Honors program

The Honors Research Experience in Psychology

Honors research permits students to actively pursue questions and interests in a supportive and collaborative environment. Students develop lifelong skills in critical thinking, written communication, and intellectual independence. The end result, an honors thesis, is a substantial achievement and is highly regarded by graduate schools and prospective employers.

Daniel J. Elias Endowment Fund

The Daniel J. Elias Endowment Fund has been established within the Department of Psychology to encourage meritorious student research and support a venue where student research accomplishments are prominently featured. The fund provides support for (a) research expenses such as equipment, subject recruitment and compensation, testing materials and other related costs and (b) an annual Honors Colloquium in which students’ findings will be presented in a public forum. Each year the Colloquium features an exciting, internationally-known speaker who delivers a keynote address demonstrating the societal and intrinsic value of psychological research.

Eligibility

Honors Research is open to students who are juniors in good standing in the University Honors Program (see below) and have completed coursework in Experimental Psychology. Eligibility may be granted for a student not enrolled in the University Honors Program depending upon factors such as ACT (or SAT) scores, GPA at Bradley, and/or a professor’s recommendation

The Bradley University Honors Program

Students in the University Honors Program have the opportunity to enroll in honors sections of General Education classes and Honors Seminars beginning their freshmen year. Past seminar topics related to psychology include “The Psychology of Dreaming”, “The Nature of Violence”, and “Mind Altering Music”. The University Honors Program also sponsors many enriching social and cultural events throughout the year. For more information, including eligibility requirements, refer to the University Honors Program.

Timetable for Psychology Honors Thesis

Students enroll in PSY 400 (Honors Research) and complete an honors thesis proposal during their junior year. The proposal constitutes a significant portion of the honors thesis. During the Fall of the student’s senior year the student enrolls in PSY 481 or PSY 491 to complete the thesis by collecting data for the proposed experiment. Each student has a designated faculty mentor to supervise data collection and analysis. During the spring of the student’s senior year, the project will be presented at the Honors Colloquium. During their senior year students may also elect to present their findings at regional and national conferences. Departmental funds are available to support research-related student travel.

Research topics

Faculty members in the Psychology Department serve as mentors for honors research projects. Our professors have research expertise across a broad spectrum of topics in psychology; consequently, student honors theses can be developed from a very wide range of possibilities.