HONORS PROGRAM

Quick Links

INTRODUCTION

The Honors Program in Cognitive Sciences and Psychology is an advanced educational and research program for outstanding undergraduate students in these majors.

The program emphasizes advanced competence in scientific research and allows participants the opportunity to pursue advanced work in independent research, in addition to earning honors upon graduation. The program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing graduate study or seeking challenging research experiences as a capstone to their undergraduate experience. All Cognitive Sciences and Psychology majors who meet the minimum eligibility requirements are welcome to apply.

To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria: 1) be a cognitive sciences or psychology major, 2) have completed the psych fundamental series, 3) be in junior standing (at minimum), and 4) have a 3.2 minimum GPA within the major.

Students who participate in the program are expected to enroll in the Honor Seminar series (COGS H101A-COGS H101B-COGS H101C) in fall, winter, and spring quarters, respectively. Honors students must successfully complete a senior honors thesis and present their research at the department's honors poster symposium held in spring as part of the coursework in COGS H101C.

The honors seminar series may be used to satisfy three (3) of the courses required under the Electives requirement for both majors.

APPLICATION

The Call for Applications for Fall 2025 admissions is available now and can be accessed here. As noted above, you nust be a cognitive sciences or psychology major, have completed the psych fundamental series (9A-B-C), be in junior standing (at minimum), and have a 3.2 minimum GPA within the major to apply.

Applicants must be working with a faculty advisor/mentor who has agreed to accept you as a mentee and will write a letter of support for your project. Faculty advisors/mentors from other schools are allowed as long as the research project is in the general area of cognitive science/psychology.

A completed application form must include the following items:

Curriculum Vita - information and samples can be found here.
Unofficial Transcript
Research Paper Report (analytical writing sample) - you must download and use the report here.
One-page research plan describing your proposed research project (in a cognitive sciences or psychology topic); and
Letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has agreed to oversee the proposed research project. (The letter should detail how long you have been in the lab, and the level of support that will be provided by the faculty advisor.)

The deadline to apply is Monday, July 7, 2025. All applications received by this date will be considered for admittance. Applicants will be notified via email if they have been accepted into the program effective Fall 2025.

Questions about the application should be directed to: cogsci@uci.edu.

RESEARCH AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

UROP (http://www.urop.uci.edu)
The mission of UROP is to integrate undergraduate students into the research culture of the University by providing opportunities for faculty and students to work together on research projects.

SURP (https://career.uci.edu/resource/summer-undergraduate-research-program-surp/)
This program provides funding for undergraduates from all disciplines who conduct summer research projects or creative activities with UCI faculty members.Students are immersed in a research topic for a full-time ten-week period (400 hours).

COLLOQUIA AND CONFERENCES

Advanced undergraduate and honors students are encouraged to attend colloquia of interest. This includes the following: