RAs, TAs & Independent Studies

The psychology department provides students with many opportunities to supplement their coursework with educational experiences outside of the classroom. Students can receive up to 18 course credits for participating in these extremely valuable experiences. Students can also register for independent readings or research courses.

• Research: If you are interested in conducting research you should review our research assistantships (RAs).
• Teaching: If you are interested in helping teach other students, you should serve as a teaching assistant (TAs).
• Internships: Those wishing to gain some experience “in the field” should participate in an internship. 

As you look for opportunities, you may find it useful to look at laboratory descriptions to see which faculty members are doing research that may be related to your interests.

See links for CONTRACTS to register for TA, RA, or Independent Study credits lower on this page.

Research Assistantships

• See a current listing of available psychology research assistantships.
• Apply to research opportunities on campus in Psychology, Neuroscience, and other STEM fields through the PROPEL website.
• Psychology majors within in their first year at UMass are eligible to apply to labs through our Research Assistant Mentoring Program (RAMP).
• Most students begin their exploration of research by participating in the ongoing research of a faculty member or graduate student. 
• Course credit is pass/fail.
• To register for research credit, arrange an RA with a researcher and then submit the RA 398B contract.
• Students may also participate in research in a more advanced and independent role through Independent Study Opportunities, see below. 

Independent Studies

• Advanced students who wish to pursue study of a subject outside the context of a class can do that by arranging independent readings or independent research with a faculty sponsor. 

• Independent Readings in Psychology (Psych 396A) allows students to engage in scholarly research on a specific topic. The student must work with a faculty sponsor and develop a detailed plan of study together with the sponsor. The particular readings along with the nature of the paper that will be the culmination of the project should be detailed in the plan of study.
  To register for independent readings, secure a faculty sponsor and fill out the Psych 396A contract together.

• Independent Study – Research (Psych 496A) allows students to engage in research in a psychology laboratory. This letter-graded research experience is generally appropriate for students who have prior research experience and who are ready to embark upon research that is relatively independent (a full study or a portion of a more extensive project). Students must find a lab to work in and a faculty sponsor. Together with the faculty sponsor, a plan of study is developed that describes the nature of the research, which includes information about the research report that will be submitted at the conclusion of semester.
• To register for independent study research, secure a faculty sponsor and fill out the Psych 496A contract together.

Once you secure a position with a faculty member, you can submit your contract online through the links below.   

CONTRACTS 
(Contracts can not be processed after the end of add/drop; after add/drop you need to complete a late add petition through the academic dean's office.
You can click to download the late add form here.)

• TA Contract:  https://forms.gle/7Aro7eAZ4JovmLQR9
• RA Contract: https://forms.gle/2NbMfpcyRGVAS7nz9
• Independent Study. Reading: https://forms.gle/z2dZg7Bc2Lqc6TSZA
• Independent Study. Research: https://forms.gle/LQSFZqDsEi4m5QJt6

Undergraduate Departmental Ethics Training

All undergraduates working in human subjects labs must complete the Department’s Ethics Training before you may begin working.  This is a mandatory, one time only, training.

Pre-registration is required due to space limitations. There are 25 available slots per in-person session. Please fill out the registration form to reserve one.  Prior to attending the Ethics Training, complete the required CITI training, details below.

Please email Kelly Tierney at ktierney@umass.edu or Aanchal Setia at asetia@umass.edu with any questions regarding the Ethics Training.

If you are an undergraduate RA and not on campus or in the UMass Amherst area at all, please complete the online option.

 Spring 2025  Ethics Training Dates

If you are an undergrad and have not taken this training, you may not work in a human subjects lab.

CITI Training

All Human Subjects personnel working in Human Subject labs must complete Group 2 Social and Behavioral Research Investigators and Key Personnel or Group 1 Biomedical Research Investigators and Key Personnel before beginning to work in the lab. If you have done CITI training at another institution, log in to CITI and affiliate your record with UMASS Amherst. CITI will tell you if additional modules are required.

• CITI Log-in Page
• Helpful page on logging in and changing your affiliation.
• CITI refresher training is required every 5 years.

Teaching Assistantships

• See a current listing of available psychology teaching assistantships.
• Students may earn pass/fail course credit.
• Requirements and expectations differ according to each instructor.
• To register for a teaching assistantship, apply with the instructor.
• Once accepted, submit the teaching assistantship 398A contract.