Honors Program in Psychology

Admission requirements, program goals, benefits, and components of the Honors Program in Psychology are detailed. The program aims to enhance research skills, contribute to psychological science, and provide mentorship for thesis writing. It offers opportunities for personal growth, career exploration, and professional development through research and seminar components.

• Psychology
• Honors Program
• Research
• Thesis
• Mentorship

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1. Honors Program in Psychology Goal of the Program: To design, execute, & write a research- based thesis in psychology, in an apprenticeship with a faculty advisor.

2. Why do the Honors Program? 1. To help you figure out whether you want to pursue research in psychology as your career. 2. To make a real contribution to psychological science. With luck, you may become an author on a scientific publication. 3. So your advisor & the course coordinator get to know you well enough to write detailed letters of recommendation for you. - Nothing impresses grad & professional school admissions committees more than letters from faculty who clearly know you well saying how smart & knowledgeable & motivated you are! 4. You may be able to use parts of your thesis as a writing sample in your grad or professional school applications.

3. Along the way, you will: 1. Find out about research in many areas of psychology. 2. Learn about the varied paths that faculty & grad students here have taken to get where they are. 3. Get advice about applying to grad &/or professional programs. - From your advisor, lab-mates, classmates, faculty & grad student visitors to the class, the TA, & the honor s coordinator. 4. Have a cohort to help you through the whole process. (Some of your classmates may end up being friends for life) 5. Become a better speaker, writer, & critical thinker, which will make you a better "consumer" of all science.

4. Honors Program in Psychology For admission to the program, you should: 1. Be a second semester Junior 2. Have a GPA 3.5 both in your major and overall* 3. Have already taken statistics (Psych 235 or equivalent) and a lab course [or taken concurrently in spring]. 4. Have an agreement with a Psychology Department faculty member (or affiliate) to be your advisor 5. Have an interview with the course coordinator NOTE: Not every applicant who meets these requirements will be admitted. We want to have a program that is well balanced, with a good diversity of people and projects. If you are not accepted into the program, there are other options for completing a Senior Thesis that may be available to you.

5. First semester (= Second semester of Junior year) - Two components - Seminar: writing and oral presentations - Register for PSYC 398 (Junior Honors Seminar) for 3 hours - Research: actual research activities - Register for PSYC 494 (Advanced Research in Psych) with your advisor for 2 hours - For the seminar - Make two main oral in-class presentations 1. Present a research article related to your research area 2. Give an overview of background for your project & describe your proposed research - Write a 10- to 15-page literature review relevant to your project - For the research - Discuss/finalize project design

6. Second Semester (= First semester of Senior year) - Two components - Seminar: - Register for PSYC 498 (Senior Honors Seminar) for 3 hours - Research - Register for PSYC 494 with advisor for 4 hours - For the seminar - Revising your literature into introduction of your thesis - Complete the methods section - Descriptions of your data collection & analysis - Write initial draft of results section - Give short in-class presentations about your project - For the research - Collect & analyze your data

7. Third Semester (= Second semester of Senior year) - Two components - Seminar - Register for PSYC 499 (Senior Honors Seminar II) for 4 hours - Research - PSYC 494 (Advanced Research in Psych) for 3 hours with your advisor - For the seminar - Revise and complete your Bachelor s thesis - Make poster/practice presentations - For the research - Finish analyzing your data - Formal presentations - Provost s Undergraduate Research Symposium - Honor s Poster Fair held in the Psychology Building Atrium in April - Turn in the final version of your thesis by April 15

8. Distinction in Psychology Submission of a Bachelor s Thesis provides students an opportunity to receive distinction. 1. Psychology Honors Program Graduate with High or Highest Distinction GPA 3.5 = Highest; GPA 3.0 = High 2. Advanced Research in Psychology (PSYC 494) 3 semesters of continuous research beginning no later than junior year Must be enrolled in PSYC 494 when writing thesis Eligible for Distinction (GPA 3.0) Optional: co-enrollment in PSYC 492 Capstone Undergraduate Research two-semester course taken during your senior year (FA and SP) https://psychology.illinois.edu/research/undergraduate-research-opportunities/psyc- 492-capstone-undergraduate-research

9. Distinction in Psychology Distinction in Psychology requires 1. At least two semesters of research work in a lab 2.Writing a formal Bachelor s Thesis 3.The thesis must be approved by your research advisor (via Letter of Support) and the Undergraduate Studies Committee 4.Have at least a 3.0 GPA at the time of submission of the thesis 5.Thesis submission deadline is firm April 15