Honors Thesis Sequence

Welcome to the start of your Psychology Honors Thesis journey! The Psychology Honors Thesis is the cornerstone of your undergraduate career, offering you the chance to dive deep into your own original research under the direction of your Psychology department faculty mentor. To ensure that you have the time and support needed to produce high-quality work, the thesis is structured as a 1.5-year-long sequence beginning in the spring of your Junior year. PSY 4994V and PSY 5994 are separate and distinct from PSY 5993.

PSY 4994V: Psychology Honors Research Practicum

PSY 4994V: Psychology Honors Research Practicum is the prerequisite course for the honors thesis, PSY 5994. This course is also your honors-required thesis support course. Unless you have positions in separate labs, you do not register for PSY 4994V and PSY 5993 in the same semester. PSY 4994V is only offered in the Spring of your Junior Year and is designed to walk you through these steps:

PSY 5994: Directed Research: Psy Honors Thesis

The Psychology Honors Thesis (PSY 5994) is the capstone experience for honors students pursuing BS or BA degrees in psychology. The thesis project is typically a year-long project undertaken independently, under the supervision of a Psychology department faculty mentor, during the final year of study. You, the student, are responsible for securing the commitment of your primary Psychology faculty mentor and two additional faculty committee members. The nature and scope of the project are determined in consultation with the faculty project advisor. The honors project consists of scholarly work culminating in a written research report and an oral presentation.

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Preparation Steps

  1. Secure your primary faculty and two additional faculty committee members.
    1. Your primary faculty must be a Psychology department faculty member.
    2. Your additional faculty committee members must be one from within the Department of Psychology and one outside of the Department of Psychology.
  2. Discuss your project with your primary faculty member.
    1. Consult with your primary mentor when identifying prospective faculty readers. Though the primary mentor determines the Psychology Thesis grade, other faculty readers provide project feedback and evaluation. Discuss your project ideas with prospective readers, incorporating their suggestions as appropriate.
  3. Complete the UHP Thesis Proposal Form, keeping in mind key deadlines set by the University Honors Program. Consult your UHP Advisor when you have questions about UHP required documentation.

Enrollment Instructions

The enrollment form requires advanced discussion of expectations between student and faculty mentor. To submit your thesis contract for PSY 5994 registration, complete the following steps no more than 2 weeks after the start of the semester in which you first plan to enroll in PSY 5994 Directed Research - Psy Honors Thesis:

  1. Log in to the Department of Psychology Online Research Contract,
    1. If you haven’t used the contract before, you need to register for an account.
  2. Articulate the final proposal on the contract, including practical issues such as the term of registration, credits to be earned (minimum 3, maximum 6), and evaluation procedures. Almost all students will enroll in 3 credits in Fall and 3 credits in Spring.
    1. Contact Psychology Advising on any variations needed (e.g. for Financial Aid, degree completion, etc.).
  3. Wait for your faculty’s approval on the contract system.
  4. Once your faculty signs off, Psychology Advising will review your contract.
    1. If everything is ready and correct, your contract will be approved and you will be sent a permission number.
    2. If any changes are needed, an email will be sent with instructions on how to update your proposal. 

If you plan to enroll in a second term of credits, Psychology Advising will email you a permission number allowing you to register for a second semester of honors thesis credits. 

Latin Honors Requirements and Thesis Rubric

Presentation Ideas

Review the University Honors Program Thesis guidelines. Summa candidates are required to complete a public thesis presentation.

Options for psychology honors students include:

  • Participating in the campus Undergraduate Research Symposium, held in April each year
  • Presenting at the Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference, held in April
  • Presenting at a regional or national undergraduate conference
  • Presenting at a professional conference in psychology or a related discipline
  • Presenting at a faculty mentor’s laboratory meeting (Cum Laude and Magna Cum Laude only)
  • Joining the Psychology Capstone (PSY 3901W, 3902W, and 3903W) Elliott Hall poster presentation, held at the end of each term (Cum Laude and Magna Cum Laude only)
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