Deborah S. Briihl et al.
228
available to psychology majors, and describe the skills expected of competitive candidates
for graduate programs in psychology. In identifying the courses required to complete a
degree with a major in psychology, students create a clear road map for the courses they
should take in the upcoming years of upper division work. Because the decision to major
in psychology can be considered as a short-term university career, students identify the
skills needed for success as a student majoring in psychology. Students also complete
course modules that establish a foundation for thinking skills that they will develop fur-
ther during completion of the major. These skills include using library databases, evaluat-
ing resources in the psychological literature, writing clearly using the rudiments of APA
style and the rhetoric of scientific writing (e.g., making arguments based on evidence
rather than opinion), and articulating and adhering to ethical behavior both as a student
(academic integrity) and in the profession of psychology (research and professional ethics).
Students also identify the offices and support services on campus that will assist them in
developing these skills. Thus students in this course must evaluate their academic skill in
light of the level of skill required for success in the major, identify areas of strengths and
deficits for a career in psychology, set goals and plan for the acquisition and development
of specific skills, and regulate this process over time.
By establishing basic critical thinking and other academic skills early in the major,
students should be better prepared for activities and assignments in advanced courses that
will develop and refine these skills. Finally, students should select courses and engage in
cocurricular activities that will develop skills important for succeeding as an undergraduate
and assist them as they seek employment or admission to a graduate program. Students
who are interested in graduate study in psychology should benefit from an early and clear
understanding of the skills they ought to master during their undergraduate years and be
able to describe how acquiring these skills can impact their potential success beyond their
undergraduate years.
Thus the careers course focuses on many student learning outcomes related to critical
thinking, self-regulation, and study skills that should contribute to successful completion
of the undergraduate major and long-term success in the field of psychology. Improved
decision making about the major should be reflected in students making wiser choices
when selecting courses and pursuing active engagement in cocurricular experiences to
achieve long-term goals such as admission to a graduate program or gaining employment
following completion of the bachelor’s degree.
Evaluation of the Impact of the Careers in Psychology Course
The course includes a pretest and posttest self-report measure of knowledge of the major
requirements and skills associated with the psychology major (Psychology Major
Questionnaire, PMQ), a pretest and posttest Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale
Short Form (CDMSE-SF; Betz & Taylor, 2006), and a course evaluation survey. The
PMQ is comprised of 25 Likert-style items that request self-reports of skill on student
learning outcomes associated with the course and commitment to complete a major in
psychology. The PMQ included several items adapted from the self-assessment survey cre-
ated by Landrum and Davis (2003).