The developmental area of the NIU psychology department will hold an open house Friday for graduate students and graduating seniors interested in the NIU Graduate Program in developmental psychology.

The open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Psychology Building Rm. 412.

Elise Masur, developmental area coordinator and coordinator of the event, said the open house will give students a chance to learn more about the graduate program.

Martin Kaplan, psychology department graduate studies director, said the developmental graduate program generally takes three to four people a year. (The program) “doesn’t have a definite limitation, though.”

The program can take less people if the quality of applicants warrants it or more if there are many applicants with higher qualifications, he said.

“We (the developmental area faculty) will talk to students who might be interested in applying for the program and explain what it’s like,” Marsur said.

The open house will begin with a speech given by Masur about the program. Then, each faculty member in the department will talk about his area of research. Following the faculty presentations, students will be able to tour the various psychology labs in the department.

After the tour, students will have time to talk to some of the department faculty members.

Masur said students who are interested in the graduate program can make an appointment with her to find out more information about applying for the program.

There are four other doctorate programs in the psychology department which include social psychology, biopsychology, cognitive psychology and clinical psychology, Kaplan said. There is also a master’s program, he said.

Each area of the department has its own admission criteria to the graduate programs. He said the factors include grades, letters of recommendation and extra-curricular activities.

The developmental area is the only area of the psychology department to hold an open house for graduate students, Masur said.

Masur said Friday’s open house is the first held by the developmental area. “We are hoping to have a large contingent of students there.”