Admission Requirements

To enroll in the first course of the Honors Thesis Sequence, students must have:

• At least two semesters remaining before graduating
• Achieved at least Junior standing
• Completed PSYC 2103  with a grade of B or above (a grade of A is preferred)
• A minimum overall GPA of 3.2 (or be close enough to a 3.2 to be reasonably confident of achieving it by graduation)
• A minimum Psychological Science GPA of 3.5 (or be close enough to a 3.5 to be reasonably confident of achieving it by graduation)
• Identified a faculty member to supervise the Honors Thesis project BEFORE enrolling in PSYC 4701  

For additional information and to complete the Psychological Science Departmental Honors application, see the Department of Psychological Science website.

Course Requirements

The Honors Program in Psychology involves a two-semester thesis project.  This thesis project provides students with an opportunity to do research that is similar to what they may encounter in graduate school.  Over the course of two semesters, students conduct a literature search around a topic, develop a research proposal, design a study and collect data, conduct data analyses, and write up the findings and their implications in a research thesis.  

During the first semester (PSYC 4701 ), students conduct a literature review and design a study to form a research proposal.  At the end of the first semester, there is a formal defense of the research proposal before a committee of faculty members and peers.

During the second semester (PSYC 4702 ), students conduct the research proposed in their research proposal-they collect and analyze their data, write up the findings and their implications, and combine this information with their research proposal to create their final research thesis.  At the end of the second semester, there is a formal defense of the research thesis before a committee of faculty members and peers.

• PSYC 4701 - Honors Thesis I (3)
• PSYC 4702 - Honors Thesis II (3) (O,W)

Certification Requirements

To graduate with departmental honors, students must complete all of the following:

• Receive a grade of A in PSYC 4701  
• Receive a grade of A in PSYC 4702  
• Obtain a minimum GPA of 3.5 in all Psychological Science (PSYC) courses
• Obtain a minimum overall GPA of 3.2
• Complete the Application to Candidacy process for graduating with honors, as directed by the Honors College

Upon meeting these requirements, an Honors notation will appear on the student’s official transcript.