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Home » Undergraduate Program » Degree Information by Year » 4th Year (84 or more university credits)

4th Year (84 or more university credits)

Honours Students

The information provided below is based on the program requirements for students who entered prior to 2017. 

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FAQ

Am I eligible to do an Specialized Honours Thesis ?
Should I do an Specialized Honours Thesis ?

All students should begin by reading the Specialized Honours Thesis thesis handbook and download the tipsheet on what is the difference between PSYC 4000 & PSYC 4170.

To review Honours thesis written by past students visit the Psychology Resource Center in room 162B B.S.B.

Scheduled through the library and taking place in Scott Library (Room 531) in the Fall term are advanced hands-on research workshops that cover topics such as literature searching using major databases such as PsycINFO and Medline, citation searching using Web of Science, finding and using psychological tests, setting up alerts on research topics, and library services such as interlibrary loan.

In order to register for a particular workshop go to library Instructional Workshops

To  obtain ethics approval all students are required to read and conform to research ethics and ethics review procedures.

The Statistical Consulting Service (SCS) at York University is offering workshops and drop-in statistical consulting exclusively for 4th year students enrolled in PSYC 4000, 4001, 4170 and 4175.

Funding:

  1. The Department has a small fund of money for students who spend at
    least $50.00 on materials for conducting their thesis research. The student
    must have receipts totaling $50 or more. Students must show financial
    need i.e., that they have spent more than $50 for thesis materials. The
    maximum reimbursed is $50 per person. Please bring your receipts to Ann
    Pestano, Assistant to the Chair, Rm. 292 Behavioral Science building.
  2. The Richard Goranson Memorial Award: This award is given annually
    to a few fourth year Honours students registered in PSYC 4000 6.0 or
    PSYC 4001 6.0 Honours Thesis. The purpose of the award is to cover
    expenses incurred by students in carrying out their Honours thesis
    research. The deadline for submission is usually NOVEMBER 30th of the
    year you are conducting your thesis. For further details see the Goranson
    award information on next page

To get help with writing in general see the etutoring or workshops available through the Writing Department (located at s329 Ross Building).

In addition, there are a number of online resources available to you to help you to write your thesis following APA formatting and style as outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2009). There is succinct information on APA style punctuation, information about the main sections of a manuscript, an APA Style and formatting guide updated with 6th edition APA manual information at the OWL website which describes general APA writing guidelines and where if you look under Research and Citation you can find the most up to date way for citing your sources.

The information from the APA manual has been summarized in a writing handout based on the 6th edition APA manual that also describes some useful information for writing your thesis.

Given that the manual is over 400 pages in length, there is a lot of information not covered in the aforementioned resources. Therefore, the ultimate authority is the APA pubication manual. In order to truly understand and learn the APA style of writing you should look at and perhaps even purchase a copy of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association because it will be a good reference book for graduate school. There are about 7 copies of the 6th edition of the manual available in the libraries on campus, some of which have been placed on reserve.

Note that if your thesis is outstanding you should consider submitting it to the Yale Review of Undergraduate Research in Psychology.

This is an annual journal that showcases the best and most original research in psychology conducted by undergraduates from around the world. They provide a platform for undergraduate scientists to share their findings, and aim to bring together a community of young psychologists from both the United States and abroad. Published undergraduate theses are now available for your perusal - one of which is from our 2008/9 thesis student cohort (see the one authored by S. Luca). Deadline for submissions are usually around mid April. See their website for details about submission guidelines.

Visit workshops site for additional information.

Download Poster Day Handout (PDF)

Advanced Psychology Research Workshop for PSYC 4000/4001/4170 Students

  • Are you looking to improve the quality of your research papers?
  • Would you like to impress your professor with a solid literature review?
  • Would identifying relevant and available psychological tests take your research up a notch?
  • Does doing all the above more efficiently and with less frustration sound appealing?

The Advanced Psychology Research Workshop has been developed for students enrolled in PSYC 4000/4001/4170. The workshop will cover:

  • Advanced search techniques for major databases such as PsycInfo and Medline
  • Major reference sources for psychology
  • Citation searching using Web of Science and other tools
  • Identifying and locating psychological tests
  • Organizing your research materials with bibliographic management tools, such as RefWorks and Zotero

It will be hands-on in a computer lab and you are encouraged to ask questions. Ideally, you will come prepared with a research topic for the purposes of hands-on practice during the class, but don’t hesitate to sign up for a session even if you only have some initial thoughts about the directions that your research may take you.

Each workshop covers identical content (so only sign up for one) and is held in Scott Library.

How to Sign Up

You can sign up on a first-come basis using this online booking form at the following address: http://bit.ly/Pbk64a

Questions? Please contact Adam Taves, Psychology Librarian, taves@yorku.ca.

Psychology Department Poster Day Event and Richard Goranson Memorial Psychology Honours Thesis Poster Award

For  2020 there was a tie for  poster winners of the Richard Goranson Memorial Psychology Honours Thesis Poster Award 2020:

Due to COVID 19 annual display of student posters in Vari Hall was cancelled.

Archived Psychology Department Poster Day Photo Album 

Individual Research Project

This course allows students to obtain first-hand research experience in a professor’s area of research expertise.

Students are  ultimately responsible for ensuring  they have all required prerequisites. Students are urged to seek guidance  from Psychology Undergraduate Program Advising if they are in any doubt.

Discover more

Faculty Resources for Department of Psychology

History of Psychology Department at York

Undergraduate Psychology Students' Association

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