In our undergraduate program, all students participate in research projects as part of the major. The majority of our majors complete a project worthy of a presentation at Academic Spree Day. Academic Spree Day is an annual event in which Clark undergraduates from all disciplines may present their scholarly work. Each year Psychology majors make up approximately half of those presenting. In addition to the required course work, many students also participate in research project groups.
All faculty have research groups, involving undergraduate students and faculty.
These are characteristically organized so graduate students provide much of the day to day leadership of teams of undergraduates working on a common research project, with one or more faculty members providing overall supervision and guidance. These projects routinely result in professional journals. In sum, for a Clark undergraduate, learning to function as a member of a research team is an ordinary, required part of the curriculum. The Undergraduate Psychology Committee is a very active part of Department life. The UPC sponsors a number of activities throughout the year, a member attends all Department meetings, and the UPC has collected, and updates regularly, information on more than 150 graduate programs.