status, thenyoushouldgo totheOIEofficeandhave theDirectororAssociateDirectorsignyourI-20formonpage4.AlongwithavalidpassportandavalidU.S.visa,asignedI-20formwillletyoure-entertheU.S.Seethe"InternationalStudentHandbook"forhowtore-entertheU.S.whenyoudonothaveasignedI-20form.

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6. MinimumCourseHours:Withtheexceptionofsummersemester,itisveryimportantthat holders of F-1 and J-1 non-immigrant classifications remain in school at all timeswhentheyareintheU.S.InordertosatisfyINSregulations,F-1andJ-1graduatestudentsmust take12credithours,exceptbyapprovalofOIE.An internationalstudentdoesnothavethelibertytosimply"dropout"ofschoolforasemester;ingeneral,astudentmustbe enrolled full time for at least two consecutive semesters before s/he can take onesemesteroff(summersemester).SeeOIEofficefordetails.7. Taxes:IfyoureceivepermissiontoworkintheU.S.(thisincludesanassistantshipatGeorgiaTech),therearecertaintaxesonyourincomethatyoumustpaytoboththeU.S.governmentand to theStateofGeorgia.These taxesareautomaticallydeductedfromyourpaycheckbeforeitisissuedtoyou.Inmostcases,moremoneyistakenfromyour paycheck than the amount of tax you are supposed to pay (especially if yourcountryhasataxtreatywiththeU.S.).Therefore,attheendoftheyear,youmustfilean"incometaxreturn" inorder toget themoneybackyouwere"overcharged."TheOIE office has a number of tax information guides, tax forms, and phone numbersavailablethatyouwillneedwhenitcomestimetofileyourtaxreturn.TheOIEofficeoftenoffersataxseminarthatwillallowyoutoaskquestionsofaninternationaltaxspecialist. Take advantage of this opportunity, given that professional tax assistanceforaninternationalstudentoutsideofGeorgiaTechcanbefairlyexpensive(morethan$100).

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GUIDETOADMINISTRATIVESTEPSTOWARDSGRADUATIONTheInstituteexpectsthestudenttoapplytograduatethesemesterbeforetheywishtograduate.

Thedeadlinesandprocedurearepostedat:

http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/students/deginfo/dcprocess.php

GeorgiaTechemploysanOnlineApplicationforGraduation(OAG)forallitsstudents–both undergraduate and graduate. Students can login to OSCAR to submit theirapplication.

TheOAGisonlyopenduringsettimesforeachsemester’sgraduation,andeachsemesterwillhavetwoseparatewindows–onefornewapplicants,andoneforreapplicants.Newapplicantsaredefinedasstudentswhohaveneverappliedforthatspecificdegreebefore(note:theymayhaveappliedforotherdegreespreviously),andreapplicantsaredefinedasstudentswhoarereapplying for thesamedegreeagain. Ifanewapplicantdoesnotsatisfy all their degree requirements, then they will be a reapplicant for the nextsemester.

Tentativedatesforeachsemester’sOAGwindowareasfollows:

FallGraduation:

• NewWindow:May22–June15(ApplicationscanstillbesubmittedfromJune15-30,butwillincura$50lateapplicationfee)• ReapplicationWindow:August1–September15

SpringGraduation:

• NewWindow: September 17 – October 15 (Applications can still be submitted fromOctober16-31,butwillincura$50lateapplicationfee)• ReapplicationWindow:December1–January15

SummerGraduation:

• New Window: January 17 – February 15 (Applications can still be submitted fromFebruary16-28,butwillincura$50lateapplicationfee)• ReapplicationWindow:May1–May20

NotethatthereisnoSummerCommencementceremony.StudentsgraduatinginSummercantakepartintheFallCommencementceremony.

MastersstudentsmustALSOsubmitaProgramofStudyandChangeofMajorformtotheOfficeoftheRegistrarbythelastdayofthewindow.

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After the student’s application is submitted, Degree Certification will conduct threeaudits, while working and communicating with the student’s Advisor. Below is abreakdownofthetimingofthethreeaudits:

• FirstAudit–tobecompletedbytheendofPhaseIIregistration(newapplicationsonly)• SecondAudit–beganafterPhaseIIcloses,andcompletedmid-semester(NOTE:ifafterSecond Audit, there are deficiencies on your status that cannot be resolved with finalgrades (such as Low GPA), then you will be inactivated as a degree candidate, andrequiredtoreapplyforthenextsemester)

• InactivationDate–approximatelyonemonthbeforeCommencement (e.g., Spring2012InactivationDatewasscheduledforApril8)

• FinalAudit–TuesdayfollowingCommencement• DegreesAwarded–ThursdayfollowingCommencement

Animportantfinaldeadlineisthedeadlinefordefendingthedissertation(orthesis,asthe case may be). Deadlines are posted at:http://www.gradadmiss.gatech.edu/thesis/thesisdeadlines.php

Note that thesedeadlines are relatively early (e.g., forFall 2014, thedeadlinewasNov17).Alsonotethatthedeadlineappliestothedissertationdocumentitself.Thisrequiresthatthestudenthasincorporatedthechangessuggestedbyher/hisCommitteeaftertheoral defense. Therefore, it is advisable to schedule a defense date that is at least twoweeksbeforetheInstitute’sdeadline.

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GRIEVANCES IntroductionIn any organization, situations may arise in which some grievance, real or perceived,occurswithin theorganization. TheSchool of Psychology is no exception.ByprovidingthestudentwithinformationaboutproceduresandpoliciesoftheSchoolofPsychologyitishopedthattheresolutionofmanyproblemsmaybefacilitatedandsomeproblemsmayeven be prevented. According to the Georgia Tech FacultyHandbook "[feedback] fromstudents,whetherofapositiveornegativenature,shouldbeusedfortheimprovementoftheeducationalprogramsoftheInstitute."FirstStepItishopedthatanystudentwithagrievanceagainstaparticularfacultymemberwillfirstattempttoresolvetheissuewiththatfacultymember.ProcedureifFirstStepisUnsuccessfulorUndesiredHowever, if thematter cannot be resolved to the student's satisfaction, or if the studentelectstonotdirectlytalktothefacultymember,GeorgiaTechhasspecificproceduresforresolutionoftheconflict.Therefore,asasecondresort,thestudentcanvoiceacomplaintwith the School of Psychology Chair, or anymember of the Graduate Policy Committee,actingasanombudsperson.TheChairorombudswillthendiscussthecomplaintwiththefacultymember.Ifthecomplaintisdeterminedtohavemerit,aplanofactiontocorrectthecause of the complaint will be coordinated jointly between the Chair/ombuds and thefacultymember.Ifthestudentisnotsatisfiedwiththeproposedplanofactionproposed,he/shemaygotothenexthigheradministrativelevelforreview(theDean).

InstituteOmbudsOfficeThe Institute has an Ombuds Office for Graduate students (seehttp://provost.gatech.edu/reporting-units/faculty-graduate-student-ombuds-programs).Studentsshouldfeelfreetocontactthisofficewithanyconcerns.Theprocedureoutlinedabovedoesnotprecludethestudent fromdirectlyworkingwiththeOmbudsOfficeasafirststep,alastresort,oralongtheway.SexualHarassmentSexualharassmentofstudentsintheUniversitySystemisprohibitedandshallsubjecttheoffender to dismissal or other sanctions after compliance with procedural due processrequirements.PleaseseetheGeorgiaTechClassifiedEmployeeHandbook.

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ProblemSolvingApproachIt is hoped that anyperson, student or faculty, involved in adisputeor grievancewillappreciatethedelicatenatureofsuchmattersandconductthemselvesinamatureandresponsible manner. With this approach to problem solving, most issues can besuccessfullyreconciled.

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DEPARTMENTALCONTACTS

DepartmentChair:HowardWeiss

AssociateDepartmentChair:RichardCatrambone

The Chair and Associate Chair are responsible, among other things, for schedulingclasses,assigningTA-shipsandTAroles.

GraduateCoordinator:PaulVerhaeghen

TheGraduate Coordinator is responsible for rules andprocedures, signingmuchofstudents’paperwork,andChairingtheGraduatePolicyCommittee

GraduatePolicyCommittee:FrankDurso,JennySingleton,PaulVerhaeghen

GraduateAdministrativeAssistant:JanWestbrook

TheGraduateAdministrativeAssistant is the students’ first-in-line contact formostpaperwork.

A list of who-to-see-for-what can be found in the Resources portion of the School’swebsite(http://psychology.gatech.edu/resources/landing.php).