The departmental honors thesis is open to qualified students who wish to pursue advanced independent research in psychology. Students interested in going to graduate school in psychology are particularly encouraged to complete an honors thesis because research experience is given considerable weight by admissions committees. To be eligible to complete an honors thesis, students must have a psychology GPA of 3.5 or above.
Students interested in an Honors thesis should first gain experience in research by enrolling in PSYC 397 (Research Experience in Psychology). This course provides hands-on experience with the process of research in Psychology, under the supervision of a faculty member and their lab team. To enroll in PSYC 397, a student should contact a faculty member whose research interests them and ask how they can become involved.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Following successful completion of PSYC 397, interested students can then consult with their research faculty member about sponsoring honors research via registration in PSYC 498 and PSYC 499 in two consecutive semesters. Under exceptional circumstances, the required enrollment in PSYC 397 may be waived (e.g. for students who have developed a research project in another course).
To satisfy honors thesis requirements, students must complete the two-semester sequence of PSYC 498 and PSYC 499 (4 credits each) in which they design, conduct, analyze and report original research under the supervision of a Psychology Department faculty member. Honors thesis students must also successfully complete all the requirements for the B.S or B.A. degree.
Interested in learning more? Consult your academic advisor or Dr. Laura Rose, Undergraduate Program Director (MP 320; laurose1@umbc.edu)
Spring 2024 Honors Thesis Projects
Iman Ahmed, Language Dominance in Bilingual Learning, Mentor: Dr. Mirela Cengher
Rachel Fischer, The Role of Feedback and Attention in learning During Educational Instruction, Mentor: Dr. Karrie Godwi
Olivia Hutchison, Impact of Stress and Trauma on Learning and Decision-Making in Psychosis, Mentors: Drs. Raimi Quiton and James Waltz (MPRC)
Riya Suthar, Analyzing Gender Differences in Question-Asking Amongst Preschoolers, Mentor: Dr. Mirela Cengher
Spring 2023 Honors Thesis Projects
Zainab Amjad, A Qualitative Exploration on How Religious Discrimination Affects Religious Identity among Muslim American Adolescents, Mentor: Dr. Charissa Cheah
Victoria Manzo, The Influence of Father Involvement on the Relationship between Material Postpartum Depression and Infant Self-Regulation, Mentor: Dr. Nanmathi Manian
Rony Ngamliya-Ndam, Investigating the Influence of Perceptions of God on Recovery in a Faith-Based Bereaved Sample, Mentor: Dr. Shariece Evans
Spring 2022 Honors Thesis Projects
Courtney Arrington, A Parametric Analysis of the Number of Conditional Discriminations Taught to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mentor: Dr. Mirela Cengher
Zohaa Awan, Choice, Shaping, and Synthesized Reinforcement in Feeding Interventions, Mentor: Dr. Adithyan Rajamaran
Dawn Bunch, Exploring the Relation between Historical Family and Peer Body Image Messaging on Current Body Image Dissatisfaction in Black versus White College Women, Mentor: Dr. Steven Pitts
Elyssa Kristine Marie Lou, Examining Filipino-American Mental Health Attitudes, Needs, and Barriers to Help-Seeking, Mentor: Dr. Anne Brodsky
Ann Jeanette Santos, What Makes One a Good BCBA? Mentor: Dr. Mirela Cengher