This assignment requires you to gather a compilation of papers and projects from this course and previous courses and add them to your Professional Portfolio. The portfolio is designed to help you compile all you have learned throughout your undergraduate studies with the best examples of your work to represent what you are capable of doing when you graduate the program. This assignment also gives you a opportunity to reflect on what you have learned as a student of psychology, and to prepare to actualize your post-graduation goals. It will serve as a resource as you navigate the world of prospective employers and graduate admissions committees. The student portfolio is also a measure of effectiveness for the Argosy University baccalaureate program in Psychology. As you develop professionally following graduation, you can add work samples and other pertinent materials, as well as modify existing documents, to reflect that development.
The Professional Portfolio includes two main sections. A Professional Profilesection that is completed by all students with either an Employment focus or aGraduate School focus, depending on your post-baccalaureate plans. The second section holds your Professional Work Samples demonstrating your abilities, skills, and competencies across a range of tasks and objectives. This section also includes a Final Evaluation of your work samples, yourself, and the psychology program.
The Professional Profile section summarizes your career planning and professional goals. You have already compiled the documents for this section in Modules 1 and 2 of this course. It contains the following documents:
- A Cover Letter as a way to introduce yourself to a potential employer This includes details about yourself and why you feel you are qualified for the position. (Employment).
OR
A Personal Statement describing your immediate and long-term career goals, including an explanation of why these goals are appropriate in terms of your knowledge, skills, personal characteristics, values, and experiences (Graduate School).
Note: The personal statement is attached to the Curriculum Vitae (Graduate School), and the Cover Letter is attached to the Resume (Employment), so take the time to be creative and not repeat yourself.
- A Resume with list of References that is current, accurate, and professional in appearance. (Employment).
OR
A Curriculum Vitae with list of References that is current, accurate and professional in appearance. (Graduate School)
- OPTIONAL: A copy of your Transcript(s)
The Professional Work Samples section demonstrates your performance and mastery of Argosy University’s program outcomes/competencies for the Psychology major. Select 3-5 documents to serve as samples of your best work in the program. Together, they should illustrate your mastery of all the 7 program outcomes listed below. Examples of the type of work that would illustrate each outcome is provided below, as well. The 3-5 documents should be samples of your work that you completed in previous courses as an undergraduate student.
These outcomes are listed below, along with the assignments that could be included to demonstrate mastery of the outcome:
- Cognitive abilities (critical thinking and information literacy): Assignments or projects that demonstrate problem solving, analysis, synthesis, appropriate use of information resources, etc.
- Research skills: A copy of a research proposal, a survey developed, etc.
- Communication skills (written and oral): A topic paper, presentation outline, or PowerPoint that demonstrates your written and oral communication skills.
- Ethics & Diversity awareness: Papers that demonstrate your understanding and/or analysis of ethical and diversity issues in psychology.
- Knowledge of foundations of the field: Assignments, papers, or projects that demonstrate your understanding of basic concepts, theories, and empirical findings in one or more of the domains of psychology, including biological, cognitive, developmental, personality, and social.
- Knowledge of applied psychology: Assignments, papers, or projects from courses and/or an internship that demonstrates your ability to apply psychology to personal, social, and/or organizational problems.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: PowerPoint presentations, videos of your presentations that demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively, appreciate diversity and cultural sensitivity and awareness of your impact on others.
Once you have assembled your work samples, you will write a 700-1000 word narrative to serve as a preface to the Professional Work Samples section. This narrative should consist of a clear and thoughtful analysis of how each work sample reveals your strengths and areas for improvement, according to each of the seven areas addressed in the program outcomes/competencies (listed above). Towards this purpose, you will complete the Student Self Appraisal of Learningfirst, and then use that to generate the preface . Make sure you also address how you intend to strengthen your competencies in all areas as you graduate onto the next step of your professional career. On which areas will you focus most and why?
This preface should also include an evaluation of the Psychology program as well as suggestions for the program that will enable it to help future Psychology majors develop these strengths and overcome these weaknesses in the future.