The Honors Degree Program in Psychology or Neuroscience
To earn the Psychology or Neuroscience Honors Degree, the student must complete P499, which includes an independent laboratory research project and thesis. We recommend students begin this project no later than spring of their junior year in order to allow adequate time for completion before graduation.
The department honors committee, chaired by Dr. Dale Sengelaub, oversees the program. Dr. Sengelaub also teaches the P499 course, with individual research sponsors chosen by the student.
Application for admission to the honors program may be made during the sophomore or junior year.
The requirement for admission into the Honors program is that students must have a 3.3 GPA minimum and a faculty sponsor for research. Faculty recommend students for the Honors program, though students may also recommend themselves, and letters are sent to students who are eligible. Informational meetings are set up during the year explaining what students can gain by honors, Psi Chi, the B.S. degree, etc.
To prepare to work on the senior project, students need to complete most of the requirements for their major before their senior year. P499 is a two semester sequence course, and we recommend students enroll in P499 by the spring of their junior year. We strongly recommend that students work with a faculty member during their sophomore and junior year through P493-P494 or P495, reading and research, to help them choose their sponsors and project areas.
The nature of the senior project consists of twelve to eighteen months of laboratory research, sponsored by a faculty member. Students give a poster presentation on their work. Students must write up research projects in a format similar to a master's thesis, and successfully defend the thesis before a committee of three faculty members.
Most projects are financially supported through the sponsoring laboratory. Some students get Hutton Honors College awards or are eligible for funds through the CAPSTONE Research Opportunity Program. The department makes a number of small monetary awards at the end of the projects to those seniors who have achieved distinction in research such as the Excellence in Research Award and the Cheryl Burnham Buehler Award.
How might the work required for an honors degree be particularly beneficial in future endeavors? This particular project gives students an idea of the area they might want to pursue in graduate studies. Plus, the individual research project is an added benefit for admission to graduate programs.
The advantages for students who pursue the honors degree, as compared to the regular degree, is that honors degree students are better known by the faculty since courses have small enrollments and more discussion. Honors will appear on their transcript and degree. Competition for entry to many doctoral programs in psychology or neuroscience is very stiff, so any edge is very worthwhile. This project shows the student is committed to the field and has some experience in the research, which is a plus for getting into graduate school. The individual research project gives the student a good background in research methodology (important for graduate admission), better time management, and possibly publication or presentation at a conference.
For more information, contact Psychology & Neuroscience Advising or contact Dr. Dale Sengelaub.
Dale R. Sengelaub
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Phone: 855-9149
E-mail: sengelau [at] indiana.edu
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