Student Organizations
The Psychology Department has two very active student organizations: Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology and the Psychology Association.
Psi Chi
Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology was founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and to advance the science of psychology. It holds the distinction of being the largest student psychological organization in the world, having over 700,000 members.
The East Stroudsburg University chapter of Psi Chi was founded in 1980 and since that time, hundreds of students have become members of this prestigious organization. ESU is one of more than 1,150+ colleges and universities throughout the country with a chapter. The Psi Chi Central Office, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, manages the Society under the direction of the Board of Directors. This Board, consisting of Psi Chi members who are elected by the chapters, guides the affairs of the organization and sets policy with the approval of the chapters.
Benefits of Membership
Being a member of Psi Chi is not only an honor, but also an exciting and stimulating experience, where members work together to advance the field of psychology. It is an opportunity to get to know fellow students, as well as faculty and other career professionals.
Additional benefits include the ability to apply for numerous grants, awards, and scholarships, and to use the Psi Chi Career Center, which lets students review thousands of psychology-related jobs, and to ask questions of trained career experts.
Requirements for Membership
Membership is open to students who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests, and who meet the minimum qualifications.
Determination for acceptance is based upon a review of the applicant's academic record. Students who are interested in applying to Psi Chi need to complete the online application by October 31st for the fall semester and by March 31st for the spring semester.
In addition, for students who meet the requirements and are accepted into Psi Chi, a one-time membership fee of $60 is due at least two weeks prior to induction. This one-time fee is for lifetime membership; there are no annual dues. New member inductions are held at the end of each semester during the Psychology Department Biannual Research Forum.
The undergraduate membership requirements for Psi Chi are:
- Be enrolled as a major or minor in a psychology program.
- Completion of at least 3 semesters of full-time college coursework.
- Completion of 9 semester credit hours of psychology courses.
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale.
- Have a minimum 3.0 GPA average for psychology courses.
- For undergraduate transfer students, students must complete at least 12 semester credit hours and 9 psychology credit hours at ESU.
Psychology Association
The ESU Psychology Association is a student organization for anyone interested in the study of psychology. Unlike Psi Chi, there are no academic requirements for membership.
The members of this organization consist of ambitious individuals who are devoted to the field of psychology. This active group often holds various educational, charitable, and civic events, which are of value to the campus, as well as to the local community. Their philanthropic efforts are supported through volunteer work and fundraising events.
Two of the annual events hosted by the Psychology Association include Mindfest, which
is the student-run campus celebration of "all things psychology," and student trips
to the Eastern Psychological Association conference.
In addition, the Psychology Association also provides valuable professional development opportunities for its members by regularly bringing in guest speakers (e.g., student alumni, faculty members, career professionals) to help students learn about graduate school and career/internship opportunities.
Involvement in student organizations is a great way to bolster one's resume and/or graduate school application, as well as to network and to enhance one's career potential.
Eligibility
Anyone with an interest in psychology is invited to join and to attend their meetings. They are always looking for new members who share a common passion for the field of psychology, so if this sounds like it could be you, feel free to join them!
Contact Us
Contact Information
- Campus Address
- 114 Stroud Hall
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3355
- Title of Department Leader
- Department Chair Psychology
- Name
- Anthony Drago
- E:
- tdrago@esu.edu
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3499
