Junior Qualifying Exam
All students must complete the Junior Qualifying Examination before entering their senior year. This exam is ordinarily taken in the second semester of the student’s junior year. Students are eligible to take the qualifying exam in our department only if they have already completed five units in psychology, including PSY 348 and at least one core course (see ). In the psychology qualifying exam, students are asked to summarize and evaluate a research article by answering questions about key concepts, research design, data analysis, and interpretation.
The qualifying exam is administered as a sit-down, in-person assessment at the beginning of each semester. The article on which the exam questions are based is provided to students in advance of the exam. Students with disability accommodations should communicate with the exam administrators well before the exam date to arrange implementation of their accommodations.
Students who do not demonstrate proficiency in skills assessed by the exam may be asked to retake portions of the exam at a second administration at the end of the semester, answering questions on a new research article. If proficiency is not evidenced at the next administration, the student will have failed the exam. Students must have passed the qualifying exam before registering for the senior thesis. Note: Interdisciplinary programs generally require taking a qualifying exam from each participating discipline or a single special qualifying exam prepared by the two departments.
The exam is assessed according to the learning competencies outlined in the table below. After all exams have been graded, the department meets to discuss student performance.
Competencies
Competencies students must possess to pass the junior qualifying exam:
| Competency Area | Specific Learning Objective |
|---|---|
|
Knowledge Base in Psychology |
Demonstrate broad understanding of subject area and working knowledge of appropriate terminology Identify alternative interpretations in target articles Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice |
|
Research Skills & Critical Thinking |
Deconstruct an empirical article by identifying the topic, research question, hypotheses, variables, design, sample characteristics, procedure, key results, and conclusions Understand statistical analyses in the target article Evaluate the target article by considering generalizability, design limitations, and/or future directions Retakes: respond appropriately to constructive feedback and tutoring |
|
Communication: Written Expression |
Demonstrate proofreading Refine clear and concise scientific writing style Critically analyze existing literature Present ideas in a logical structure Convey coherent ideas to non-experts Strike an appropriate balance between too much and too little detail Demonstrate application of APA style or scientific equivalent |