Advising and General Info All psychology majors with more than 24 semester hours of college course work are advised within the department. Advising within the Psychology Department is separated into two distinct functions: advising for course selection/registration and advising for long-term academic and career planning. Advising for course registration is done in Small Group Advising sessions during the periods surrounding Fall and Spring early registration. All psychology majors are assigned an individual faculty adviser and are encouraged to meet with their faculty adviser to discuss their long-term plans. Students can find a number of resource materials for course and career planning in the information rack and on the bulletin board outside of the Academic Coordinator's office (E24 SSH). The Academic Coordinator and Psychology Peer Advisers maintain walk-in advising hours to assist students on course and career planning. Although students are encouraged to seek faculty advice and assistance in planning their academic programs, formal responsibility for meeting University and Departmental requirements rests with the student. Psychology Peer Advisers Each semester a group of junior and senior psychology majors are selected to serve as Psychology Peer Advisers. Psychology Peer Advisers volunteer their time to help the Academic Coordinator with undergraduate advising. Peer Advisers receive academic credit for their participation in the Peer Adviser Seminar. Activities of the Psychology Peer Advisers include: (1) meeting with prospective psychology majors during campus visit days such as Scholars Day, Hawkeye Visit Days, and orientation for freshmen and transfer students; and (2) meeting with current psychology majors during walk-in advising hours to answer questions regarding specific courses and instructors, degree requirements, career planning, and planning for graduate school. See the Academic Coordinator for more information on the Psychology Peer Adviser program. Waiting List Policies for the Psychology Department There are many more students seeking enrollment in some Psychology courses than can be reasonably accommodated. Your name has been added to a waiting list for a course in the Department of Psychology. Please be aware that being on a waiting list does not assure eventual enrollment in the course. As a student on a waiting list you must attend the class and a discussion section. check your e-mail after 5pm every day once the semester has begun. Your name will be removed from the waiting list for the following reasons Non-attendance of class Non-attendance of discussion section At your request If there is an opening in the class you will be notified by e-mail. You will have until 3:00 pm the next day to “claim” the spot. If you fail to do so, it will be offered to the next student on the list. Since you will be notified of course openings, there is no need for you to check with the Psychology office NOTE: Students on the waiting list can only be added to the class AFTER the first day of classes. Openings in the class between the end of pre-registration and the beginning of classes are available on ISIS. Therefore, you should continue checking ISIS during the period between the end of pre-registration and the beginning of classes. If you do get into the class via ISIS, please inform Joyce Paul (335-2450 or joyce-paul@uiowa.edu) to remove your name from the waiting list. NOTE : Although attendance in class is required to stay on the waiting list, it does not guarantee a spot in the class.

Iowa Students Psychology Association (ISPA) The Department of Psychology supports an undergraduate student organization, formed in 1983, to advance the study of the science of psychology. ISPA has an office in room G34 SLP with information on careers and graduate study in psychology. All psychology majors are urged to become active in ISPA and attend the sponsored activities. ISPA programs have included evening discussions about graduate study in psychology, workshops on careers in psychology, and the annual research symposium held in the spring. Students can learn of ISPA activities through the Psychology Peer Advisers. Psi Chi The University of Iowa chapter of Psi Chi, the national honorary society in psychology, was established in 1984. To be eligible for membership a student must: (a) be a psychology major; (b) complete at least 9 hours of psychology; and (c) meet both overall and psychology GPA standards. Students interested in joining Psi Chi should inquire at the Academic Coordinator or Peer Adviser office. Minors A minor requires 15 semester hours of credit in psychology with a grade point average of at least 2.0. At least 12 semester hours must be completed in the Department of Psychology at the University of Iowa. Departmental prerequisite rules apply to all students. Specifically, a statistics course, a research methods course and the appropriate lower-level elective prior to enrolling in upper level electives is required. Students must inform the Registrar's Office of their desire to have a minor listed on their transcript at the time of applying for a degree. Students may elect to pursue either a broad or focused Psychology minor. Broad Psychology Minor - offers a broad background in Psychology and an introduction to many of the different areas of specialization within the field of Psychology. Students complete Elementary Psychology and four other Psychology courses (not upper-level courses). Example plan of study: 31:001, 31:012, 31:013, 31:015, 31:016 Focussed Psychology Minor - offers a focused coursework within a specialized area of Psychology. For example- a student may choose to focus on Developmental Psychology which requires completion of Elementary Psychology, statistics, a research methods course, 1-2 lower-level (teen level) courses, and 1-2 upper level courses. Example plan of study: 31:001, 31:043 (requires completion of 22S:025), 31:014, 31:115 (31:014 is prerequisite), 31:118 (31:014 is prerequisite).