Honors
Applied Psychology students with a record of exceptional achievement are welcome to apply for our Honors Program. Eligible seniors are required to conduct an independent research project on a topic of their choice under the close mentorship of an Applied Psychology faculty member.
In many cases, the Honors project will be part of a larger project being worked on by a research mentor and his/her team. Conversely, a student might also develop an original small-scale research project to conduct under the supervision of their research mentor. Students who are accepted into the Honors program will have the opportunity to submit their project for review and presentation to the annual Undergraduate Research Conference held late in Spring semester.
Application Procedure
Attend an Honors Information Session
(Freshman Year - Fall semester Junior Year)
During the Fall and Spring Semesters, students interested in applying to the Honors Program are encouraged to attend an information session with the Director of the Program, Dr. Gigliana Melzi.
Identify a Potential Mentor
(Freshman Year - Fall semester Junior Year)
Students interested in applying to the Honors program should first identify an area of psychology in which they are interested, and then find an advisor who has expertise in that area. The research mentor will need to be a full-time faculty member in the Department of Applied Psychology. Thus, looking through descriptions of Applied Psychology full-time faculty members' research will help you narrow down your interests and ensure that your interests match those of potential research mentors.
Please click here to review faculty members' research
Keep in mind that faculty members limit the number of students they mentor, so it is important to think ahead and contact potential research mentors as soon as possible. Before asking a faculty member to serve as your research mentor, it is important that you start to build a relationship with him/her. Most students begin by volunteering on the faculty member's research team. This familiarizes the student with the research process, and acquaints the faculty member with the student. Remember that in exchange for mentoring you through your Honors project, your research mentor will likely expect you to dedicate a set number of hours each week to assisting with his/her research projects.
Meet Honors Program Requirements
(Spring Semester Junior Year)
To be eligible to apply for Honors, students must satisfy two requirements:
- demonstration of exceptional performance in psychology coursework (e.g., A or A- in Fieldwork courses)
- a minimum GPA (cumulative and major) of 3.5
In addition, students must have completed at least one semester of research methods and one semester of fieldwork before applying.
Submit Application
(Spring Semester Junior Year) April 15, 2011
Along with your application (download here), please include:
- A research proposal (not to exceed 5 pages double-spaced, excluding the abstract, references and appendix). Your research proposal should include an abstract, a brief review of the literature, your research questions (and/or hypotheses), and your proposed methodology.
- A letter of support from your research mentor. The letter of support from your research mentor should include:
- Your mentors' familiarity with you and your work
- Mentor's view of the nature and value of your project
- Your mentors' willingness to supervise your project
- The time your mentor has available to work with you on your project
- Your mentor's involvement and support of the project.
- A current unofficial copy of your transcript
- A current copy of your resume or CV
Criteria for Acceptance
Each student's application will be evaluated by three blind reviewers, faculty members, who rate the application on the following areas, from a scale of one to five (5 being the best score):
- Quality of proposed project
- Feasibility of proposed project
- Relevance to the field of Applied Psychology
- Student's academic record
- Evidence of a solid relationship with the research mentor
- Evidence of mentor's commitment to the project
The average of the three scores is calculated to compute the applicant's overall score. If the overall score is from a:
4 to 5: Student is qualified for acceptance into the Honors Program
3 to 4: Students is required to meet with Director of Undergraduate Program to gain final approval
1 to 3: Student is disqualified for acceptance into the Honor Program
Special Concerns
Transfer Students
All transfer applicants are highly encouraged to schedule an appointment with the Undergraduate Program Director, Dr. Gigliana Melzi, to discuss the Honors Program application.
Students who transfer into the Applied Psychology Program during Fall Semester of their Junior year are eligible to apply the Honors Program. It is highly recommended that interested students enroll in Research Methods and Fieldwork I in their first semester. It also necessary to join a research team during the Fall semester to establish a relationship with a potential mentor.
Students who transfer into the department Spring Semester of their Junior, unfortunately, will be unlikely to have a successful application given that they will not have developed a working relationship with a potential mentor.
Study Abroad
Students who plan to study abroad during Fall or Spring semester Junior Year may apply, although it will take some extra work and the mentor must agree to work with the student through e-mail. Students interested in the Honors Program who plan to study abroad, should contact potential research mentors, latest, during the Spring semester of your Sophomore year to start getting research experience and building a relationship with a mentor. Students will be expected to work on developing a research proposal with their mentor during their Junior year. They may submit an application to the Honors program from abroad, electronically. However, all students enrolled in the Honors Program need to be on campus during the Fall and Spring semesters of their Senior year.
Graduating Early
Students who are graduating a semester early are eligible to apply for the Honors Program as long as they have Junior status at the time of application, meet all requirements, and are able to take both Honors seminars.
Graduating with Honors
All students in the Honors Program are required to take a two-semester Honors seminar. This seminar must be taken in the Fall and Spring semesters of the Senior year.
To graduate with Honors, students must have a cumulative and major GPA of at least a 3.5 at the time of graduation, as well as an A in both Honors seminars and at least an A- in the advanced Fieldwork courses (Fieldwork II and III)