Running head: REFLECTIONS ON BEING A GOPHER 1

Reflections on Being a Gopher: Standardized Education Strikes

Thomas Cole

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Campus

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Abstract

An in-depth assessment of the psychology undergraduate program was undertaken by Eugene

Sheehan of the University of Northern Colorado in 1994. This literature review summarizes

Sheehan’s work and compares his findings to experiences of an undergraduate psychology

student at the University of Minnesota in 2011.

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Reflections on Being a Gopher: Standardized Education Strikes

It comes as no surprise that the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology are

fairly standard throughout the United States education system; after all, standardization plays a

large role in nearly all branches of Psychology, so why should the credentials be different? In

his 1994 article, Sheehan outlines a curriculum requirement that is nearly identical to the

requirements here at the University of Minnesota. Students were required to take an introductory

Psychology course, a course in statistical analysis, a research design and analysis course, as well

as several electives from three different categories (Sheehan, 1994).

While the requirements appear to be a bit more rigorous at the University of Northern

Colorado than they are at the University of Minnesota, with the requirement of field experience

being entirely absent, the basic structure is almost identical. As Sheehan noted, the change from

a generalized statistics course to a statistical analysis course designed for students of social

sciences is completely homogenous with the University of Minnesota’s required course,

Introduction to Psychological Measurement and Data Analysis (1994). Obviously then, a

method for success in psychological education has been found and replicated for use for at least

two universities. Judging from the responses of the panel members from the lecture, this tried

and true method was what they all followed to reach the various positions they find themselves

in currently.

In all honesty, there is not much to complain about with this method, as it has met my

goals and aspirations for my own education quite well. The exposure to the various subdivisions

of Psychology, through a free-choice elective system, has been entirely beneficial in helping me

to decide exactly where I would like to pursue further education in psychology. My only

complaint, though, is that the freedom of choice creates an almost autistic view of psychology as

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a whole; the sub-disciplines of psychology are not shown to be as interconnected as well as they

could be, if at all in some cases. Overall, however, it would appear that this structure for training

individuals in psychology meets with remarkable success.

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References

Sheehan, E. P. (1994). A multimethod assessment of the psychology major. Teaching of Psychology, 21(2), 74. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.