PSYC Honors Program

Eligibility Criteria

Psychology majors may apply at the end of their sophomore year or during their junior year, but no later than their sixth semester of undergraduate study.

Applicants must have:

• Completed three courses (9 credits) in psychology, including PSYC 200
• An overall and psychology GPA of at least 3.50
• An interest in and commitment to research in psychology

Requirements for Completion of the Honors Program

To graduate with Honors in Psychology, students accepted into the program must:

• Complete the requirements for a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in psychology
• Complete an undergraduate honors thesis (PSYC468H, PSYC469H, and PSYC499H)
• Complete two PSYC honors seminars including PSYC498H
• Complete an additional advanced PSYC course (another PSYC honors seminar, another 400-level PSYC lab, or any 600-level PSYC course)
• PSYC 400 level course in each Theme
• Maintain a 3.50 UMD GPA (both cumulative and in psychology) for Honors
• Earn a 3.80 UMD GPA (both cumulative and in psychology) for High Honors, in addition to completing an honors thesis of exceptionally high quality as determined by the thesis committee
• Be actively involved in leadership or volunteerism in our department, university and/or community (e.g., assist with Welcome to PSYC Day, volunteer with BSOS or in the community)
• Present thesis poster at the Department of Psychology Undergraduate Research Day
• Join Psi Chi International Honors Society for Psychology for at least senior year 

Honors Coursework

To apply to the Psychology Honors Program, download and submit the application from our Honors Forms page.  Meeting all requirements does not guarantee admission. Only the top applicants, as determined by the Honors Director, will be admitted into the PSYC Honors Program.  If you have any questions about the Honors in Psychology Program, please feel free to contact the Department of Psychology’s Office of Undergraduate Studies at (301) 405-5866 or PSYCadvising@umd.edu.

                                                                    Apply By Nov. 15th!

WHAT IS AN HONORS THESIS?

The Undergraduate Honors thesis is an original, independent undergraduate research project carried out under the guidance of a faculty member in the Department of Psychology who serves as the student’s advisor. The thesis research explores a concept or problem within psychology in depth, includes a study that uses knowledge gained in undergraduate coursework, furthers understanding of a salient topic in psychology, and culminates in a substantial research paper. The thesis requires at least three semesters of focused work. The thesis forms a significant part of the student's Honors Program experience and is conducted under close supervision from the advisor. Example theses can be found at the following link (https://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/25221).

WHO SERVES AS HONORS THESIS ADVISORS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS?

The Honors thesis advisor must be a faculty member in the Department of Psychology (tenure/tenure track or professional track). The theses of undergraduate Honors students may not be supervised by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers or non-members of the Department of Psychology faculty.

The Honors Thesis Committee consists of three faculty members in the Department of Psychology. Students may petition the chair of the Department of Psychology to request that one of the committee members be a faculty member from outside of our department. Students should submit a written petition to the chair three weeks in advance of their proposal meeting with the rationale for including a faculty member outside of the department on the committee.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes related to a research topic
• Engage in innovative and integrative thinking to develop and implement a study
• Design, conduct, analyze, and interpret psychological research
• Understand and follow ethical practices in scientific research
• Engage in statistical analyses
• Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena
• Demonstrate effective communication and writing related to research
• Present research findings (to advisor, committee and Psychology community)

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR COMPLETING AN HONORS THESIS?

Students work with their advisor to identify a topic of interest and together, they decide on the research design for the study. The student writes a thesis proposal that consists of the following sections: Introduction, Literature Review, Method, and References. It is expected that the advisor provides edits and the student revises the proposal based on the suggestions from the advisor. Once the advisor approves the proposal, the student must present the proposal to the Honors Thesis Committee.

The student schedules a 1-hour meeting during which time the student gives a 10 to 15 minute presentation describing the research and then answers questions from the faculty. Each committee member independently votes whether the student passes (meets expectations) or does not pass (does not meet expectations) the proposal meeting. The student passes if they receive two or more passing votes.

After the meeting, the advisor submits the Thesis Proposal Meeting Form to the Assistant Director. If the student passes the meeting, the student makes edits based on committee feedback. After completing requested edits and receiving final approval of the proposal from the advisor, the student submits a proposal to obtain approval from the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board Human Subjects Committee or Animal Care Committee. Once the proposal is approved by the IRB, the student begins the research project.

If the student does not pass the meeting (receives two or more does not pass votes), the student has four weeks to make edits and hold a second proposal meeting. If the student does not pass this meeting, their participation in the Honors Program is terminated.

The thesis consists of the following sections: Introduction, Literature Review, Method, Results, Discussion, and References. After the advisor determines that the thesis is ready for review, the final thesis must be presented to the Honors Thesis Committee. The student schedules a 1-hour defense meeting during which time the student gives a 10 to 15 minute presentation describing the research and then answers questions from the faculty. The committee should receive the written thesis two weeks prior to the defense meeting. Students must defend their thesis no later than the last day of classes in the semester in which they plan to graduate.

In evaluating the written thesis, the Thesis Committee weighs (a) how well the student places the research into the context of the relevant literature; (b) the clarity and originality of the study design; (c) the relevance of the statistical design and analysis; and (d) the student's interpretation and integration of findings within the research and theoretical literature in psychology. Similar criteria are used to judge performance in the oral examination. Each committee member independently votes whether the student passes (meets expectations) or does not pass (does not meet expectations) the proposal meeting. The student passes if they receive two or more passing votes.

After the meeting, the advisor submits the Psychology Honors Program Thesis Defense Form to the Associate Director, Undergraduate Studies. Often, edits are needed prior to submission of the final thesis. If the thesis is approved, the advisor submits the thesis and the Final Thesis Approval Form to the Associate Director. In addition, students are asked to upload their thesis on the library repository (DRUM). When the thesis is ready to upload, the students should send an email message to drum-help@umd.edu and the staff will assist the student in uploading their thesis. Please note that the final thesis must be approved by the advisor and submitted to the Associate Director prior to spring graduation.  

If the thesis is not approved, the student has the opportunity to make edits and schedule a second defense of their thesis to the Honors Thesis Committee within one month of the defense meeting. If the student does not pass on the second attempt, participation in the Honors Program is terminated. No credit will be received for participation in the Honors Program if the student does not successfully defend the thesis.

• PSYC Honors Application Form

• PSYC Honors Thesis Proposal Form

• Honors Thesis Defense Form

PSYC Honors Alumni

Lucas Guberman - Social Psychology PhD student at Florida State University studying the influence of stigma and prejudice on intergroup relations.

Kyaw Thirein - Study Coordinator @ Georgetown University Medical Center

Sonya Leikin - POLER Lab Clinical Research Coordinator, Children's National Hospital 

Sarah Nelson - Psychology Research Project Coordinator, University of Pittsburgh

Deanna Sarlak 

Eric Shi - Research Analyst

Hannahlise Wang - Postgraduate Associate at the Yale Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program