How to Graduate
Third Year Apprenticeship (PSYCH 390/399)
The research apprenticeship taken in the first year of the honors program introduces you to the process of conducting research in a specific area of psychology. In collaboration with the professor who has agreed to supervise you, you will work on one or more projects, learning the methods of research in that area. Over the course of the year, you should acquire the expertise to plan, organize, and conduct your research project. This opportunity for close interaction with professors and advanced students is one of the primary benefits of the honors program.
The apprenticeship culminates in a formal thesis proposal that is due at the end of the Winter term. You must present your thesis proposal in an oral or poster format at a public venue, such as the Harder Honors Day Celebration, in the Winter term.
Thesis Research (PSYCH 490/499)
The thesis is a written report (similar to a journal article) of the research project you have developed and executed over the first and second year in the honors program. It is your original work that contributes to psychological knowledge and leaves your mark on the field. Indeed, some honors theses are eventually published in scholarly journals.
The thesis should be typed in the format required by the University for graduate theses. A style manual produced by Graduate Studies is available from the Psychology Department's Graduate Program Assistant. The deadline for submitting an electronic version of the thesis is the last day of the final exam period (but your supervisor will need to see a draft of the thesis well before this). Submission beyond this deadline may require a grade of Incomplete in PSYCH 490/499 and may result in a delay in graduation. You must formally present a summary of your thesis research in a public venue, such as the Harder Honors Day Celebration, in the Winter term.
Brian Harder Honors Day Celebration
Although you will have many opportunities to interact with professors and students in the honors program, there is a special event at the end of the year that helps to bring everything together. The Harder Honors Day Celebration showcases the research conducted by honors students in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alberta. This celebration is an excellent opportunity to discover and recognize the diverse research conducted by honors students and to discuss your own views about psychological topics.