Undergraduate Programs in Psychology, College of Arts and Science

Honors in Psychology

The Honors Program in Psychology offers unusual opportunities for interested students, including special seminars and individual research projects in collaboration with faculty members. Honors projects involve four semesters of research and participation in the Honors Seminars, PSY 295a–b and 296a–b. Under special circumstances (e.g., a semester abroad or student teaching), students may sometimes enroll in only three semesters of the Honors Seminars — provided that they can complete the four-semester research project by extra work during three regular semesters and/or a summer, and provided that this arrangement is acceptable to the faculty mentor and to the Director of the Honors Program. Majors in psychology are eligible to apply for the Honors program at the end of their sophomore year if they have a grade point average of at least 3.20 in all courses and in psychology courses. Students who complete the program successfully and who have a final grade point average of at least 3.20 will receive Honors or High Honors in Psychology. The program should substantially aid those intending to do graduate work.

See the web page for the Undergraduate Major for details on the Research with Honors program.

Details About the Honors Program

Honors Programs in Psychology, Child Development, Cognitive Studies, and Child Studies

A&S Psychology Majors register for Psychology 295a, 295b, 296a, 296b
Peabody Child Development, Cognitive Studies, Child Studies Majors register for PSY 2990 each semester

Honors Program Director: Dr. Craig Smith, 107b Jesup, 615-322-8298

Overview of the Honors Program
The Honors Program offers students the opportunity to gain more intensive experience conducting scientific research with a faculty mentor than is usually possible within a standard major. Participation in the program affords students the chance to collaborate on cutting-edge research in their major area, and to gain research skills and experiences that are of considerable value not only in preparation for graduate training but also in a variety of work settings. Students apply to participate in this program in the spring of their sophomore year, and the program is open to majors in Psychology, Child Development, Cognitive Studies, or Child Studies as a first or second major who maintain at least a 3.2 GPA. Participants in the Honors program work collaboratively with their research mentor during their junior and senior years. Participation in the program culminates in the completion of an Honors Thesis and a presentation of the research conducted as a part of the thesis.

The program is flexible enough to accommodate students who need to student teach and students who want to spend a semester abroad. Students who successfully complete the Honors Program and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.2 will graduate with the special designation of "Honors" in their Psychology, Child Development, Cognitive Studies, or Child Studies major.

Applying for the program
Ideally, arrangements should be negotiated with the faculty mentor, the completed application to the program should be turned into the program director, and the student should be registered for PSY 295a (A&S) or 2990 (Peabody) by the end of Fall Pre-registration in the spring of the student's sophomore year. However, it is possible to register for required courses and to participate in the Honors Program (assuming all other requirements are met) right up through the end of the drop/add period at the start of fall classes.

Full program details (pdf)

Download program application (pdf)