Honors Program
The Honors sequence that a student pursues is dictated by whether the student is in the College of Science pursuing a B.S. or in the College of Arts and Letters pursuing a B.A.
For Majors in the B.S.
To graduate with the transcript designation of “Honors in Neuroscience and Behavior,” students in the Neuroscience and Behavior B.S. Honors Program must be formally accepted into the program during the fall of their junior year and must:
- Successfully complete a series of honor seminar courses offered during the junior and senior years. To best meet the needs of students working in labs in different departments across campus, there are multiple routes to meeting this requirement. Three seminars are required. The most common option is to take the 3-term sequence in NSBH in the College of Science. Approved seminars in other departments may be substituted.
- Successfully complete at least three semesters of independent undergraduate research. At least one summer of full-time research is highly encouraged. Students are expected to stay in the same laboratory for all terms (exceptions may be provided when a specific collaborative project is promoted by switching labs and this is approved in advance by the honors program director).
- Achieve a final cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher in science courses at the time of graduation.
- Complete an approved written thesis, prepared according to the standards described by the preparatory honors seminar courses and submitted by the designated deadline, typically set three weeks prior to the end of the Spring semester of a student’s senior year. The approval process will involve one or more critical reviews of the thesis by the faculty adviser, the honors program director, the instructor of the senior spring writing seminar, and/or an independent NS&B program reader. The same thesis can be accepted for Honors in Neuroscience and Behavior and Honors in the Glynn Family program if it meets the requirements of both.
- Present the thesis findings at a scientific conference. Presentations at either on or off-campus venues are acceptable.
Explore Application Process for the NSBH Honors Program (B.S. students only)
Please email Sunny K. Boyd for more information.
For Majors in the B.A.
The Honors sequence for B.A. NSBH students follows the Honors sequence of the Psychology Department. Details are as follows:
- Prerequisite: To qualify for this track, students need to be endorsed by a faculty member who is affiliated with the Neuroscience and Behavior program.
- Fall Semester of the Senior Year: Students enroll in the faculty advisor’s section of PSY 47809 and participate in a series of self-organized workshops that provide peer review and support. Workshops focus on the introduction of topics/elevator pitches (September), peer review of drafts of the literature review, and methods sections (October and November).
- Spring Semester of the Senior Year: Students enroll in the faculty advisor’s section of PSY 47809 and participate in workshops focusing on peer review of results sections (February), peer review of completed manuscripts (March), and practice for symposium presentations (April).
The honors designation for B.A. NSBH students is awarded by completing the following:
- Fall Semester: Achieving an A grade in PSY 47809 and a passing grade in PSY 40210 Advanced Statistics.
- Spring Semester: Achieving an A grade in PSY 47809, a nomination by the faculty advisor, and an evaluation of the thesis as worthy of the honors designation by a faculty committee.
Please email Vanessa Chan-Devaere for more information.