The Honors Program in Psychology (rev. 4/2013)
The Honors Program in Psychology at ASU was established in the mid-1970's (and thus, it predates the establishment of an Honors College at Arizona State University). The program has
always supported and encouraged our best undergraduates to become engaged in creating new
psychological knowledge by working closely with our Department Faculty in developing and
implementing empirical research projects as Honors Theses in Psychology.
The Psychology Honors Program now coordinates with Barrett, the Honors College at ASU, to
support psychology majors in the Honors College, who wish to complete Honors Theses in
Psychology.
Doing an Honors Thesis in Psychology is an intense and rewarding experience. The main focus
of the Departmental Honors Program is the Honors Thesis Sequence is a special opportunity
that supports the thesis endeavor in several ways, and is what we recommend. However, there
are also several alternatives pathways to the Honors Thesis Sequence that are described in the
last section of this document.
The Psychology Honors Thesis Sequence includes the Thesis itself (PSY 492-PSY493), but the
larger experience is built around a year-long, seminar course for the group of students doing
Psychology Honors Theses in a calendar year. This course has proven to be very valuable as a
support structure on several levels as the students engage in their thesis work (which is
completed by the students working with individual faculty members).
This sequence (and the thesis seminar course) is designed for Barrett Psychology majors who are
committed to Psychology as a scientific discipline and is particularly useful to prepare students
to go on to graduate study in Psychology or related scientific disciplines. The thesis projects that
are supported in the sequence reflect that focus, and are expected to produce new empirical
understanding of psychological phenomena.
In the context of that course, students are able to identify a tenure-track faculty mentor (if they
have not already done so), with whom to develop a thesis research question. They also will
sharpen their research and professional tool skills, present their ongoing projects and share their
experiences with others, and have further faculty support and assistance as needed, for their
project and also in applying to graduate school.
What is an Honors Thesis in Psychology?
Psychology is a scientific discipline that studies behavior and mental activity. In this it is a very
broad field, which overlaps with many other disciplines in the University. However, several
points stand out in defining the Honors Thesis experience in the Psychology Department.
Psychology is an empirical science, and our faculty endorse the idea that an undergraduate
Honors Thesis should have an empirical component (that is, it should include the use of data to
answer a research question, rather than being a solely theoretical review paper). We encourage
all our majors to get actively involved in research at all levels, and feel that such research should
be part of the thesis experience, as well.
An Honors Thesis in Psychology is a project of original scholarship, which includes an
empirical component and which the student undertakes under the guidance of a faculty member.
The specific research question that the thesis engages (and the details of the project) are
determined by the student and faculty member. We encourage students to work with faculty in
developing research questions for their theses, and in designing and executing studies to inform
us about those research questions. Thesis projects may involve the collection of new data, or
may use existing data sets to answer new research questions. Because of the complexity of
projects in Psychology, and the need in many cases to collect data from people or animals as
subjects of study, there is a great deal of planning involved, and projects typically require two
semesters of academic work.
The Psychology Honors Thesis serves as a capstone experience for our majors. The
experience is aimed at students who are our best students in terms of their capability and in terms
of their engagement with the major. Before beginning a thesis, we expect students will have
substantial progress in the major and already had some experience in research endeavors (a
supervised research experience – usually a PSY 399).
When does the Psychology Honors Sequence occur?
The Psychology Honors Sequence is one year-long, spanning Spring and Fall Semesters. It is
held in a calendar year, rather than an academic year. A new sequence begins each January.
Thus, students begin the sequence in Spring semester of their Junior year, and complete the
sequence and defend their Honors Thesis in the Fall of their senior year.
What does the Psychology Honors Thesis Sequence involve?
There are a total of 5 courses (15 hours of credit) involved in the sequence, of which 12 provide
honors credit.
In Spring Semester:
PSY 497 Honors Thesis Seminar
PSY 492 Honors Directed Study (3 hrs)
PSY 330 Advanced Statistics
In Fall Semester:
PSY 497 Honors Thesis Seminar
PSY 493 Psychology Honors Thesis (3 hrs)
During the spring semester, students develop the ideas, background, and methods for their study.
By the end of the spring semester, they write a paper detailing their proposed project and present
to the seminar and their faculty mentor.
During the summer (where warranted) and fall semesters, students complete the data collection,
do analyses of their data, and write up the study as a formal Thesis. The Honors Thesis is then
defended to their thesis committee and the seminar class during latter part of the Fall semester.
Preparing to do a Psychology Honors Thesis
Students anticipating participating in the Psychology Honors Thesis should do what all
successful majors should do. Get an early start on substantive course work in psychology, do
well in their coursework and get involved in research activities with faculty.
We have expectations/requirements for students to prepare for a Psychology Honors Thesis. The
following are the minimum expectations for students to prepare for the Thesis Sequence.
Students should have completed, and have strong academic record (at least 3.3 GPA) in:
1) All three Psychology foundations/tool skill courses (PSY101, PSY230, PSY290)
2) At least two (6 hours) upper division content courses (300 level or higher)
3) Have a research experience beyond PSY 290
(usually a PSY 399 experience with a faculty member in the department)
Students without this level of preparation are at a disadvantage in terms of having the ideal
Honors Thesis experience. Because the Seminar has limited capacity, we reserve the class for
those who are engaged and prepared for the experience.
Sounds great! How do I apply?
There is an application process to participate in the Honors Sequence. Applications are due in
early November to the Honors Program Coordinator (Dr. Clark Presson). These applications are
available online on the department website and at the Barrett website.
By mid-November, students should complete the application to the Honors Thesis Sequence.
We review all applications at the end of the Fall semester and release the class line numbers
(SLN) for the seminar (PSY497) and Honors Directed Study (PSY 492) for admitted students.
NOTE: All students applying for the sequence should preregister for PSY 330 for the Spring
semester that they begin the thesis sequence, if they have not completed that course earlier.
Why is the sequence only Spring-Fall?
Can I begin the sequence in the Fall?
Currently there is only one Psychology Honors Thesis Sequence, and it begins in the Spring and
runs for two semesters. There is no option to join that class in the middle.
Having the sequence begin in the Spring semester has a number of advantages, and remains the
best timing option for students going on to advanced work. Having the sequence run each
calendar year also provides the greatest flexibility, both by having the summer available to work
on the project and also by providing for a cushion in the event that the project is not completed
by the end of Fall semester. It also is best for the student who is aiming to go forward to
graduate or professional school, in that thesis projects are largely completed by the Fall period of
applying to graduate school, and student personal statements and the faculty letters of
recommendation are more mature and very well-informed.
What if I want to spend Junior year abroad?
Study abroad can also be a very important, positive experience for students (as is doing a thesis).
If psychology majors who want to do an honors thesis in the sequence also want to study abroad,
it requires more planning and probably some flexibility. It is true that there are more good
opportunities than time to do them all, and sometimes students need to prioritize their choices.
Many students use the Fall of their Junior year (or the summer either before or after Junior year)
as a time to participate in such programs. It is not unusual for us to get an application from a
student around the world (in November) to begin the sequence in January. If you do a Fall
semester abroad during your Junior year, do not forget to submit an application by the November
deadline, however. Also, remember that you still need to complete the expectations for
preparation for the sequence.
What if I am a transfer student, or am shifting majors to Psychology
as an upper classman?
The Psychology Honors Thesis Sequence is a substantial endeavor, and to get the most of that
experience, we have established minimum expectations for preparation. The value of this
preparation is clear to us, but it can be a challenge for students who wait to declare Psychology
as a major or who transfer from another college.
Although it is possible to finish enough upper division work into the fall semester to qualify, that
is not always the most sensible plan. We recommend that transfer students review very carefully
their programs of study and their longer-term goals to evaluate the importance of the Honors
Sequence for them.
It is clear that the best theses and experiences come from a longer-term commitment to the
research process. For some, taking an additional semester or year makes the most sense. For
others, they want to go for it and invest heavily in psychology. However, given the high number
of other requirements, it is imperative that such students plan carefully with area advisors.
Alternatives to the Psychology Honors Thesis Sequence
Although we strongly recommend the Psychology Honors Sequence for Barrett students who
were going on for careers in psychology or other related scientific disciplines, we recognize that
some students may have different longer-term goals, and might have goals better served by other
experiences. If a Barrett student seeks to complete an Honors project related to Psychology but
not in the Psychology Honors Sequence, then there are several alternatives.
1) Completing a Psychology Honors Thesis (PSY 492/493) outside the Sequence
a. If a Psychology major wishes to complete a Psychology Honors Thesis using
the primary course designation of PSY492/493, then we expect that those
students should be prepared similarly as are students entering the Honors
Sequence and that their projects should be supervised by a tenure-track faculty
member in the Psychology Department.
b. Psychology majors completing a thesis with a faculty member who does not
have a tenure-track appointment in Psychology, then the student should
arrange for a co-mentorship with a tenure-track faculty member in the
Psychology faculty, or go to option 2 below.
c. Non-Psychology majors proposing to work with Psychology faculty on
Honors projects are expected to have equivalent preparation in research tool
skills and content as would psychology majors, when registering for PSY492493.
2) Completing an Honors Project using HON 492/493.
These course prefixes are available to Psychology majors who do not enroll in the
Honors Thesis Sequence and whose thesis director is not a Tenure-track faculty
member in the Department of Psychology.
3) Completing an Honors Thesis under direction of a faculty member in another
department.
If a Psychology major proposes to work under the supervision of a faculty
member in another department, then the expectation would be that the honors
project would be completed using the prefix of that other department, unless the
student arranged for a co-mentor from the tenure-track faculty in Psychology.