Texas A&M University—Central Texas
Department of Psychology and Counseling
PSYK 588-120 Course Outline
Spring 2013
Course: Thesis
CRN: 22998
Class Times: As Required
Location: KNCAM
Secretary: Ms. Barbara Peek
(254) 501-5879
Professor: Richard K. Yeager, PhD
(254) 519-5775
Office: 302N
Office Hours: M/W: 3:00 – 5:30
T/Th: 2:00 – 3:30
(or by appointment)
E-mail: r.yeager@ct.tamus.edu
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Required Texts:
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. (ISBN: 978-1433805615)
Texas A&M University-Central Texas, Office of Graduate Studies & Research (n.d.). Thesis manual.
Retrieved from http://www.ct.tamus.edu/files/studentforms/ThesisManual.pdf
Texas A&M University-Central Texas, Department of Psychology and Counseling Experimental
Psychology Program (n.d.). Procedures for preparing a thesis proposal and selecting a master’s
committee.
A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from a universityaffiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer,
including an online retailer.
Catalogue Course Description
Scheduled when the student is ready to begin the thesis. No credit until the thesis is completed. This
course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to use systematic research methods and
appropriate tools of inquiry to thoroughly investigate a psychological problem or issue. Students must
follow the Master's Thesis Manual provided by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.
Prerequisites
Completion of all other coursework required for the degree or consent of the major professor.
Course Objectives/Intended Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
Course objectives and content will be covered through the creation of an original research project that will
be completed in two phases. The student will present the results of a systematic investigative process. The
student under the guidance of a faculty advisor will utilize sound research methods for the social sciences.
Student will be responsible for the following activities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Prepare and propose, in writing, an original research project using a quantitative research design
Conduct data collection according to the research proposal
Analyze, interpret and prepare findings of the study according to the research proposal
Report the findings of the study as a formal oral presentation to the student’s Thesis committee
Course Requirements
Independent study with days and times for meetings scheduled throughout the semester. All components
of the research project will be submitted/completed according to the course calendar.
Grading System
Grading for the Thesis will be based on a pass/fail grading system in accordance with the policies and
procedures outlined in the Graduate Studies and Master’s Thesis Manuals.
Assignments*
Completed Thesis
Task 8: IRB Protocol Completed and Submitted
Task 9: Data Collection, Analysis, and Discussion/Implications
Task 10: Initial Draft of Completed Thesis Project Paper
Task 11: Final Thesis Project Paper
Task 12: Final Thesis Defense Meeting with Committee (must be scheduled a
minimum of 2 weeks in advance)
Task 13: Final Thesis Paper Edits to Chair
Task 14: Complete Thesis Approval Forms and Forward to AVP Graduate Studies
and Research
Task 15: Prepare All Thesis Materials for Publication (UMI)
Task 16: Provide the University (and Department?) 1(2) Bound Copy(ies) of
Thesis (also need a CD with all the properly formatted Thesis (includes all
components)
*Professor reserves the right to amend this syllabus at any time.
Due Dates
(not later than)
1/31/14
2/15/14
2/24/14
3/3/14
3/7/14
3/10/14
3/15/14
4/15/14
4/15
Grading Rubric
Please note that grades for this class are not ‘given’; they are earned. Students earn points by actively
utilizing course content and by demonstrating their grasp of subject-matter content on written assignments
and quizzes. Grades are determined based on the percentage of points earned on each assignment and the
assignment’s weight toward the overall course grade. (To calculate your overall grade to date, multiply
the percentage of points earned for each assignment by the ‘Percentage of Overall Grade for Each
Assignment’ above, then sum all points earned.)
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
University Definition
Excellent
Good
Fair
Passing
Failing
Course Definition
Exceptional
Above Average
Average
Unsatisfactory
Failure
Percentage
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
59 or below
Drop Policy
Catalog
“A student desiring to drop a course should follow this procedure: 1) secure a drop form and instructions
from the Registrar’s Office; 2) proceed to academic advisor and obtain his/her signature; 3) return the
form to the Registrar’s Office. The elapsed time for this procedure shall not exceed one calendar week.
The effective date of dropping a course is the date the form is returned to the Registrar’s Office. Note:
The student should attend the class until this procedure is completed to avoid penalty for absences. The
last day for dropping courses is identified in the University Calendar (University Catalog 2011-2012).
Course
Professors cannot drop students from a class. Dropping a course is the responsibility of the student.
Should a student miss the deadline for dropping a course or fail to follow the stated procedure for
dropping the course, that student will receive an ‘F’ in the course. Refer to the University Catalog
effective during the student’s initial enrollment for limits on the number of courses a student can drop.
Academic Honesty
Catalog: “TAMUCT expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct.
Students guilty of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes,
but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the
abuse of resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of
academic dishonesty that occurs in his/her class. The student handbook and Student Affairs website
contain more information” (University Catalog 2011-2012). More information can be found at
www.ct.tamus.edu/departments/student-affairs/student-conduct.php
Academic Integrity Statement
Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of personal and
scholarly conduct. Students found responsible of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work,
plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for
initiating action for each case of academic dishonesty and report the incident to the Associate Director of
Student Conduct. More information can be found at
http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/studentconduct/facultyresources.php.
Course
Academic integrity will be upheld to the highest standards in this course, and the harshest disciplinary
actions for violations will be enforced. If evidence of academic dishonesty exist, the professor will confer
personally with the student, inform the department chair of a suspected incident of academic dishonesty,
place a letter of notification in the student’s file, and assign an ‘F’ for the assignment and/or course to the
student. If you are unsure what acts constitute academic dishonesty, ask the professor before
engaging in the behavior.
Disability Support and Access
If you have or believe you have a disability and wish to self-identify, you can do so by providing
documentation to the Disability Support Coordinator. Students are encouraged to seek
information about accommodations to help assure success in their courses. Please contact
Vanessa Snyder at (254) 501-5836 or visit Founder's Hall 114. Additional information can be
found at http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/disabilitysupport/index.php.
Tutoring
Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects tutored
include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing (APA). Tutors are available at
the Tutoring Center in Founder's Hall, Room 204, and also in the Library in the North Building.
Visit www.ct.tamus.edu/AcademicSupport and click "Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and
contact info. If you have questions, need to schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in
becoming a tutor, contact Academic Support Programs at 254-501-5830 or by emailing
cecilia.morales@ct.tamus.edu.
Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for almost any subject on your computer! Tutor.com is an online
tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive FREE online tutoring
and writing support. This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, Career Writing,
Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. To access Tutor.com, click on
www.tutor.com/tamuct.
Library Services
Information Literacy focuses on research skills that prepare individuals to live and work in an
information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the development of critical reasoning,
ethical use of information, and the appropriate use of secondary research techniques including exploring
information resources such as library collections and services, identifying sources such as subject
databases and scholarly journals, executing effective search strategies, retrieving, recording, and citing
relevant results correctly, and interpreting search results and deciding whether to expand the search.
Library Resources are outlined and accessed through the web page:
http://www.tarleton.edu/centraltexas/departments/library/