New Special Topics Course for Fall 2026: PSYC 489B Environmental Psychology and Human Behavior

PSYC 489B Advanced Special Topics in Psychology: Environmental Psychology and Human Behavior

FALL 2026

MW 3:30 pm-4:45 pm

Instructor: Dr. Arianna Gard

Can fulfill both a PSYC Theme 3 and PSYC 400 Level Non-Lab requirement

Course Description: 

Are you interested in how our environment shapes how we think, feel, and act? Are you passionate about climate action? Take the new seminar course Environmental Psychology across Development with Dr. Gard! Through readings, student-led class projects, and discussion, you will learn about how psychologists play a central role in understanding how the world around us shapes who we are as people, communities, and society.

Register on TESTUDO.

PSYC354: Multicultural Psychology Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Position

Dr. Monica Cushnie is looking for two Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) for Fall 2026! This is a great opportunity for anyone who is looking for a leadership position, is interested in graduate school or becoming a professor in the future, or who wants to get a behind the scenes look at how a course is developed and run.

 
UTAs may register for up to 3 credits of PSYC478 as compensation. If this will be your first UTA experience, you will be also be asked to register for 1 credit of TLTC333.

Responsibilities/Requirements:

-Must attend class one day per week (Monday or Wednesday from 10:00am-10:50am)
-Respond to student questions in-class, via the course email, and through online office hours
-Lead one guest lecture with UTA peers or individually

-Grade assignments
-Attend a weekly teaching team meeting with the instructor and other TAs

Qualifications: 

-Must have taken PSYC354 and earned a grade of A-, A, or A+
-Must be committed to creating and contributing to an environment that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

How To Apply:

If you are interested, please send an email to Dr. Monica Cushnie at msk0191@umd.edu with a short paragraph about what makes you interested in the position and your unofficial transcript. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

PSYC432: Counseling Psychology Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Position

Dr. Monica Cushnie is looking for two Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) for the Fall 2026 semester. This is a great opportunity for anyone who is looking for a leadership position, is interested in graduate school or becoming a professor in the future, or who wants to get a behind the scenes look at how a course is developed and run.

 
UTAs may register for up to 3 credits of PSYC478 as compensation. If this is your first TA experience, you will also be asked to register for 1 credit of TLTC333.

Responsibilities/Requirements:

-Must attend class one day per week (Monday or Wednesday from 2:00pm-2:50pm)
-Respond to student questions in-class, via the course email, and through online office hours
-Lead one guest lecture with UTA peers or individually
-Grade assignments
-Attend a weekly teaching team meeting with the instructor and other TAs

Qualifications: 

-Must have taken PSYC432 and earned a grade of A-, A, or A+
-Must be committed to creating and contributing to an environment that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

How To Apply:

If you are interested, please send an email to Dr. Monica Cushnie at msk0191@umd.edu with a short paragraph about what makes you interested in the position and your unofficial transcript. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Great elective course for PSYC Majors: Register for COMM 426 Conflict Management. Course begins this Monday 6/1.

COMM 426: Conflict Management – Summer I
Starts Monday, June 1 | Fully Asynchronous | Open to All Undergraduates

COMM 426 is a practical summer elective focused on how people understand, experience, and manage conflict in professional, organizational, and interpersonal settings.

Although the course is housed in Communication, it is taught in an interdisciplinary way, drawing on ideas from psychology, communication studies, organizational behavior, leadership, negotiation, and related fields. The material is relevant for students across majors because conflict shows up in nearly every career path – in teams, workplaces, leadership roles, client relationships, collaborative projects, family systems, and everyday decision-making.

Topics include difficult conversations, workplace and team conflict, conflict escalation and perception, stress and emotional reactions, communication styles, power and trust, culture, negotiation, mediation, and conflict intervention strategies.

The course is fully asynchronous and designed to connect course concepts to real-world situations. Assessments emphasize short-answer responses to question sets rather than exams.

Students can register through Testudo. Questions can be directed to the instructor, Dr. Lauren Edelstein at lmedel@umd.edu.

New "Decoding the Brain: Machine Learning in Neuroscience" Course for Spring 2027: Prerequisites DATA 120 and NEUR 200

Exciting New Course Alert! NEUR338A/PSYC489C: Decoding the Brain: Machine Learning in Neuroscience

Launching Spring 2027

Are you ready to explore the intersection of neuroscience and machine learning? Students in this unique course will analyze neural data, learn fundamental machine learning concepts, and apply machine learning models to probe and predict cognition and behavior.

The Highlights:
Modeling: Learn the fundamentals of signal processing, supervised, and unsupervised learning models.
Hands-on Coding: Using Python to decode real-world brain data.
Real Data: Analyzing EEG recording and fMRI scans.
Big Goals: Exploring brain decoding and neurodiversity classification.
Ethics First: Tackling bias at every step - from data collection to model training.

This interdisciplinary course is perfect for students passionate about neuroscience, psychology, programming, and AI!

Ready to bridge the gap between the human brain and AI?

To take this course, you must have DATA120 and NEUR200 as prerequisites. If you want to take this course in the Spring 2027 semester, make sure you have these prerequisites completed at the end of the Fall 2026 semester.

Connect with Grad Schools using The National Name Exchange Program (NNE)

The National Name Exchange (NNE) is a non-profit program that provides U.S. students with easy access to information on graduate school. Any current or former student can enroll for free to connect with universities interested in recruiting potential graduate students just like you! Enrollment deadline for students is June 2026.

Purpose: 

The mission of the National Name Exchange is to improve access to graduate education for all students. The National Name Exchange seeks to: Improve student access to information on graduate school opportunities. Work towards personalizing the recruitment effort by designating a National Name Exchange institutional representative to facilitate information exchange between the institution and prospective students. Assist graduate schools in identifying qualified candidates for consideration for graduate study. Increase the number of qualified students accepted into graduate school.

How Students Benefit:

Pursuing a graduate degree is often not a consideration for many students. By providing students easy access to information on the many graduate opportunities available to them, the NNE hopes that students will see graduate study as a viable goal.

Enrollment is FREE provided you meet the criteria listed below:

All domestic students are eligible to participate (including green card holders and permanent residents). We particularly encourage students who have a cumulative GPA over 3.0 to enroll in NNE.

Enroll HERE!

Keep those neurons firing this summer! Take an Online Summer PSYC Course to stay on track or get ahead with your degree!

2026 Psychology Summer Course Offerings

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  TESTUDO

Session 1: June 1 to July 10, 2026
PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 200 Statistical Methods in Psychology
PSYC 221 Social Psychology  

PSYC 234 Living The Good Life: The Psychology of Happiness

PSYC 237 Psychology of Evil

PSYC 302 Fundamentals of Learning and Behavior

PSYC 334 Interpersonal Relationships June 1-18

PSYC 354 Multicultural Psychology in the U.S. 

PSYC 355 Developmental Psychology

PSYC 389 Experiential Learning June 1-August 21

PSYC 404 Introduction to Behavioral Pharmacology

PSYC 425 Psychology and The Law

PSYC 489W Advanced Special Topics in Psychology; Psychology of Men and Masculinity

Session 2: July 13 to August 21, 2026
PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 202 Introduction to Neuroscience

PSYC 221 Social Psychology

PSYC 237 Psychology of Evil

PSYC 300 Research Methods

PSYC 310 Perception

PSYC 344 Health Psychology 

PSYC 353 Adult Psychopathology

PSYC 420 Experimental Psychology: Social Psychology Lab

PSYC 433 Basic Helping Skills: Research and Practice

PSYC 437 The Assessment and Treatment of Addictive Behaviors

PSYC 489K Advanced Special Topics in Psychology: Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis 

Summer/Fall 2026 PSYC 355 TA Positions: Apply today!

Summer/Fall 2026 Undergraduate TA Positions PSYC 355  

Thank you for your interest in being a TA for PSYC355 (Developmental Psychology)! I (Dr. Tyrell) anticipate needing TAs for two sections of the course (1 section taught in Summer 2026, 1 section taught in Fall 2026). The Fall 2026 opportunity is made possible through course credit. Applicants offered the position will be required to enroll in Psych 478 for 2-3 credits. TAs will be given a syllabus for their enrollment in Psych 478. Benefits include: building leadership, communication, and mentoring skills; opportunity to give a short lecture or review; gain a deeper understanding of Developmental Psychology. For those who want to be a TA for the Summer. This is a VOLUNTEER OPORTUNITY. I won't be able to pay you or grant you credit for the summer position.

Apply today! Applications will be reviewed promptly. Online interviews for shortlisted candidates will be scheduled for early June.

Eligibility for applying:
• You must have taken PSYC355 at UMD and earned a grade of "B+", "A-", "A", or "A+".
• Students currently enrolled in 355 are welcome to apply. Final grades will be confirmed at the end of the semester.

TA Responsibilities (6-10 hours per week for 2-3 credits):
*** First and foremost, the TA must be committed to creating an atmosphere that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. This includes, but is not limited to, demonstrating empathy with students and making room for diverse perspectives ***
• Contributing to the development of assignments and exams
• Grading
• Helping with student review sessions
• Providing feedback to the course instructor about the course as it proceeds
• Administrative tasks

How To Apply:

Use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfldJseb96jnOKh3U4n5JY6EtycYxvLKBT_-fxZC1-k1_UAdw/viewform

  
Questions:
If you have any questions about the undergraduate TA position or this application, please feel free to contact: Dr. Fanita Tyrell: ftyrell@umd.edu

Have an internship for Summer or next Fall? Earn credit for the experience through PSYC 389 Experiential Learning!

Psychology Majors can earn academic credit for an 

in-person, hybrid, or virtual internship
through PSYC 389 Experiential Learning. 

PSYC 389 Enrollment Steps

PSYC 389 Experiential Learning is the course undergraduate psychology majors enroll in to earn academic credit for a professionally supervised and department approved internship experience. It is an asynchronous online course that assists the student in making meaning of their internship through processing, reflection, and exploration activities. 

Here are the steps for obtaining permission to register for PSYC 389. If you already have secured an internship, you can complete this learning agreement. In the summer, the course is 12 weeks, in fall and spring 15 weeks. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Specific learning outcomes include the following:

*Engage in meaningful goal setting and problem solving relative to an internship site industry

*Communicate how one’s internship uniquely qualifies one for a future experiential learning opportunity or advanced degree

*Understand and articulate connections between one’s formal educational training in psychology and the professional work setting

*Critically examine how one’s internship is impacting one’s assumptions and beliefs about the field of psychology

*Self-Assess, manage, and apply supervisor feedback

*Effectively participate in professional development tasks that align with one’s internship and career path/goals

*Create deliverables to effectively market your internship to a future employer or Graduate School  

If you already have secured an internship, please complete the PSYC 389 Learning Contract.

Review the course syllabus

Questions contact Steve Young @ syoung17@umd.edu

Research Assistant Positions with The Center for Early Childhood Education

Communications/General Research Assistant
General/Other Research Assistant
Public Relations Research Assistant

Full position descriptions can be found on the CECEI Career Opportunities web page.

Description:
The Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention (CECEI) is a joint initiative between the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education (CHSE) and the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology (HDQM). The mission of CECEI is to conduct high quality research on early childhood education and early intervention programs in order to inform State and Federal policy, to translate research into scalable education programs and best practices, to build capacity in schools and communities, and to promote family engagement in their children’s education.

How To Apply:
Please visit the CECEI Career Opportunities web page for more information and application instructions for each position: https://education.umd.edu/research/centers/cecei/career-opportunities

For best consideration, please send all materials by Monday, May 11, 2026. Please contact us with

any questions or for more information. To apply, please email a resume, cover letter, and unofficial

transcript to Naomi Patton at CECEI@umd.edu, with the subject line “CECEI General RA.”

LEAD Lab Research Assistant Positions for Fall 2026/Spring 2027: Application deadline is 5/20

The Language, Experience, and Development (LEAD) Lab in the department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, directed by Dr. Rachel Romeo, is hiring Research Assistants for September 2026 to May 2027. Applications are due Wednesday, May 20.

Description: 
The LEAD Lab team studies how children’s early experiences—both favorable and adverse—influence their neural, cognitive, and academic development. Research Assistants (RAs) in the LEAD Lab engage in a variety of tasks, including recruiting participants, facilitating data collection with children and families, facilitating LENA recordings, and much more! RAs work ~10 hours per week.

The LEAD Lab is interested in applicants with a range of experiences, and we especially encourage students without previous research experience to apply. Applicants with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, history of/interest in working with children and families, commitment to collaboration, and interest in the intersections of developmental psychology, developmental cognitive neuroscience, and educational equity may find a good fit in the LEAD Lab.

Though these skills are not at all required, students with any of the skills/interests listed below may be an especially good fit for certain lab projects…

Interest in infant or preschool development
Interest in strengths-based research approaches
Interest in naturalistic techniques & technology to measure family stress & language interactions
Previous experience working with young children/families

How To Apply:
Interested students can learn more about the LEAD Lab at this link: https://education.umd.edu/leadlab, and they can fill out the lab’s interest/application form at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemW2oYm4FlVKPwFvyCqSM5Ma94chLnhXdY7rD2LHBDk5Feog/viewform?usp=header. Compensation through course credit and/or federal work study are available.

Please direct any questions to lab manager Alicia Mortimer at aliciam@umd.edu.

Fall 2026 Undergraduate Teaching Assistants needed for PSYC 234 and PSYC 221!

Fall 2026 Undergraduate Teaching Assistants needed for PSYC 234 and PSYC 221!
Applications are currently being accepted for Fall 2026 UTAs for two courses with Instructor Dr. Abigail Nicolas: PSYC 234 (Psychology of Happiness) and PSYC 221 (Social Psychology).

Dr. Abi is currently seeking Undergraduate TAs (UTAs) to assist with each of her courses this upcoming summer semester.

Those who are offered the position can choose to either earn course credit by enrolling in PSYC 478 for 2 or 3 credits, or, if preferred, can volunteer their time.

Benefits include: exposure to and experience with components of the teaching process, building communication, mentoring, and assignment assessment skills; potential opportunities to give a short lecture or review; help co-facilitate in-class activities or discussions, and refresh your understanding of the course materials.

Eligibility for applying:
• You must have taken the course(s) you are applying to (i.e., PSYC 234 and/or 221) at UMD and earned a grade of "A-", "A", or "A+".

TA Responsibilities 

(9-10 hours per week for 3 credits; 6-7 hours per week for 2 credits; at least 6 hours for volunteers. Students who can devote 9-10 hrs per wk will be preferred):
Grading (including weekly submissions)
Administrative tasks (including Canvas-related tasks)
Collaborating with and working under the guidance of the instructor (and the Graduate TA, if any) and attend weekly teaching team meetings

Holding office hours to assist with student's course questions
Providing feedback to the course instructor about the course as it proceeds
Supporting course-related needs

Specific requirement for PSYC 234: Must be available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM to attend weekly teaching team meetings and to assist in Wednesday class discussions in HJP 0226.

Specific requirement for PSYC 221: Must be available on Fridays from 1 - 1:50 PM to assist in class discussions in BPS 1250. Must be comfortable with APA style / format.

** Students who apply and are interested in the TA position must first and foremost be invested and committed to creating an atmosphere that values and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. This includes, but is not limited to, demonstrating empathy with students, respecting accommodations, and working collaboratively with individuals of diverse backgrounds, and making room for diverse perspectives.

How To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application form here. Applications submitted by Sunday, May 31st will be provided first consideration and interviews for candidates will be conducted virtually as soon as possible. If you have any questions regarding the position or application, send an email to Dr. Abigail Nicolas at nicolasa@umd.edu.

Summer 2026 Undergraduate Teaching Assistants needed for PSYC 234 and PSYC 353!

Summer 2026 Undergraduate Teaching Assistants needed for PSYC 234 and PSYC 353!
Applications are currently being accepted for Summer 2026 UTAs for two courses with Instructor Dr. Abigail Nicolas: PSYC 234 (Psychology of Happiness) in Summer I, and PSYC 353 (Adult Psychopathology) in Summer II.

Dr. Abi is currently seeking Undergraduate TAs (UTAs) to assist with each of her courses this upcoming summer semester.

Those who are offered the position can choose to volunteer their time or, if desired, can earn course credit by enrolling in PSYC 478 for 2 or 3 credits.

Benefits include: exposure to and experience with components of the teaching process, building communication, mentoring, and assignment assessment skills; potential opportunities to give a short lecture or review; help co-facilitate in-class activities or discussions, and refresh your understanding of the course materials.

Eligibility for applying:
• You must have taken the course(s) you are applying to (i.e., PSYC 234 and/or 353) at UMD and earned a grade of "A-", "A", or "A+".

TA Responsibilities 

(9-10 hours per week for 3 credits; 6-7 hours per week for 2 credits; at least 6 hours for volunteers):
Grading (including weekly submissions)
Administrative tasks (including Canvas-related tasks)
Collaborating with and working under the guidance of the instructor (and the Graduate TA, if any) and attend weekly teaching team meetings

Holding office hours to assist with student's course questions
Providing feedback to the course instructor about the course as it proceeds
Supporting course-related needs

Specific requirement for PSYC 234: Must be able to attend Thursday's classes from 10 AM - 12 PM via Zoom and co-facilitate a discussion.

Specific requirement for PSYC 353: Must be able to attend weekly meetings with Dr. Abi and record a brief lecture presentation.

** Students who apply and are interested in the TA position must first and foremost be invested and committed to creating an atmosphere that values and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. This includes, but is not limited to, demonstrating empathy with students, respecting accommodations, and working collaboratively with individuals of diverse backgrounds, and making room for diverse perspectives.

How To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application form here. Applications submitted by Friday, May 15th will be provided first consideration and interviews for candidates will be conducted virtually as soon as possible. If you have any questions regarding the position or application, send an email to Dr. Abigail Nicolas at nicolasa@umd.edu.

Paid DEI Undergraduate Student Liaison Position

University of Maryland Department of Psychology

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two large square shapes
arrow pointing right to QR Code

DEI Undergraduate Student Liaison

Are you passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion? 

Are you looking for student leadership roles in
the Department of Psychology? 

Apply to be the Department DEI Undergraduate Student Liaison for Fall 2026-Spring 2027!

Responsibilities:

-Serve as a student representative on the diversity committee
-Attend DEI Related events to boost student participation
-Meet Regularly with Assistant Chair for Equity and Inclusion, 

Dr. Monica Cushnie
-5 hours per week but may vary

Qualifications:

-Must be an undergraduate psychology major @ The University of Maryland

-Preference will be given to those who can commit for at least one academic school year

How To Apply:

Please submit your application using this google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeciN6lHIsFhGQ1BWAHxJHhan-P29rrEblwODUTbD5Ml7m__Q/viewform

The deadline to apply is Sunday, May 10th!

Give your I/O PSYC Knowledge a boost this Fall with PSYC 489I: Psychology of Stress and Health in the Work Environment

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PSYC 489I Advanced Special Topics in Psychology; Psychology of Stress and Health in the Work
Environment

Fall 2026

TTH 9:30 am-10:45 am

Instructor: Dr. Cassandra Phetmisy, PhD 

fulfills a PSYC Theme 3 and a PSYC 400 Level Non-Lab Requirement

This course will be a deep dive into Occupational Health Psychology (OHP), or the study of how workplaces contribute to employee stress, health, and wellbeing. Some of the topics include mental and physical health outcomes (e.g., burnout, illness), nonstandard work schedules (e.g., overnight and shift workers), toxic workplaces (e.g., bullying, workaholism), and work recovery (i.e., after-work experiences we do to replenish ourselves). Students will develop a rich understanding of how workplaces contribute to the health and wellbeing of employees.

The course will be offered in Fall 2026 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30-10:45am in ESJ 1309. Students must be psychology majors to register.

Please reach out to Dr. Cassandra Phetmisy (phetmisy@umd.edu) if you have any questions!