Psychology (PSYC) 419

Overview

PSYC 419: Mentored Research in Psychology provides a thesis-equivalent, mentored research training experience in the psychological sciences. Students work one-on-one with an approved faculty supervisor to design, conduct, analyze, and disseminate an independent research project embedded within an active professional research program. The course replicates the structure and expectations of an Honours thesis and is designed to prepare students for graduate-level study and research-intensive careers.

Across the eight-month academic year (January–August), students engage in the full research cycle, including project development, ethical considerations, data collection or analysis (as appropriate), scholarly writing, and professional dissemination. In addition to completing a substantial research manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal, students produce professional research outputs such as a conference abstract, a poster and oral presentation, and a graduate-level funding proposal (e.g., Canada Graduate Scholarships–Master’s [CGS-M] format).

PSYC 419 is open exclusively to students enrolled in the 3- or 4-year BA Psychology program at Athabasca University, and it is normally completed during the final year of study. Prior to registration, students must secure an Athabasca University Psychology faculty member who has agreed to supervise the project. Projects must align with the supervisor’s established research program. While the project topic does not need to match the student’s intended graduate research area, students are expected to commit to a topic that sustains their engagement across the intensive January–August timeline.

The course is delivered in a paced, cohort-based format from January to August. Structured deadlines align with major academic milestones, including the April CGS-M competition cycle and an August research symposium featuring formal oral presentations. In addition to independent research work, students participate in professional development activities focused on research ethics, academic writing, responsible use of AI tools, and knowledge mobilization through structured engagement with community or industry partners.

PSYC 419 represents the most advanced undergraduate research experience within the Psychology program and is intended for students seeking rigorous preparation for graduate study.

Application Process

PSYC 419 is a permission-based course that requires substantial advance preparation. Students intending to begin PSYC 419 in January are strongly encouraged to begin planning and contacting potential faculty supervisors by June and no later than September.

Before applying to PSYC 419, students must secure an eligible Athabasca University Psychology faculty member who has agreed to supervise their research project for the full January–August academic year. Students should work with their proposed supervisor to identify a project that aligns with the supervisor’s established research program and can reasonably be completed within the eight-month course timeline.

The completed PSYC 419 Registration Application Form must be submitted to both Course Coordinators, Faria Sana (fsana@athabascau.ca) and Kharah Ross (kharahr@athabascau.ca), no later than November 1 preceding the January course start.

The integrated application form includes:

• Project synopsis (maximum 500 words): A concise description of the proposed research question or objective, its relationship to the supervisor’s research program, the proposed methodology, a brief January–August timeline, and the feasibility of completing the project within the course timeline.
• Faculty Supervisor Declaration: Confirmation that the supervisor has reviewed the application; agrees to supervise the student for the full academic year; confirms the project’s alignment, feasibility, and ethics pathway; and will support the student’s scholarly and Knowledge Mobilization (KM) / Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) requirements (see below).
• Community or industry partner preparation: An interested partner or at least one potential partner identified jointly with the faculty supervisor. Students must not contact prospective organizations without their supervisor’s approval.

• Student Declaration: Confirmation that the application is complete and accurate and that the student understands the course expectations, admission process, and formal registration requirement.

Submitting an application does not guarantee admission to PSYC 419. Applications are reviewed by the course coordinators for eligibility, project feasibility, availability of appropriate supervision, and alignment with course requirements. Incomplete forms will not be reviewed. Coordinator approval does not enroll a student in the course; approved students must still complete formal registration through Athabasca University. The registration period for paced courses beginning in January is from October 14–December 10.

Complete the PSYC 419 Registration Application Form, including the student and faculty supervisor declarations, before submitting it to the course coordinators.

Faculty Supervision

Students must secure their own faculty supervisor before applying to PSYC 419. Supervisors must be Athabasca University Psychology faculty members with appropriate research expertise and supervisory experience. Faculty members outside Psychology are not eligible to supervise PSYC 419.

The research project must align with the supervisor’s established area of research expertise and research program. Because PSYC 419 involves intensive one-on-one mentorship, individual faculty members may supervise a maximum of two PSYC 419 students per academic year.

Research Project Requirements

PSYC 419 projects are embedded within the faculty supervisor’s active research program and must be appropriately scoped for completion between January and August.

Projects may involve original data collection, participation in an ongoing research project, or analysis of an existing dataset, provided that the student has intellectual ownership of a clearly defined research question and makes a substantive contribution to the research.

Projects must be methodologically sound, ethically approved, and feasible within the course timeline. Where possible, students are encouraged to work with existing datasets or established research projects and recruitment pipelines so that sufficient time remains for analysis, interpretation, scholarly writing, and dissemination.

Knowledge Mobilization and Work-Integrated Learning

PSYC 419 includes a required Knowledge Mobilization (KM) / Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experience embedded in the student’s research project. Students work with an approved community or industry partner to explore the real-world relevance of their research and translate their findings into an accessible KM product.

Partner engagement is advisory rather than a placement or internship. Students will complete two structured partner interactions across the academic year and develop, revise, and disseminate a KM product appropriate to the partner’s context. Examples may include an infographic, one-page resource or guide, policy brief, evidence-informed recommendation, implementation guide, short explainer video, or another format appropriate to the partner and research topic.

The KM / WIL component involves a minimum of 30 hours of documented student learning and activity distributed across partner identification and preparation, partner engagement, KM product development, dissemination, and reflection.

Estimated Student Workload

PSYC 419 follows AU workload expectations for a 6-credit undergraduate course. Students should anticipate a minimum of 250 hours of work distributed across the eight-month period.

This includes time devoted to:

• literature review and theoretical development
• proposal drafting and revision
• research activities (data preparation, collection, or analysis)
• manuscript writing and revision
• knowledge mobilization development and partner engagement
• supervisor meetings and peer feedback
• professional development activities

Of the total course workload, at least 30 hours are devoted to documented KM / WIL learning. Students should not enroll in PSYC 419 if they are unable to commit consistent time to their research project and course requirements throughout the academic year.

Outline

PSYC 419 follows the progression of an independent research project from initial preparation through professional dissemination. Students complete training in research ethics, responsible data management, and academic writing; develop and refine a theoretically grounded research proposal; conduct or contribute to data collection, preparation, and analysis; interpret research findings; and communicate their research through scholarly and professional formats.

Throughout the course, students work closely with their faculty supervisor and participate in cohort-based scholarly activities, including peer feedback, research seminars, and a culminating research symposium. Students also complete a Knowledge Mobilization / Work-Integrated Learning experience with a community or industry partner and develop a substantial research manuscript as the capstone of the course.

PSYC 419 course runs January–August and follows this general road map:

• January: orientation, certification modules, project refinement, research ethics, data management, and academic-writing preparation.
• February–March: literature synthesis, research-proposal development, graduate-funding preparation, and ethics or data-access planning.
• April–June: research activities, data preparation, collection or analysis, partner engagement, and conference-abstract development.
• July: interpretation, KM-product development, poster- and oral-presentation preparation, and manuscript drafting and revision.
• August: research-symposium presentations, final manuscript completion, dissemination, and reflection.

Learning outcomes

After completing PSYC 419, students should be able to:

1. formulate theoretically grounded research questions and hypotheses through critical synthesis of psychological literature;
2. design and conduct methodologically rigorous psychological research within applicable ethical and professional standards;
3. select and apply appropriate approaches to data management, analysis, and interpretation;
4. critically evaluate research findings in relation to theory, previous research, methodological limitations, and broader implications;
5. demonstrate responsible research practices, including ethical conduct, research data management, scholarly integrity, and the appropriate use of artificial intelligence tools;
6. communicate psychological research effectively through professional scholarly formats, including research proposals, funding proposals, conference abstracts, posters, oral presentations, and research manuscripts;
7. develop a substantial research manuscript that integrates theory, methods, results, and interpretation, and that approximates the standards for peer-reviewed scholarship;
8. translate psychological research for non-academic audiences through the development of an evidence-informed knowledge mobilization product;
9. engage professionally with faculty supervisors, peers, and community or industry partners, and respond constructively to scholarly feedback; and
10. demonstrate intellectual independence and increasing ownership of the research process.

Evaluation

To receive credit for PSYC 419, students must submit all ten assignments; achieve a minimum overall course grade of D (50 percent); earn at least A− (80 percent) on Assignment 2: Academic Writing Quiz; and meet the satisfactory standard specified in the assignment rubrics for Assignment 4: Research Proposal, Assignment 7: Oral Presentation, Assignment 8: Knowledge Mobilization / Work-Integrated Learning Deliverable, and Assignment 9: Final Research Manuscript.

The satisfactory standard for the four major assignments (Assignments 4, 7, 8, and 9) is a course-completion requirement in addition to the overall numerical grade. The respective rubrics identify the required scholarly, methodological, communication, and professional criteria.

PSYC 419 does not include supplemental assignments or alternative pathways for compensating for failure to complete required major components.

Activity	Weight
Assignment 1: Certification Modules (3 × 2% each)	6%
Assignment 2: Academic Writing Quiz	4%
Assignment 3: Graduate Funding Proposal (CGS-M Abstract and Short Proposal)	5%
Assignment 4: Research Proposal	25%
Assignment 5: Conference Abstract	5%
Assignment 6: Poster Presentation	5%
Assignment 7: Oral Presentation	7.5%
Assignment 8: Knowledge Mobilization / Work-Integrated Learning Deliverable	12.5%
Assignment 9: Final Research Manuscript	25%
Assignment 10: Participation	5%
Total	100%

Materials

Digital course materials

Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:

Zinnser, William - On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (7th ed.). 2016 Ed. VBID: 9780062250506

Required course materials are available online through Brightspace, the Athabasca University Library, and approved external resources.

Readings include professional resources related to research ethics, academic writing, research practice, and knowledge mobilization, as well as peer-reviewed literature specific to each student’s research project.

Important links

• Academic advising
• Program planning
• Request assistance
• Support services at AU