Students of the Dutch bachelor’s programme, see Perspectief op Carriereplanning
Entry requirements
Students are strongly advised to first follow the first-year Academic Skills Tutorial.
Description
This course consists of two modules. Module 1 centres on the question: “What can I expect from my future work field?” This module focuses on topics such as careers, orienting towards your future career, making potentially difficult career choices and dealing with insecurities relating to one’s planning and career path. Module 2 centres on the question: “What does the future work field expect from me?” This module addresses the professional and ethical conduct of the psychologist, as well as a fundamental aspect of a psychologist’s work: their ability to solve problems.
Course objectives
Students work actively on their future career. They learn to discover what they want to achieve and how they can shape their career path. They gain insight into how career paths develop, and learn the importance of analytical and problem-solving skills in a psychologist’s future work field. Students also acquire knowledge and insights that will help them manage their own career and deal with insecurities that may arise. They learn to use scientific theories to analyse practical problems and receive training in dealing with ethical matters.
Exemption
An exemption from POCP will only be granted in very exceptional situations. Students can be eligible for an exemption if:
(1) They can demonstrate that they have made several career choices in the past and can substantiate these choices adequately.
(2) They are familiar with the professional field of psychologists on the basis of their own experience. In other words, their work experience has included contacts with psychologists.
(3) They can demonstrate and present arguments showing that they have been able to learn about themselves (e.g. core qualities, pitfalls, skills & knowledge) and ways to manage their own behaviour (e.g. through reflection assignments).
Age or work experience alone are not enough to make you eligible for an exemption.
Exemption must be requested at least 6 weeks before the start of the course, by submitting a ‘petition’ via uSis, and must be well-substantiated. Exemption requests that are not sufficiently substantiated, are submitted late or are not submitted via the correct channels will not be accepted for consideration.
Timetable
For the timetables of your lectures, workgroups, and exams, select your study programme. Psychology timetables
Semester 1: Lectures Work group sessions
Semester 2: Work group sessions
Registration
Course
Students need to register for lectures, workgroups and exams. Instructions for registration in courses for the 2nd and 3rd year of the IBP
Examination
Students are not automatically enrolled for an examination. They can register via uSis from 100 to 10 calendar days before the date; students who are not registered will not be permitted to take the examination. Registering for exams
Mode of instruction
4 2-hour lectures
9 2 hour seminar sessions
1 introductory meeting with the mentor and 2 mentoring interviews.
Assessment method
The final grade for POCP consists of two constituent grades, which are recorded separately: the seminar grade (90%) and the career event grade (10%). Both of these constituent grades must be a pass (5.50 or higher). Successful completion of POCP results in five EC credits. The POCP has only been successfully completed if the final grade is a pass. It is not possible to claim a proportion of the five credits. Final grades that are a pass (5.50 or higher) cannot be raised by taking ‘resits’ of individual assignments or exams. If the seminar grade is a fail (after the resit opportunities for the separate elements described below), the student must follow the seminar groups again in the next academic year, and must complete all the assignments, exams and polls related to these. If the career event grade is a fail (after the resit opportunity described below), the student must (again) attend a new approved career event in the next academic year and submit a report on this career event.
Seminar grade (1-10)
The seminar grade is based on two module assignments, two take-home exams and the completion of two polls. Assignments that are not submitted, not submitted on time or not submitted via the correct link on Blackboard will be graded with zero points.
Module assignments
Module assignments are graded on a scale of 0 - 10. The grade for either of the module assignments may be lower than 5.0, as long as the average grade for the two module assignments (the module grade) is at least 5.0. It is only possible to resit one or both of the module assignments if the module grade is lower than 5.0. During the course, the seminar tutor will offer one opportunity to resit one or both of the assignments. If a resit is taken, the tutor will provide the student with feedback on the submitted assignment(s) on one occasion, after which the student has 2 weeks in which to revise and resubmit the assignment(s). In the case of a resit of a non-submitted assignment, the student also has 2 weeks to still submit this assignment. In both of these resit situations, a module assignment can never be given a grade higher than 6.0, because students have had sufficient opportunity during the course to obtain individual feedback on the assignment(s) to be submitted.
Take-home exams
Take-home exams are graded on a scale of 0 - 10. The grade for either of the take-home exams may be lower than 5.0, as long as the average grade for the two take-home exams (the exam grade) is at least 5.0. It is only possible to resit one or both of the take-home exams if the exam grade is lower than 5.0. During the course, the seminar tutor will offer one opportunity to resit one or both of the exams. If a resit is taken, the tutor will provide the student with feedback on the submitted exam(s) on one occasion, after which the student has 2 weeks in which to revise and resubmit the exam(s). In the case of a resit of a non-submitted exam, the student also has 2 weeks to still submit this exam. In both of these resit situations, an exam can never be given a grade higher than 6.0, because students have had sufficient opportunity during the course to obtain individual feedback on the exam(s) to be submitted.
Polls
Polls are graded as completed (10 points) or not completed (0 points). It is not possible to resit polls that were not submitted or were submitted late.
Seminar grade
The seminar grade is calculated as the weighted average of the module grade (40%), the exam grade (40%) and the poll grade (10%), and the minimum possible seminar grade is 1.
Career event grade (1-10)
Students must attend one approved career event and write a reflection report about it. This report is graded on a scale of 1 - 10. Reports that are not submitted, not submitted on time or not submitted via the correct link on Blackboard will be graded with zero points. During the course there will be one opportunity to resit a submitted report that is graded as a fail. If a resit is taken, the tutor will provide the student with feedback on the submitted report, after which the student has 2 weeks in which to revise and resubmit the report. Students who attended a career event but did not submit a report for this, or did not submit a report on time, will also be given the opportunity to resit this by still submitting a report within 2 weeks after their tutor has given them this resit opportunity. In this resit situation, a report can never be given a grade higher than 6.0, because students have had sufficient opportunity during the course to obtain individual feedback on the report to be submitted.
The Institute of Psychology uses fixed rules for grade calculation and compulsory attendance. It also follows the policy of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences to systematically check student papers for plagiarism with the help of software. Disciplinary measures will be taken when fraud is detected. Students are expected to be familiar with and understand the implications of these three policies.
Reading list
The reading list will be announced via Blackboard. Examples of the articles that need to be studied are:
Mitchell, K. E., Al Levin, S. and Krumboltz, J. D. (1999), Planned Happenstance: Constructing Unexpected Career Opportunities. Journal of Counseling & Development, 77: 115–124. doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.1999.tb02431.x
Lent, R.W. & Brown, S.D. (2013). Social cognitive model of career self-management: Toward a unifying view of adaptive career behavior across the life span. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60, 557-568
Contact information
Esther van Leeuwen, Chirs Verhoeven POCP@fsw.leidenuniv.nl