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Honors Program

2023-24 Thesis Students

Laying the groundwork for thesis eligbility:

In most cases, faculty are reluctant to take on thesis supervision unless someone has been working in their lab for at least a semester or two.  Thus you should ideally be in a lab, learning the skills, and laying the groundwork for your project by your junior year, if not before.  Unfortunately, finding a research position can be challenging right now, as many labs are still not running at full capacity as we come back from the pandemic.  If you are not able to find a position in Psychology, you may wish to try Psychiatry, the MADRC, or other units where faculty do not have as much exposure to undergraduates and the field may be less crowded.  If you still aren't able to find a position now, you might talk to the labs you are interested in to see if you can attend their lab meetings, or if there are skills you can work on to make you a good candidate when a position does open up.  The STAR Scholars YouTube presentation on finding a research position - and what to do if you can't this year - may also be helpful. 

Good luck with your search!

-Dr. Cindy Lustig, Thesis Program Director

The Honors Program allows advanced students to collaborate directly with a faculty mentor to complete an original research project. Results from honors projects have been reported in scientific journals and presented at professional conferences. The honors research program includes two terms of independent study courses with the mentor, culminating in a written thesis report and a poster presentation. Successful program participants are awarded an honors designation at graduation (B.A. or B.S. degree “with honors”). 

For students with strong academic records and an interest in research, the honors program can serve as a capstone for their undergraduate studies, and as important preparation for graduate studies.

Visit the Prospective Honors Students page for information about the program, expectations, application, and more.