HONORS PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM
APPLICATION INFORMATION
STUDENTS APPLYING AS SOPHOMORES [A]
Academic Year 2015-16
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Note: Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the Honors Program.
1.
Will be starting Junior or 4th year (if taking 5 years to complete the degree) in Fall 2015
2.
Overall UCI GPA of at least 3.2
3.
Overall GPA in psychology courses of at least 3.5
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Participation in the Honors Program would be for two years. If accepted, you would do the following:
In Year 1:
 Enroll in Honors Experimental Psychology (H111A-B-C) in F, W, S, which will provide you with a strong foundation in
experimental research methods and the opportunity to carry out research; and
 Enroll in a seminar course, Psychology H101A, during fall quarter. The goal of this course is to introduce you to various
avenues of psychology research which you can pursue at UCI.
In Year 2 (the final year):
 Continue to carry out a research project under the direction of a member of the faculty;
 Write a thesis and present your research at the ‘Honors in Cognitive Sciences and Psychology’ Symposium;
 Enroll in a seminar course, Psychology H101B, during fall quarter. This course helps students get off to a good start on
their senior research projects and the initial stages of writing their theses; and
 Enroll in Psychology H101C (another seminar course) during spring quarter. This course is designed to assist students in
the completion of their theses and preparation of the symposium presentations.
 You may also wish to enroll in 190, 198 or 199 units with your research advisor. This is optional and can be done any
quarter.
What type of research can you do?
Students in the program have carried out research in a wide variety of areas over the years. Some of these include: eye
witness testimony, memory in Alzheimer’s disease, color perception, concept formation in children, short-term memory,
reading and spelling ability, language acquisition and processing, bilingualism, and face recognition. These are just a few of
the many areas in which it is possible to carry out research as a member of the Honors Program. Graduate programs,
including those in clinical psychology, regard research experience as extremely important when considering applications.
WHAT TO SUBMIT:
You must submit ALL of these documents for your application to be considered complete. If a document is missing, your application will not be
reviewed.
1.
Honors Program Application – see below. This MUST be typed.
2.
Current academic transcript. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable
3.
Current Curriculum Vita (max 2 pages).
A Curriculum Vita (“course of [your] life”) provides an overview of your life and qualifications. Sample Word templates are
available at http://www.cogsci.uci.edu/files/docs/CVTemplates.zip. You do not have to use one of these templates, but they
are indicative of the sort of information you should include, and how it should be presented.
WHEN AND HOW TO SUBMIT:
Application Packet Due Dates:
 Current UCI students submit by no later than Monday, June 15, 2015.
 Transfer students submit by no later than Monday, August 10, 2015.
Submit your completed application packet, as one .pdf file, via e-mail to: cogsci@uci.edu.
Include “Application for Honors Program” in the subject heading. NOTE: Hard copies will not be accepted.
If you have questions about the Honors Program, please contact Professor Virginia Richards:
v.m.richards@uci.edu.
HONORS PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM
APPLICATION – APPLYING AS SOPHOMORES [A]
Academic Year 2015-16
APPLICANT INFORMATION
Name (first, middle, last):
UCI Student ID#:
Date of Birth:
UCI E-Mail Address:
Phone #:
Current Address:
City:
State:
ZIP Code:
RESEARCH PAPER REPORT
Choose a recent research article (within the last 5 years) from one of the following journals:

Psychological Review

Psychonomic Bulletin and Review

Psychological Science

Cognitive Science

Trends in Cognitive Science

Trends in Neuroscience
In the space below, and over the next page, address the following:
1. Summarize the goals, methods, and findings of the research report.
2. Provide a brief critical evaluation of the research, identifying its strength and weaknesses.
3. Suggest one or two possible directions for additional research on the same topic, based on modified, extended or
improved methods, models or theories.
You should write as if a professor you might work with as an Honors student has given you the paper to read, and you are
reporting to them. This means you can assume you are writing to an experienced researcher. Focus on demonstrating your
understanding of, and ideas about, the research topic and methods.



Do not change the layout (i.e., font, font size, margin) of the box below and over the next page.
Do not insert text beyond the bottom of the second page.
You may use headings, or insert diagrams or pictures within the space limit.
Make sure you start with a full reference to the article you have chosen, by replacing the sample one below.
Gershman, S.J., Blei, D.M., & Niv, Y. (2010). Context, learning, and extinction. Psychological Review, 117, 197-209.
HONORS PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM
APPLICATION – APPLYING AS SOPHOMORES [A]
Academic Year 2015-16