The National Honor Society in Psychology

What is Psi Chi?

Psi Chi is the National Honor Society in psychology, founded in 1929 for the purpose of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship and advancing the science of psychology. Membership is open to graduate and undergraduate men and women of psychology who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests and who meet the minimum qualifications. Psi Chi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Psychological Society (APS).

Psi Chi functions as a federation of chapters located at more than 1000 senior colleges and universities. A National Council, composed of psychologists who are elected by the chapters, guides the affairs of the organization and sets policy with the approval of the chapters.

What are the benefits?

Concrete advantages of membership include:

• The documents--a membership certificate and a 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. Now in its 68th 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.

The above information and more can be found at the National Psi Chi website.

Qualifications for invitation to Psi Chi at Mercer University

1. Completion of a minimum of 13 semester hours in Psychology.
2. Enrollment in or completion of PSY 303.
3. Must be a declared major or minor in Psychology.
4. Undergraduates who are elected to Psi Chi must have an overall cumulative Psychology GPA of 3.40 and rank in the upper 35% of their class by cumulative GPA..
5. High standards of behavior.

In late January or early February of each year, those who are qualified for Psi Chi membership will be notified of their eligibility and invited to join.

Those who accept the invitation to join must pay a one-time membership fee and will be formally inducted into Psi Chi at a banquet later that Spring.