Graduation with Distinction

The Graduation with Distinction Program recognizes students who achieve excellence in their major area of study. For general information on the University-wide Graduation with Distinction Program, please click here. Graduation with Distinction is based on a special project, usually developed through participation in Independent Studies. The project may be a report of original empirical research, or it may be a critical analysis of a problem in the field (i.e., a Psychology Bulletin or Psychology Review style paper), both requiring a relevant literature review. The project is to be summarized in a carefully written thesis (check with the Undergraduate Psychology Office for the proper form of this paper) to be the subject of an oral examination. The opportunity to write a thesis and qualify for Graduation with Distinction is open to those majoring or minoring in Psychology. It is also open to students enrolled in Program II. Although there is no minimum GPA that students must have when applying to the program, students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.3 and a GPA of at least 3.5 in Psychology by the start of their final semester; this level of performance must be maintained through graduation. Thus, students may register for the Graduation with Distinction program without meeting these GPA requirements but will not receive Distinction if these GPA requirements are not eventually met. (Should this occur, the student would still receive credit for completing Independent Study courses.)

How to apply

. Two forms must be submitted at the time of application: 1) the application to the Psychology Graduation with Distinction Program (available here), and 2) a proposal for an independent study course (available here). These should be submitted no later than the last day of classes during second spring semester of the junior year. For students planning to graduate in December, these forms should be submitted by the last day of classes in the fall semester. At least two semesters will be devoted to the project. There is considerable advantage to those who begin their work in the second semester of the junior year or even earlier. By beginning the research in the junior year, the project can be well underway by the fall semester of the senior year. This leaves more time for data analysis and final revision of the written project. It also allows more time for a mentor to become well acquainted with a student's capabilities prior to the period early in the senior year when letters of recommendation are needed for future employment or for graduate or professional school. An early start may also lead to opportunities to pursue the project in the summer between junior and senior years. Forms for application are available online (Distinction Application, Independent Study Proposal) or in Room 242 of the Psychology/Sociology Building. These forms will require you to list a faculty sponsor plus two other faculty members who will serve on your advisory and evaluation committee. Guidelines concerning Graduation with Distinction committees are as follows:

*One member must be a core member of the Psychology and Neuroscience faculty. The list of core faculty members can be found here.

*The second committee member must be either a core faculty member or hold a joint or secondary appointment in Psychology and Neuroscience. A listing of joint and secondary faculty members can be found here.

*The third committee member may be a Psychology and Neuroscience faculty member (core, joint, or secondary appointment) but could also be a Psychology and Neuroscience graduate student or post doc, or a faculty member who is not a core, joint, or secondary member Psychology and Neuroscience faculty.

Requirements. Students who are accepted into the program should register for two of the courses listed 191 to 194 in two consecutive semesters. Ordinarily, the same mentor will serve in both semesters. Candidates for Graduation with Distinction must also complete the two-semester PSY200A/B course series during the denior year. These half-credit, pass-fail courses are designed to both expose participants to a wide range of Psychological inquiry through faculty colloquia, and to help prepare participants for the thesis defense through workshops focusing on literature search, data analysis and representation, scientific writing, ethics in human and animal research, and scientific professionalization. Near the end of the final semester, candidates wil submit three copies of the thesis to their mentor. The mentor will then convene the faculty committee for an oral examination of the student and a decision as to whether the overall performance qualifies for Graduation with Distinction. An exceptional thesis combined with outstanding performance in Psychology may qualify a student for the Zener Award. Graduation with Distinction research projects will be displayed at the spring Psychology Research Poster Fair.

The Zener Award

Students submitting outstanding theses for Graduation with Distinction may be nominated by their committees for the Karl E. Zener Award. A separate committee of three faculty members along with the DUS will determine the winner of the award. The award will be based on the student's total academic record plus the paper submitted to the Award Committee. The award will consist of a monetary prize and inclusion by name on a memorial plaque in the departmental building.