How to Enroll in Individual Research Courses

Follow the steps below to enroll in Psychology Individual Research Courses, such as PSYCH 299, 396, 398, 496, and/or 498.

    1. Refer to the Individual Research page or the University of Alberta Academic Calendar to ensure that you understand what will be expected of you and that you have completed the necessary prerequisites.
    2. Consult the Department of Psychology's Research Labs page and read through the descriptions of the labs that interest you to gain an understanding of their research focus and the current research they are conducting.
    3. Identify a lab you would like to assist with the research being conducted and contact the faculty member - via email - to discuss the possibility of completing a PSYCH individual research or study course for credit. Include the following in your correspondence:
      • Your name and student information, including your faculty and degree program.
      • What intrigues you about the lab's research.
        It is a good idea to select more than one lab when hoping to enroll in an Individual Research course, as space is limited. It is advisable to direct your correspondence to the faculty member.
    4. Once you have the approval from a faculty member to complete be supervised in a lab, you will need to fill out the Psychology Individual Research Registration Form.

External Supervisor:

As you want to enroll and receive credit in a Psychology course, you will need a Psychology Faculty member to support you - even if you would like to work with a faculty member from a different department as an external supervisor. While this is possible, you must also have a Department of Psychology faculty member sponsor the research. You must first receive supervision approval from the external faculty member and then request sponsor approval from a Department of Psychology faculty member. Finally, you need to complete the online Psychology Individual Research Registration Form and receive approval from the external supervisor and a Department of Psychology sponsor.