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Independent Study Course Master of Science in Animal Psychology PSY 709 Breyer State University Syllabus COURSE OVERVIEW: Welcome to Independent Study course, the final course in the Master of Science program in Animal Psychology. This course is designed to provide you the opportunity to study a topic of your choice and present the results of that work in the form of a major paper. You are free to study any topic related to the behavior of dogs. The project will involve a review-of-topic style research project. It will require you to do a review of the literature, formulate a research question and then address the question in the paper. This course allows you a way to specialize your education in an area that you wish to know more about. It also allows you to become familiar with how to manage a long-term project and write an in-depth academic paper, preparing you for a PhD dissertation or for professional writing. I hope you will find this course useful. TIME FRAME: You will have 6 months in which to complete the project. Day 1 will begin when I send you for first welcome email. Please keep careful track of your due date. This course is worth 20 credit hours TEXTBOOKS: There are no textbooks required for this course While not required I strongly suggest any books that will help you in preparing a masters level major paper. Some suggestions follow: Book 1: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th. ed.) Book 2: Research Design Qualitative. Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. John Creswell (2nd. ed.): ISBN # 0761924426. Book 3: Surviving Your Dissertation A Complete Guide to Content and Process 2nd Edition. Kjell Erik Rudestam and Rae R. Newton: ISBN # 0761919627.
EVALUATION: There will be a single written paper required for this course and due prior to the 6 month deadline. The paper will be evaluated based on its clarity, completeness, and accuracy as well as for spelling, grammar and adherence to APA style guidelines. The paper should be between 30 and 50 pages depending on the topic and should cite at least 8 sources. It should pose a research question that is then addressed in an extensive review-of-topic paper. The topic and question must be approved by me. GRADING: The grading scale for this course is as follows: 90-100% = A COMMUNICATION: Please email me with any questions or concerns you might have through your coursework and I will endeavor to address them as fully as I can. I will usually be able to respond to questions the same day that you ask them. I will receive your email address when you enroll. If you change your email address during the course please let me and the administration office know. When you enroll please email me right away to tell me a bit about yourself, your background and your goals. ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: My name is James O'Heare. I have worked as a professional animal behavior consultant for 15 years. I am the author of several books on applied dog behavior, I am an international speaker, president of The Companion Animal Sciences Institute (www.CASInstitute.com) and Director of the International Institute for Applied Companion Animal Behavior (www.IIACAB.com), and I am the Managing Editor of the Journal of Applied Companion Animal Behavior (www.IIACAB.com/journal.html). I have studied intensively in animal behavior and applied behavior analysis. My personal web site is at www.JamesOHeare.com. COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course you will have a detailed knowledge of the topic in question as well as a foundational appreciation for the process of reviewing literature, formulating a research question, formal academic writing, and academic paper structure. INFORMATION: If you have any questions regarding this program, you may contact the instructor at jamesoheare@rogers.com .
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