The Department of Psychology offers unique educational opportunities through the Internship and Independent Study programs.

Please note: For students majoring in psychology, internship and independent study courses can be taken as electives only and will not count towards the required 12 hours of upper division courses in psychology. Refer to the undergraduate catalog.

Independent Study Program

  • The Independent Study Program is an opportunity to earn course credit by working on a research project with a faculty member in psychology. This experience offers the chance to sharpen your research skills, gain hands-on research experience and offers valuable faculty mentorship.
  • Students interested in independent study should view the research areas for psychology faculty to decide which faculty members they would like to work with, then contact each faculty member directly.
  • Independent Study Course Form

Internship Program

The Internship Program enables students to receive course credit for supervised experience in an applied Psychology setting. Placements include both social service and research settings. Students must have a minimum 3.0 overall GPA to be eligible for an internship.

Students in the Psychology Department who would like further information about internship opportunities should contact Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill.

Note: A criminal background check may be a requirement during the semesters in which a student enrolls in internships. It is the responsibility of the student to determine if his or her criminal history background will present a problem before applying for admission to the program. Students with problematic criminal history will not be able to complete most of the field-experiences that are required by the program.

Acknowledgment of Criminal Background Check

Department Honors Program

The Department Honors Program provides the opportunity for certain outstanding students for advanced study under close faculty supervision.

The selection of students for honors designation is based on the student’s academic performance and recommendation by the faculty in the student’s major discipline.

To be eligible for the program, students must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 at UTSA and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in their major at UTSA. The minimum GPAs must be maintained for students to receive the approval of the Department Honors Committee and the discipline faculty.

Students applying for Department Honors are expected to enroll in the appropriate honors thesis course during their final two semesters. The completed thesis must be approved by the supervising faculty sponsor and another department faculty member.

Mary McNaughton-Cassill, Ph.D.

Contact

Mary McNaughton-Cassill, Ph.D.

Professor, Distinguished Teaching Professor

Psychology

mary.mcnaughtoncassill@utsa.edu