New psychology honors program yields many benefits
By Doris Uanserume
Broadside Staff Writer

Psychology majors who are looking for an exciting and challenging experience at Mason and want to further their education in graduate school should consider applying for the department's new honors program. The program begins next semester, but students can and must apply by the end of each year.

"We are really excited about the honors program. We have always had some very strong students in psychology, but honors offers a way for us to better connect them with strong faculty for a senior project, to better prepare them for graduate work and to acknowledge their capabilities," said Bob Smith, head of Mason's psychology department.

According to the psychology honors program Website, students who are interested in applying should have completed at least 60 credit hours, earned a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 3.25 (including transfer credits) with a minimum psychology coursework G.P.A. of 3.4 (also including transfer credits). They must also be willing to commit to three semesters of honors coursework, and must not have been convicted of any honor code violations.

Participation in the program can yield many benefits for students including the opportunity to learn in a small classroom, which is more conducive to learning, according to Merry Sleigh, director of psychology honors program.

"It's a nice way to have close contact with the faculty members in a way that's harder to achieve in a regular [sized] class. It's a small class with 20 or fewer students each semester, so not only do you have that close one-on-one contact with faculty members, you also have the same students you see over and over again," Sleigh said.

According to the honors program Website, students who want to have honors recognition on their transcripts and diploma can do so while strengthening their graduate school application through in-class research and projects.

The Honors Program consists of three semester courses: Honors I (spring), Honors II (fall) and Honors III (spring). Honors I gives students an overview of research opportunities within the many fields of psychology.

In addition, guest speakers from the psychology department, community and greater academic community will talk to students about various topics specific to the field of psychology, according to Sleigh.

"One of the speakers who is going to come (Jeff Neuschatz) works with repressed memory and seeing whether or not that's a true phenomenon, or if maybe people are being encouraged to remember things that didn't happen," said Sleigh. Neuschatz teaches psychology at Mount St. Mary's College in Emittsburg, Maryland.

Honors II focuses on the development of research methods and critical thinking skills. Students will design a research project or theses and get to pick a faculty advisor to help them with the project. Students will then finish their individual honors project or theses in Honors III.

Because the last two classes focus heavily on research, students who are planning to go to graduate school will benefit tremendously from the program, according to Sleigh.

"We think that doing this research is really going to give people a jumpstart because they'll already have this research experience and that's, of course, a huge part of what graduate school is -- getting a project going and actually accomplishing it," Sleigh said. "We'll [also] be supportive of graduate school selection and [the] application process."

Even though the coursework is challenging, students should not feel discouraged about joining the program, stressed Sleigh.

"The honors program does require a different type of work than traditional classes. However, the requirements are designed to be thought-provoking and interesting. Honors students will have an opportunity to use both their creative and scientific skills to explore a variety of specific areas within the broad field of psychology," Sleigh said.

Kursten Jackson is one of those students who is up for the task.

As one of the 17 students picked for the new honors program, she is excited about participating. "I was in the general education honors program and I'm looking forward to doing something like that again but this time in a more specific field," Jackson said.
For more information about the Psychology Honors Program, contact Dr. Merry J. Sleigh at msleigh@gmu.edu, or visit the honors program Website at http://www.gmu. edu/depts/psychology/ homepage/honweb.html.