The Department  of Psychology at Arizona State University has a number of activities that are designed to encourage and support students in the Barrett, the Honors College, and other outstanding students, to fully explore their interest in psychology at Arizona State University.

Honors sequence in psychology

The psychology department offers a structured, intensive sequence for advanced students to help pursue empirically-based Honors Theses in Psychology. The HONORS THESIS SEQUENCE is the core of the psychology honors program. It consists of a two semester sequence, which is offered in the spring and fall (one calendar year).

Enrollment in the sequence is limited, and applications are welcome from all qualified, well prepared psychology majors. Expectations for student preparation are described in the program brochure and application (PDF). Applications are due November 21, 2008 for Spring 2009 admission.

The thesis activities in the sequence are very intense and very rewarding. They prepare students for graduate study in psychology or related disciplines, but because of the analytic, scientific, and communicative (in writing up and presenting your project) demands, doing a thesis in psychology is also excellent preparation for any number of professional roles. To help you know what to expect in the Honors Thesis Sequence, we have developed a generic timeline.

Students in the honors program do thesis on a wide range of topics, using a range of methodologies, and the projects evolve from a blend of student interest and faculty expertise. To learn more about the sorts of projects involved in a Psychology Honors Thesis, you can review project descriptions for the group completing theses from past seminars  and look at the programs from the department’s annual Honors Thesis Poster Colloquium and Undergraduate Awards Celebration (held each April).

Courses

The department offers a small number of sections of some courses that are designed for honors students. These are smaller, separate seminar course that are limited to honors students or by instructor permission (footnote 19 courses).

We particularly recommend that you seek out an honors section of PSY 230 (Statistics) if one is available in an appropriate semester for your schedule, as well as the honors section of PGS 351 (Social Psychology), which is offered periodically.

Research Opportunities

Psychology is an empirical discipline, which relies on data to answer questions about behavior and cognitive activity (in all its glorious aspects). We encourage our honors students (and all our majors) to get involved in the wonders of research (knowledge generation). In the thesis sequence, students will be immersed in a research project of their own devising, and it is essential that students get experience doing research in preparation for the thesis sequence.

Course credit (PSY 399, 499) is available for students who serve as research assistants in various psychology labs. Current available opportunities can be found at http://psychology.clas.asu.edu/researchopp