Honors in Psychology

Honors in Psychology are conferred to outstanding graduating psychology majors who have excelled in the four principle domains of Academic Achievement, Growing Mastery of Psychology, Citizenship & Leadership in Psychology, and Scholarly & Applied Experiences in Psychology.

Successful completion of the Honors in Psychology program requirements is noted at commencement and is also recorded on each student's official SUNY Oswego transcript.

Program Criteria

At SUNY Oswego, psychology students may demonstrate their outstanding work in a variety of ways, as illustrated below:

• Academic Achievement Requirements (All must be met.)
  • Be a Psychology major, with at least a 3.30 overall GPA and a 3.50 PSY GPA
• Growing Mastery of Psychology Requirements (At least one must be met.)
  • Be a Dean’s Writing Award recipient for a PSY course, or have received a nomination certificate
  • Be a Psychology Department award recipient, or have received a nomination certificate
  • Be a SCAC grant or award recipient for a psychology-related project
  • Receive an external grant or award in psychology (e.g. Psi Chi grant or award)
  • Present psychology-related research or other scholarly work at a external conference
  • Have two (2) written works exemplifying knowledge of psychology in two different areas of psychology
• Citizenship & Leadership in Psychology Requirements (At least one must be met.)
  • Actively participate in a psychology-oriented group (e.g., Psi Chi, Psych Club)
  • Serve as a Teaching Assistant in one or more PSY course
  • Serve as a Peer Advisor in the Psychology Peer Advisement Office
  • Serve on a Psychology Department committee as a Student Representative
• Scholarly & Applied Experiences in Psychology Requirements (At least one must be met.)
  • Serve as a Research Assistant in a psychology-related laboratory/field
  • Conduct independent psychology-related research and/or scholarship
  • Complete a career-oriented psychology-related practicum or internship

How To Apply & Further Information

All psychology majors are eligible to apply for Honors in Psychology prior to the beginning of their final year of study at SUNY Oswego. To apply, click the button below (you must be logged into your oswego.edu email account). This form must be completed the semester before you plan to graduate at the latest. It also cannot be completed prior to your Junior year. Please keep in mind that only students who will graduate with (a) a 3.30 or higher overall GPA and (b) a 3.50 or higher GPA in the psychology major are eligible to graduate with Honors in Psychology.

Apply Here

If approved, candidates will then develop a thorough portfolio demonstrating that they have met all established criteria in the four principle domains. As part of this program, candidates will also be required to participate in regular scheduled meetings and events. The Psychology Department will work with all candidates to support their success.

If you are not yet eligible to formally apply for Honors in Psychology, we still strongly encourage to keep good records and retain all the documentation you might need to apply for the program when you become eligible.

If you have any questions, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "Honors in PSY Question." A member of the Student Achievement Committee will then respond within a few business days.

Candidate Resources