Instructor Qualifications for PSY 1001

The qualifications listed below reflect the minimum qualifications a high school instructor must meet before applying to teach the UMN course PSY 1001: Introduction to Psychology.

Licensure

CIS instructors must have a valid Minnesota teaching license in Social Studies (5–12), Science: Life Sciences (9–12), or an approved alternative.

Experience and proficiencies (all required)

• Experience teaching a biological-based psychology course at the high school or college level.
• Three years of experience teaching rigorous courses, primarily to advanced high school juniors and seniors or first year college students.
• Instructors must be adept at technology-based pedagogies. This challenging, four-credit biological approach to psychology employs a technology-based flipped classroom approach. Recorded lectures from nationally-recognized faculty in the field are combined with face-to-face small group discussions and formative and summative assessments. Instructors engage students through active learning toward the development of “thinking like a psychologist/scientist.”
• Demonstrated understanding of psychological research methods.

Demonstration of advanced, relevant content knowledge (select one)

1. Graduate degree in the field(s) of psychology or a related fields, including, but not limited to, education, educational psychology, neuroscience, leadership, statistics, or industrial relations
2. Graduate degree in any field and 18 graduate credit hours in field(s) of psychology or a related field, including, but not limited to education, educational psychology, neuroscience, leadership, statistics, or industrial relations
3. Graduate degree in any field plus six equivalent experience options from A through K, below
4. Undergraduate degree in psychology or a related field, including, but not limited to education, educational psychology, neuroscience, leadership, statistics, or industrial relations, with seven equivalent experience options from A through K, below

Description of Equivalent Experience Options (only required if #3 or #4 is selected above)

A: Graduate credits in psychology or a related field

Related fields may include, but are not limited to, education, educational psychology, neuroscience, leadership, statistics, or industrial relations. These need not have been taken as part of a graduate degree program.

• Three semester-length credits equals one experience
• Can be applied up to seven times

On your Description of Selected Professional Experience, list relevant graduate coursework. For each course include the title, where taken, and credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

B: Professional development workshops

Examples include Advanced Placement psychology, biology, or statistics workshops, or other relevant workshops, trainings, conferences, or seminars.

• 30 hours equals one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

As part of your description, note the number of hours of each professional development activity you want to apply toward meeting the qualifications, and respond to Faculty Guiding Questions #1: Discipline-specific professional development.

C: Published textbook, journal article or essay

May include similar scholarly or creative work in the field of psychology or a related field, including, but not limited to, education, educational psychology, neuroscience, leadership, statistics, or industrial relations.

• Each publication is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

Provide a copy of the cover of the publication, and of the page that lists your authorship. Describe the significance, particularly as it applies to the topics covered in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field.

D: Experience requiring regular use of psychological constructs and/or behavioral research methods

Examples of professional responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, counseling, statistical consulting, working in human resources, developing curriculum, etc. May include paid employment or volunteer work.

• Per year of experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your experiences using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field.

E: Fellowships or awards for recognition of teaching in psychology or related fields

This includes recognition of high school or undergraduate teaching from school, district, state, regional, national, or international organizations.

• Each award is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your awards using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #8: Receiving an award or other recognition.

F: Participation in nationally normed assessment activity

This entails work related to psychology such as Advanced Placement psychology, statistics, or biology test grading.

• Each year of participation is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your participation using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #10: Participation in a nationally normed assessment activity related to the field.

G: Successful and effective teaching experience in a course leading to undergraduate credit

Courses should be in psychology or a related field, and may include dual credit, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or teaching undergraduates on a college or university campus.

• Three years of teaching is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your teaching experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #3: Teaching of a course leading to undergraduate credit for students.

H: Passing score (or better) on the GRE psychology subject test

Can be applied once.

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, provide documentation, such as a certificate or letter with the date of the test and your score.

I: Discipline-specific leadership role

Qualifying positions include department chair in a secondary or postsecondary institution, or board member in a professional organization such as the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, Minnesota Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (MNTOPSS), or the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

• Each distinct role equals one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your leadership experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #4: Discipline-specific leadership role.

J: Presentations at relevant conferences

These include local, state, regional, or national workshops or conferences such as Education Minnesota, Minnesota Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (MNTOPSS), or the American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

• Each presentation on a distinct topic is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe presentations using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #5: Presentations.

K: Serve as a content or pedagogy trainer or coach, or student teacher supervisor

To apply this option, psychology or related content must be embedded in pedagogy.

• Each semester in role is considered one experience
• Can be applied once

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe roles using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field or to #7: Student teacher supervisor.