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Honors Policy

The Honors Program in Psychology gives seniors the opportunity to undertake substantial independent work culminating in a project of exceptionally high quality. An honors project represents a significant scholarly achievement and requires sustained effort well beyond typical capstone expectations.

For the 2026-2027 Honors Program, rather than proposing an entirely new project, you will begin with work that you have already completed or work that will be underway during Fall 2026 (your starting point). For many students, their starting point is their capstone project, but it may also be a RIP II project, a final project from an upper-level psychology course, a summer research project, an independent study, or a project completed while working in a faculty member’s research lab.

Your honors project will extend your starting point in a meaningful way. Extensions may take several forms—including conducting a new empirical study, developing a theoretical model, designing an assessment tool or intervention, creating a course syllabus, or producing another outcome that builds on your starting point and contributes to the field of psychology. In all cases, the honors project should demonstrate clear engagement with psychological scholarship and make a substantive contribution beyond the original work.

Admission to the Honors Program is limited by faculty availability. For the 2026–2027 academic year, we expect to have capacity for only a small number of students.

Timeline

Now / This Summer

If you are considering applying for Honors in Psychology, begin by discussing your potential starting point with a faculty member—typically the person with whom you conducted, are conducting, or will conduct that project. If you do not yet have a completed starting point, you should make a plan to complete one during Summer or Fall 2026. Here are some questions to ask yourself (and to discuss with department faculty) to decide whether the Honors Program is right for you:

  • What is my motivation for wanting to participate in the Honors Program? Does the Honors process align with that motive, or is there a better/different way for me to fulfill my aspirations? For instance, if my primary motivation is that doing Honors will look good on my CV when I apply to graduate school, would it be better for me to invest that time in a research lab so that I can develop more grad-school-relevant skills?
  • Is there a topic about which I’m passionate? Do I want to really “nerd out” about this topic during my senior year? Am I excited about doing the added work that an Honors project entails?
  • Am I able to work largely independently on my Honors project in the Spring semester of my senior year?

September: Intention to Apply

To formally signal your interest in the 2026-27 Psychology Honors Program, please complete this Intention to Apply form before Friday, September 11, 2026 at 5 pm.

November: Proposal Draft

To be considered for the Honors Program, you will submit a 2–3 page (double-spaced) proposal to the department chair. Your proposal should include the following components:

  1. Starting Point: A brief summary of your starting point project
    • A clear statement of the research question or topic, grounded in relevant psychological scholarship
    • A brief summary of the method used (or planned) to answer the research question
    • The context in which it was (or will be) conducted
    • The faculty supervisor
  2. Proposed Honors Extension: A clear description of how you will extend the starting point
    • The goals of the proposed extension
    • The specific contribution the extension aims to make (e.g., testing competing theories, extending prior work to a new population or context, developing a novel tool or application)
    • The activities you will undertake to achieve these goals
    • A tentative description of the final product (e.g., empirical paper, theoretical model, assessment tool, intervention, grant proposal, syllabus unit)

Please use this cover sheet to ensure your proposal meets all requirements. You will be prompted to make a copy and to add your proposal to this document. Submit all materials to the department chair by email: Cari Gillen-O’Neel ([email protected]) before Friday, November 6, 2026 at 5 pm. All students will receive feedback on their proposals. In addition to the quality of the proposal itself, faculty will consider:

  • The student’s track record of success in domains relevant to the proposed project. Although grades will be considered, greater emphasis will be placed on whether the student has demonstrated a strong and consistent record of motivation, initiative, and follow-through, and whether they are highly responsive to feedback, work effectively and independently, and have a clear track record of accomplishments relevant to the proposed project.
  • The availability of faculty with relevant expertise to supervise the project.

A limited number of students will be invited to move forward in the Honors application process. You will receive feedback and your status by Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

December: Proposal Presentation

Students invited to officially apply to the Honors Program will give a brief oral presentation summarizing:

  • their starting point project
  • their proposed honors extension

Presentations will be scheduled based on availability and will take place during the final week of classes or finals week of Fall 2026.

The Psychology faculty will use the rubric below to evaluate presentations and determine final admission to the Honors Program:

ExcellentGoodAdequateNeeds Improvement
Strength of the Starting Point: How strong and appropriate is the prior work that the honors project builds upon?Starting point is high-quality, clearly developed, and well-suited for extensionStarting point is solid and appropriate, with some areas for further developmentStarting point is acceptable but limited in scope or depthStarting point is underdeveloped or not well-suited for extension
Quality of the Proposed Extension: How meaningful, ambitious, and well-conceived is the extension beyond the starting point?Extension is clearly defined, ambitious, and represents a substantial advancementExtension is well-defined and meaningful, though somewhat limited in scopeExtension is present but modest or underdevelopedExtension is unclear, minimal, or not well connected to the starting point
Alignment with Psychological Scholarship: To what extent does the project engage with the field of psychology?Strong grounding in psychological theory, research, or applicationClear connection to psychology, though not deeply developedSome connection to psychology, but limited or unclearWeak or unclear connection to the field of psychology
Rigor and Feasibility: Is the project methodologically sound and feasible within the Honors timeline?Highly rigorous, well-designed, and clearly feasibleSound design with minor concerns about scope or feasibilitySome concerns about rigor or feasibilitySignificant concerns about design, rigor, or feasibility
Independence and Initiative: To what extent does the project reflect independent thinking and student ownership?Demonstrates strong independence, initiative, and intellectual ownershipShows clear independence with some reliance on guidanceModerate independence; relies heavily on guidanceLimited independence or initiative
Overall Scholarly Contribution: Does the project rise to the level of an Honors-worthy achievement?Represents a significant scholarly accomplishment beyond capstone expectationsClearly exceeds capstone expectations in meaningful waysMeets some expectations for Honors but not consistentlyDoes not exceed typical capstone expectations
Clarity of Proposal: Is the project clearly described? Are the goals, methods, and outcomes easy to understand?The proposal is exceptionally clear and well-organized. Goals, methods, and expected outcomes are articulated precisely and are easy to understand.The proposal is clear and generally well-organized. Goals, methods, and outcomes are understandable with only minor areas needing clarification.The proposal is somewhat unclear or unevenly organized. Goals, methods, or outcomes are present but may be vague or difficult to follow in places.The proposal lacks clarity or organization. Goals, methods, and/or outcomes are poorly defined or difficult to understand.
Feasibility: To what extent is the proposed project feasible given available faculty expertise and departmental resources?The project is clearly feasible within the department, with strong alignment to available faculty expertise. It is evident that appropriate supervision and support would be readily available.The project is likely feasible within the department, with reasonable alignment to faculty expertise. Supervision appears attainable, though some coordination may be needed.The project shows some alignment with departmental expertise, but feasibility is uncertain or would require significant adjustment or support.The project is not feasible given current departmental expertise and resources. It is unclear how appropriate supervision or support would be secured.
Responsiveness to Feedback: To what extent has the student incorporated and thoughtfully engaged with faculty feedback on the proposal?Feedback has been thoroughly and thoughtfully incorporated. Revisions clearly strengthen the proposal and reflect careful engagement with faculty suggestions.Most feedback has been incorporated in meaningful ways. Revisions improve the proposal, though some suggestions could be more fully addressed.Some feedback has been incorporated, but revisions are partial, uneven, or primarily surface-level.Little to no evidence that faculty feedback was incorporated, or revisions do not meaningfully address prior concerns.

FAQs:

  1. Is there a minimum GPA for participation in the Honors program in Psychology?

No, there is no minimum GPA. We urge potential applicants to talk with their faculty advisors about whether undertaking an Honors project is a good fit for their interests and background. 

  1. What is the relationship between capstone/Directed Research and Honors?

For many students, Honors will consist of completing a strong capstone/Directed Research project in the Fall and then expanding that project in the Spring. In rare cases, a student who has already undertaken a substantial independent project under close faculty supervision can use that project, rather than their capstone, as the foundation for Honors. Students who wish to use an independent study as the foundation for their Honors project should discuss this possibility with the faculty member who supervised that project.

  1. What happens if I apply for Honors and then decide I don’t want to complete my project?

This is not an uncommon occurrence; as students evaluate their workload and priorities, they sometimes decide that the Honors program is not for them. 

  1. What if I miss the November deadline to propose an Honors project?

Unfortunately, this deadline is firm. The faculty have limited time to review the proposals before students commit to their projects. We urge you to start your proposals early so that you can turn them in by the deadline. 

  1. I plan to graduate in December. Can I participate in the Honors program?

Unfortunately, students who plan to graduate in December 2026 will not be eligible for the Honors program; there is insufficient time to complete all of the required steps. If you plan to graduate in December 2027, however, please consult with your faculty advisor ASAP about whether applying for Honors this year is a good choice for you.

  1. Can my Honors project in Psychology be combined with an Honors project in my other major?

Our policy has been that a project can only result in Honors in one department. In the past, a few hardy souls have conducted two Honors projects (one in each major). Please confer with your faculty advisor to determine what makes the most sense given your majors and your plans for the future.

Previous Honors Projects

You can read most of these honors projects on Digital Commons.