Many students are interested in working as a research assistant in a Psychology lab to develop the skills and knowledge they need for the next steps in their careers, whether those involve direct entry into the workforce or continuing their educational journey in graduate or professional school. There are several options available to students in our department and all require faculty approval in advance. Listed below are what students typically choose:
1. Volunteering
This is the least formal option, where students volunteer their time as research assistants in a Psychology lab under the supervision of a faculty member for a limited time.
2. Research Experience for course credit
There are several for-credit options where students may register for variable credit (typically 1 to 3) under the supervision of a SLU psychology faculty member. This option requires faculty approval and possibly other levels of approval.
3. Capstone Research Options
Capstone Research options are completed during students' Junior or Senior year. These require students to engage in research projects under the supervision of a faculty member. For the independent research capstone option (PSY4967), students may only register after receiving faculty approval. Please discuss with your psychology faculty mentor or your research lab supervisor well in advance of the semester within which you wish to complete this experience.
The Advanced Research Methodology and Statistics (PSY 4840) course serves as a research capstone course for only BS students. This is part of a year-long capstone experience where students work in teams to carry out a research study under the supervision of the course instructor. This course must be taken in direct sequence with PSY 4060 and thus requires a year-long commitment.
For more course details, please visit the SLU Course Catalog.
You have many different options for getting started in research. Students need not be Psychology majors to be research assistants. Please note that faculty have different requirements for their research lab assistants, ranging from requiring minimal experience and others will have specific requirements (e.g., must have completed research methods courses, have specialized skills, or are advanced students). In order to discover if there are openings or a good fit, we have several suggestions to help you get started:
1. Set up a meeting to discuss research opportunities with your Psychology Faculty Mentor. Your Psychology faculty mentor will be knowledgeable about ongoing projects and research interests of many faculty and graduate students.
2. Browse the SLU Psychology research lab information sites.
2a. We have compiled a list of labs that have indicated they typically have positions for undergraduate students to become involved here
2b. You may also visit the SLU Psychology Faculty page and learn more about there interests here or visit the Psychology research lab page here. Faculty members are accustomed to receiving messages from students interested in working with them in their labs, so do not hesitate to contact them. When you contact faculty about their research lab, be sure to let them know why you have selected their lab.
3. Talk with a Psychology course instructor whose research program align with your interests. Sometimes the best collaborative partnerships arise from the coincidental enrollment of a student in a class with an instructor with matching interests.
4. Attend research assistant recruitment events hosted by SLU's chapter of Psi Chi (the Psychology honor society). SLU's Psi Chi chapter hosts numerous events throughout the year that are open to non-members (and even non-majors). Visit their website to see a listing of upcoming events.
5. Of course, word-of-mouth is another way to discover opportunities to work in Psychology labs. Talk with fellow Psychology students and see if any of them know of lab openings or have recommendations that might suit your interests.