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Eberly College of Arts & Sciences Department of Psychology
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Psychology Capstone

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The Psychology Capstone Experience is intended to provide the psychology student with an intensive exploration into an aspect (e.g., teaching, service, research) and area (e.g., clinical, developmental, behavior analysis, behavioral neuroscience) of psychology as a means for enhancing learning and integrating the knowledge and experiences acquired as a psychology major.

Experiential learning experiences are critically important for baccalaureate graduates of Psychology to be competitive for graduate or professional programs or to seek employment. One goal of the Capstone requirement is that the student will become well-rounded professionally.  

The capstone must be completed within the 12 months prior to graduation.

There are 5 types of Psychology Capstone courses.

Selecting a Capstone

Start with what you want to do after you graduate. Your capstone can be used to help you develop the valued skills necessary for that next step related to your career path.

  • Mental Health

    Students interested in an applied area of mental health, like Counseling or Social Work, should prioritize a PSYC 491A capstone.

  • Research or Medicine

    Students interested in careers involving research or medicine should plan on completing several semesters of research with a faculty member, culminating in a PSYC 495A, PSYC 498A, or PSYC 487 capstone.

  • Behavior Analysis

    Students interested in careers in Behavior Analysis, and all those pursuing the undergraduate Certificate in Behavior Analysis should complete a PSYC 486 or PSYC 487 capstone.

  • Human Resources or Business

    Students interested in careers in Human Resources or Business should consider a PSYC 491A capstone.

  • Education

    Students planning to pursue a career in education should complete with a PSYC 490A or PSYC 491A capstone.

Capstone Requirements

Students must have completed PSYC 204 – Research Methods and Analysis II and be in their last year of study before they will be allowed to register for a capstone experience.

Credits: Capstone courses are necessarily 3 credits. Each credit will equate to 3 hours a week of activity in Fall or Spring semesters. Therefore, students should expect to complete 9 hours of activity a week during their capstone semester. If a student is completing a capstone over the 12-week summer session, they should expect to spend at least 12 hours a week engaged in their capstone work.

Project: As a requirement of their Capstone Experience, students complete a capstone project. The nature of the project will vary based on the type of capstone. For example, a PSYC 491A capstone project might be a case study of a particular child or adult at your site. A PSYC 495A capstone project would be completing a research study under the supervision of their faculty supervisor. The project will culminate in a 10-page paper and presentation of a professional paper at the department Capstone Poster Session.

Poster: At the end of the fall and spring semesters, the Department of Psychology hosts a Capstone Poster Session. At this event, all students completing their capstone requirements will produce a professional poster, with the supervision of their supervising faculty, and have their poster evaluated by members of the Department of Psychology. This is one of the most exciting and fun events of the semester. Students in their earlier years are encouraged to attend this poster session. Some PSYC courses may offer extra credit for attending this event.

ACAT: Around mid-semester, all Capstone students must complete the ACAT, a standardized assessment of psychology content.

PSYC 490A: Teaching Capstone

Students completing the PSYC 490A capstone will be involved in proctoring, tutoring, and depending on the course, lecturing or leading in-class activities and discussions. Students will complete a research or equivalent study on issues related to teaching/pedagogy.

This capstone can benefit those students who want to develop their presentational skills, tutoring skills, and are interested in examining topics related to pedagogy, student success, or other topics.

To arrange a PSYC 490A experience, email course supervisors for PSYC 101, PSYC 241, PSYC 251, or another course 1) that you find interesting and 2) in which you earned an A. Find out if that faculty has GPA requirements for their Teaching Practicum students. Some students will reach out a year in advance to secure their spot as a Teaching Practicum student with a faculty. These opportunities can be limited. Once approved to set up a PSYC 490A, you and the faculty member fill out a contract and once this is done, you will send this contract to our Undergraduate Records Assistant. After that, you will be allowed to register for the course.

PSYC 491: Field Experience

Please review the PSYC 491 page for more information about field experience options. 

Student completing the PSYC 491A capstone option will be expected to work at a site for 9 hours a week in Fall or Spring semesters or 12 hours a week if completed over the summer session. Sites can be related to treatment of addictions, persons with autism spectrum disorders or neurodivergence, human resources, psychological testing, and many other areas of interest to students. Students will also meet weekly with their PSYC 491A faculty and GTA to complete work on eCampus.

Most Psychology majors complete this capstone option. It is beneficial for allowing students to gain practical experiences and develop skills valued by employers and many graduate programs. This is a popular capstone choice for students considering careers in Counseling or Clinical Mental Health.

Plan this at least year in advance. Check the due dates for the application and related forms. The application is usually due by the 4 th week of the previous semester. The steps setting up a Professional Field Experience will also include having a background check completed before a student can register for credits. 

PSYC 486: Behavior Analysis Field Experience

Like PSYC 491A, student completing the PSYC 486 capstone option will be expected to work at a site for 9 hours a week in Fall or Spring semesters or 12 hours a week if completed over the summer session. The difference is that the site will be specifically focus on applications of behavior analysis, allowing students to use the PSYC 486 course to meet the experiential requirements for the undergraduate Certificate in Behavior Analysis as well as the Psychology major capstone.

Contact Dr. Brennan Armshaw ( brennan.armshaw@mail.wvu.edu ) well in advance of the semester in which you wish to enroll. Spaces in PSYC 487 are limited.

PSYC 495A, PSYC 498A, or PSYC 487: Research

Students completing a research capstone are typically completing advanced research training in a faculty research lab within the Department of Psychology. Students may have already developed foundational skills in that faculty research lab from previously completing PSYC 497 or PSYC 487 credits. Students may be involved in recruiting, collecting data or coding data, running additional analyses, and assisting in manuscript writing.

PSYC 495A is a research capstone. PSYC 498A is an Honor’s thesis. PSYC 487 involves research in behavior analysis.

Students will develop important research skills and may engage in professional experiences, such as presenting research at colloquia and professional meetings. Students will be working with graduate students and often enjoy important mentoring as they prepare for jobs or graduate programs after they graduate.

Contact faculty members whose research interests you (using the Faculty Directory or Research page as a resource) to learn more about that person’s specific requirements.

PSYC 498A: Honors Thesis

This program is distinct from the Honors College. Students do not need to be members of the Honors College to engage in this capstone option.

Completing a PSYC 498A Honors Thesis generally requires 2 semesters. During the first semester, students typically register for the non-capstone section of PSYC 498. Then during the second semester, students will register for the Capstone section of PSYC 498A. Faculty often require that the student work in their lab for PSYC 497 credit previously. PSYC 498 positions are primarily available in the fall and spring semesters. However, some faculty members will work with students completing a PSYC 498A Capstone Experience during the summer.

In this option, students create a 3-person Honors Thesis committee, usually made up of their supervising faculty member, a second faculty member from outside the lab, and a graduate student. Honors Thesis students develop their own study, propose the study to their Honors Thesis committee, carry out the study, write up their findings, and then defend their study to their committee at the conclusion. As with other capstone students, Honors Thesis students will write a research paper and present their poster at the Department of Psychology Senior Poster Session. Most Honors Thesis papers are “manuscript quality,” that is, the student and the faculty may plan to submit the paper to a professional journal.

With the experience of forming a committee, proposing and defending the research, presenting the research and perhaps seeking a publication, students completing this capstone option are developing skills and experiences that will allow them to be competitive at the highest levels.

Students interested in the PSYC 498A Honors Capstone Experience should discuss this with their research faculty supervisor and their major advisor. A completed and approved PSYC 498 Application, an overall GPA of 3.4 and a Psychology GPA of at least 3.5 are required to apply for the Honors Capstone. Related application and contract forms are provided by the student’s major advisor.  

Setting up a Capstone course will require the approval of the application, completion of a contract (and any other related materials) and submitting form(s) to the Undergraduate Student Records Administrator, Vee Lewis ( vee.lewis@mail.wvu.edu). Vee Lewis will lift the departmental approval restriction to allow students to enroll in their experiential course.