Undergraduate Programs
The Honors Major
Qualifications
Students who maintain an excellent academic record may wish to pursue the Honors Major in Psychology. This option is an enhancement of the standard major and requires, in addition to the minimum requirements of the standard major, the following:
1. A cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.4 in all psychology (830 subject index) courses including 6 credits of Honors Research in Psychology.
2. An overall grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
3. A minimum of 45 credits in psychology (830 subject index). Students in the honors major are strongly encouraged to get involved in research during their junior year.
4. At least nine of the 3- or 4-credit courses counting toward the Honors Major must be taken at Rutgers New Brunswick (01:830).
5. Satisfactory completion of a special 1-credit Honors Research Seminar in Psychology (01:830:490) normally completed during the fall semester of the final year.
6. Successful completion of Honors Research in Psychology (01:830:497- 498) taken during each of the final two semesters and full participation in the departmental honors program.
What is Involved
Many different types of projects are conducted by students enrolled in the Department of Psychology Honors Major. Most involve a review of research and theory in a particular area of psychology, formulation of a set of hypotheses, design of a strategy for collecting data bearing on the hypotheses, data collection, statistical analysis, and write-up. This is a significant undertaking, so most faculty members want students to spend a semester or two doing research in their lab before launching the honors project. The Honors Proposal is jointly prepared by the student and the student's sponsor and submitted to the office of the Undergraduate Vice Chair in Tillett 101 by the first week of the fall semester. Whatever the exact nature of the project, two final products are necessary for the student to complete the Honors Major:
A formal, written Honors Thesis, which addresses all of the above points in detail.
A Poster Presentation, in which the student displays
an outline of the project, i.e., background, purposes, methods, results,
and implications. All posters are presented simultaneously at a session
held early in April and which is attended by students and their friends
and family, as well as by faculty advisers and other interested members
of the University Community.
Changes to the SAS Honors Thesis.
Some Special Awards
John Parker Winner, Jr., Memorial Prize. Awarded to the undergraduate in Rutgers College receiving the highest grade for the year in General Psychology. Gift of Mary Parker Winner in memory of her son, John Parker Winner.
Marilyn Shaw Memorial Award. Given in memory of Professor Marilyn Shaw to the senior Psychology major who shows the most promise of a creative and productive research career. The awardee will be recommended from among those students enrolled in departmental honors or independent research courses.
The Ralph DeFalco Scholarship. Ralph DeFalco was an internationally recognized serologist and Professor of Zoology at Rutgers University. To be awarded the scholarship, the student must demonstrate high academic achievement and a potential for excellence in biology or a health related field. The purpose of the award is to recognize past academic performance and to assist in future undergraduate studies while at Rutgers. Three awards of $500 each are anticipated. For additional information contact the DeFalco Scholarship Committee, Department of Biological Sciences, Nelson Biological Laboratory, Busch Campus, Piscataway, NJ 08854.
Alice M. and Walter F. Phillips Prize. Established by Walter F. Phillips in loving memory of his wife Alice and in appreciation for his education at Rutgers. It is awarded to a student in the Psychology Honors Program in recognition of outstanding achievement in the senior year.
Checking Your Progress
You may wish to check your progress toward completion of the major by using the Degree Navigator system.