Starting a Chapter
University must:
- be fully accredited as a four-year or senior college-level institution by a national or regional accrediting agency (US universities must be accredited by their regional accrediting agency, i.e., the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges, the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges, the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and certain appropriate professional accrediting agencies).
- offer baccalaureate and/or graduate degrees in psychology
Department must:
- offer theoretical and scientific courses in psychology
- require courses in research methods and statistics, or a course that integrates
the two, for psychology majors and graduate students
- have an active, organized group that has been in existence for at least one year,
such as a psychology club, research team, or similar organization
- provide experiential learning opportunities such as research, internships, service
learning, or field placements
- have a minimum of two full-time faculty members holding a doctoral degree in psychology
(or a closely-related field) in residence in the department of psychology
- have one of these faculty who is willing to serve as the faculty advisor, and who
is already a member of Psi Chi or is willing to join
- have a minimum of eight students eligible for Psi Chi membership (those who are
already members of Psi Chi do not count) who are currently enrolled in the university
- agree to hold an induction ceremony that all charter members attend
Undergraduate students must:
- have completed at least 3 semesters or 5 quarters at their current school
- have completed at least 9 semester hours or 14 quarter hours of psychology courses at their current school
- have declared a major or minor in psychology (or in a program psychological in nature)
- be in the top 35% of their class (i.e., all sophomores, all juniors, all seniors across the entire university, or across the college that houses the department of psychology; the chapter must use the larger of the two groups - university or college - for which the three cutoffs can be determined)
- have at least a 3.0 overall GPA (Grade Point Average using a 4.0 scale) and a 3.0 GPA in psychology courses
Graduate students must:
- have completed at least one full semester of graduate coursework
- have at least a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in psychology courses
Alumni must:
- have graduated before the school had a chapter of Psi Chi approved and installed
- have met the current membership standards during their graduating semester
For-Profit University Requirements:
For-profit universities may only have one chapter of Psi Chi; however, they may apply for affiliate chapters at distinct campuses that also offer psychology degrees and meet all chapter application requirements. Students who join Psi Chi through affiliate chapters will be full members of Psi Chi.
International Requirements:
Grading systems and psychology programs in different countries will vary. The Psi Chi Executive Director will work with individual faculty advisors at universities outside the U.S. to determine how the eligibility requirements described above can be met.
Submitting an Application:
The faculty member who agrees to serve as the chapter’s faculty advisor through the submission process and afterward if a chapter charter is approved fills out the application. If you are a student and you have not done so already, you should discuss your interest in starting a Psi Chi chapter at your school with the chair of the Psychology Department. The faculty members in your department will need to determine if your school meets the minimum requirements for a charter and if they are willing to support a Psi Chi chapter there. If you are not the person who will serve as the faculty advisor, direct that faculty member to this website to complete an application request. If you are serving as the faculty advisor, proceed below.
The board reserves the right to review the academic mission and character of the institution submitting an application for a Psi Chi charter.