Course Description
The Psychology Capstone Course is a project which is a culmination of all Psychology courses taken. It is an opportunity to focus on a particular interest of the student, where he or she can explore and integrate their experience with the theories learned. In an eight-week, three credit course, PSY 499, each student will develop and outline a 30+ page paper for his or her capstone experience project. The project being proposed will be a scholarly research paper of creative, original work which may include a case study, or any other mode appropriate to the student's interest and experience.
Prerequisites
- Students must have completed most of their concentration courses and take this course in their last semester. Academic Counselor approval is required to register.
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- ENG 102: English Composition 2
- PSY 101: Psychology
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Demonstrate a core of knowledge of the different domains of psychology as well as the content and methods specific to those areas. This includes, but is not limited to, such domains as cognitive, behavioral, physiological, humanistic, social, and developmental.
- Solve problems by applying previous knowledge to a new problem, and distinguishing between psychobabble and scientific findings.
- Write about psychological topics with clarity and logical organization.
- Synthesize information from primary and secondary sources using print and electronic media.
- Understand psychological phenomena both systematically and empirically.
General Education Outcomes (GEOs)
Please check the applicable GEOs for this course, if any, by outcomes at GEO Category Search, or by subject area at GEO Discipline Search.
Course Activities and Grading
Assignments | Weight |
Proposal (Week 2) | 4% |
Three drafts of capstone project (Weeks 3, 4 & 6) | 21% |
Final Capstone Project (Week 8) | 35% |
Discussions | 40% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak's online bookstore
Moore Howard, Rebecca. Writing Matters. 2nd ed. McGraw Hill, 2014. ISBN-10: 0-07-750597-2 or ISBN-13: 978-0-07-750597-4
It's a great reference handbook and includes a section on APA documentation.
Additional Resources
- Optional but recommended: a General Psychology Textbook
- If you need information about APA style (which is the writing format for Psychology papers), here are websites that you can use as a guide: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ and http://www.apastyle.org/learn/index.aspx
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 1,2,3 |
|
|
2 | 2,3 |
|
|
3 | 4,5 |
|
|
4 | 2-4 |
|
|
5 | 7 |
|
|
6 | 9,10 |
|
|
7 | 11,12 |
|
|
8 | 7 |
|
|
COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.