Psi Chi is a national honor society whose purpose shall be to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in the scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology.
Membership in Psi Chi 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 may be eligible for membership if other requirements are fulfilled. Students and faculty are elected to membership by the chapter at the institution, according to the provisions in the national Psi Chi Constitution. Any chapter, at its discretion, may establish higher academic standards for eligibility, but may not require service standards for eligibility.
Join the UA Little Rock Psi Chi Chapter
Eligibility for undergraduates:
- Completion of 3 semesters or 5 quarters of the college course
- Completion of 9 semester hours or 14 quarter hours of psychological science courses
- Ranking in the top 35% of their class in general scholarship
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in both psychological science classes and in cumulative grades
Eligibility for graduate students:
- Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in all graduate courses
Ready to become a member?
Contact the faculty adviser, Dr. Robert Hines, at rjhines@ualr.edu or 501-916-6119.
Mission Statement
The mission of Psi Chi 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.
Practical goals:
- 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
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 give tangible evidence of membership.
- The references are 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. Now in its 71st year, Psi Chi is well represented in the professional ranks of all the behavioral sciences. The membership directories of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society 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.
Ten Advantages to Becoming a Member of Psi Chi:
- Psi Chi provides national recognition for academic excellence in psychology, an honor that can be noted on employment applications, vitae, and résumés.
- 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, and national 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 and certificate 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 and national 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 and national psychological association meetings.
- Psi Chi sponsors outstanding programs at regional and national 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.
- Membership is for life. The national registration fee of $35 is the only payment ever made to the national organization, which does not charge dues.
For more information about the International Psi Chi organization, please visit their website here.
