What is Psi Chi?
Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology. It was founded in 1929 for the purposes of "encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology." Membership is open to all students, both graduate and undergraduate men and women who have a profound interest in the field of Psychology. These individuals must also meet the minimum qualifications (for a list of these requirements, please read under the section of "Becoming a Member"). Psi Chi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Psychological Science (APS).
Psi Chi serves two major goals, one which is immediately and visibly rewarding, while the other is more difficult to accomplish. The first goal is the Society's obligation to academically recognize its inductees by the mere admittance fact of membership into this prestigious society. The second goal is to provide a sense of accomplishment to each of its members which is achieved through the Society's local chapters. In addition the international organization provides programs to help achieve these goals, including annual national and regional conventions. These programs and its processes can be found on the international Psi Chi website.
The Society publishes a quarterly magazine, Eye on Psi Chi. This magazine aims to unite the members, inform them and recognize their contributions and accomplishments in the field of Psychology.
Mission Statement
"Psi Chi's mission is to produce a well-educated, ethical, and socially responsible member committed to contributing to the science and profession of psychology and to society in general.
Objectives for accomplishing above mission:
- Advance science and the profession of psychology
- Promote an educational experience consistent with the mission
- Promote ethical and socially responsible members and leaders
- Define and establish an organizational structure that promotes our mission
- Recognize and foster the contributions that diversity makes to the science and practice of psychology"
The above information can be obtained from the international Psi Chi website.
Application Process
Applications due on February 15th,
2010.
All applications are due in February and can be handed in in Blodgett 212. All interested applicants are encouraged to attend Psi Chi activities throughout the year.
Download the Psi Chi Application Requirements and Procedure (PDF 69.7KB)
Download the Psi Chi Application (PDF 60.5KB)
Benefits of Membership
The intrinsic value of membership is rewarding to the achiever in that recognition of excellence leads to self-fulfillment and thus to self-realization. By recognizing that what you do does make a difference, you are stimulated to higher productivity. Accomplishments are enjoyed more when shared with others. Furthermore, the contacts made through Psi Chi will be valuable throughout your educational and professional careers.Concrete advantages of membership include:
- The documents a membership certificate and card which give tangible evidence of membership.
- The references provided throughout one's lifetime (this service alone is worth the investment).
- The experience gained by working with Psi Chi is excellent for building up a resume; it is difficult to attain that first managerial and creative experience.
- Psi Chi is a springboard for professional growth. Opportunities are made available to the members for promoting their research, receiving national and international recognition, meeting and interacting with leaders in their field, and meeting Psi Chi members of other chapters who also will be future leaders.
- The United States government recognizes membership in Psi Chi as meeting one of the requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level in the Federal service.
Climaxing the benefits mentioned above is knowing that many individuals, by their caring, dedication, perseverance, and hard work, have made it possible to encourage young persons interested in psychology to strive for excellence--to reach toward that attainable star.
The ultimate test of the value of any membership organization lies in the accomplishments of its members. In each year of Psi Chi's history, more and more members have undertaken graduate studies. Psi Chi is well represented in the professional ranks of all the behavioral sciences. The membership directories of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Psychological Science (APS) are studded with the names of Psi Chi members, both active and alumni. This is only one example demonstrating that the Society's purposes are being fulfilled.
Advantages to Becoming a Member of Psi Chi:
- Psi Chi provides international recognition for academic excellence in psychology, an honor which can be noted on employment applications, vitae, and resumes.
- Through membership in Psi Chi, students gain a sense of community with others in psychology and identification with the discipline.
- Psi Chi provides a local, regional, national, and international forum for obtaining information and developing perspectives about the field of psychology, learning about educational and career opportunities, and forming meaningful professional networks.
- On the local level, chapter membership facilitates leadership development, interaction with other students who have similar interests, and service to the department and institution sponsoring Psi Chi.
- Members receive a membership card, certificate, and lapel pin, and, through chapter mailings, copies of Eye on Psi Chi. (Following graduation, members may subscribe to Eye on Psi Chi.)
- Psi Chi chapter activities provide students with valuable opportunities to develop one-on-one relationships with professors who can stimulate their interest in psychology, involve them in research projects, and write meaningful letters of recommendation for them.
- Psi Chi encourages student research at the regional, national, and international as well as local levels through undergraduate and graduate research award competitions and provides opportunities for students to present research and receive certificates recognizing their accomplishments at regional, national, and international psychological association meetings.
- Psi Chi provides over $250,000 annually in awards and grants to its student members, faculty advisors, and chapters.
- Psi Chi sponsors outstanding programs at regional, national, and international psychological association meetings. Members benefit not only from the programs, but also from the opportunity to meet leading psychologists and students from other chapters.
- Membership in Psi Chi meets one of the requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level in numerous professional and technical occupations in the United States government.11.
- Membership is for life. The international registration fee of $50 is the only payment ever made to the international organization, which does not charge dues.
Becoming a Member
Membership in Psi Chi at Adelphi University is open to those who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests, and who are students or faculty members in an institution where a chapter is located. Both undergraduate and graduate students who have registered for major or minor standing in psychology or for a program that is psychological in nature may be eligible for membership if other requirements are fulfilled.
Eligibility for undergraduates includes:
- Must be enrolled as a student at your school
- Must have established a GPA at your school
- Must be at least a second semester sophomore
- Must be enrolled as a major or minor in a psychology program or a program psychological in nature that is equivalent to a psychology major
- Must have completed at least 9 hours of psychology courses at your school
- Must have an overall GPA that is in the top 35% of their class based on rankings within sophomore, within junior, and within senior classes (If the cut-off for the top 35% is below a 3.00, the applicant must have an overall GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4-point scale)
- Must have a psychology GPA that is at least 3.00 on a 4-point scale
- Undergraduate students who have transferred to a new institution and are interested in becoming a Psi Chi member must meet the requirements listed above, plus complete one semester at the new institution to establish a GPA and complete 9 hours of psychology courses at the new institution.
Eligibility for graduate students includes:
- Minimum overall cumulative average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all graduate courses
Chapter Information
Dept of Psychology / Psi Chi
Blodgett 212 (Box 701)
1 South Ave
Garden City, NY 11530-4299
Department Telephone: 516.877.4750
Chapter Telephone: 516.877.4809
Fax: 516.877.4754
Email: fiori@adelphi.edu
Faculty Advisor: Katherine L. Fiori, Ph.D.
Charter Number: 83
Date Chartered: 11/17/1950
International Organization Contact Information
Regular Mail: Psi Chi, PO Box 709, Chattanooga, TN 37401-0709
Overnight Mail Only: Psi Chi, 825 Vine St, Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone: 423.756.2044
Fax: 877.774.2443 (toll-free)
International Office Email: psichi@psichi.org
Website Help/Questions: webmaster@psichi.org
Faculty Email: fiori@adelphi.edu
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