Psi Chi

Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. 

Membership is open to qualified graduate and undergraduate students who are making the study of psychology one of their major interests. Psi Chi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and is an affiliate of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. Psi Chi's sister honor society is Psi Beta, the national honor society in psychology for community and junior colleges.

Psi Chi serves two major goals:

  • To provide academic recognition to its inductees 
  • To nourish and stimulate professional growth, and provide practical experience and fellowship through affiliation with the chapter

The national organization provides programs to help achieve these goals, including society and regional conventions, research award competitions and certificate recognition programs.

Quick fact: There are currently more than 500,000 lifetime members of Psi Chi.

Membership Qualifications

  • You must be enrolled as a student at VCU
  • You are at least a second-semester sophomore
  • You are a psychology major or minor
  • You have completed at least 12 semester hours of psychology coursework at VCU
  • You have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA at VCU
  • You have at least a 3.3 GPA in psychology courses at VCU

Any chapter may establish minimum scholastic requirements that are higher than the national minimum qualifications. Membership in Psi Chi is open to qualified candidates of any age, sex, sexual orientation, race, handicap or disability, color, religion, and national and ethnic origin.

Benefits of Being a Member

Psi Chi is a springboard for professional growth. Members have opportunities to promote their research, gain national and international recognition, meet and interact with leaders in their field, and connect with Psi Chi members from other chapters who will also become future leaders. 

The experience gained by working with Psi Chi is excellent for building up a resumé. Additionally, the U.S. government recognizes membership in Psi Chi as meeting one of the requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level in the federal service.

A culmination of the benefits mentioned above is knowing that many members — by their caring, dedication, perseverance, and hard work — have made it possible to encourage young persons interested in psychology to strive for excellence.

How to Join

Students become members by joining the chapter at the school where they are enrolled. Psi Chi chapters are operated by student officers and faculty advisers. Together, they select and induct the members and carry out the goals of the society. All chapters register their inductees at the Psi Chi national office. 

If you would like to join Psi Chi and meet the membership requirements, please complete the following steps:

  • Applications are collected for a set period each semester. For Fall 2025, applications will be collected from September 17 to October 17.
  • Review the application instructions and fill out the online application at psichi.org.
  • On the application, you will need to upload your unofficial VCU transcript
  • Once Dr. Reid has verified your eligibility to join Psi Chi, you will need to provide the one-time $65 membership fee ($55 for national membership and $10 for the local chapter) via cash, check, or electronically (Dr. Reid will send further instructions for payment)
    • A scholarship is available each semester for one student who both qualifies academically and has financial need. Scholarship applicants must submit a 250–500-word essay demonstrating their academic, service, and/or research excellence and devotion to psychology. See the application instructions above for more details.

The membership fee includes a personalized certificate of membership, newsletters, and a reception in your honor following the induction ceremony. There are no annual dues or other fees.

The induction ceremony and reception to acknowledge your achievements will be held each spring. Those who are unable to attend the induction ceremony will be able to pick up their membership materials at a different time.

Please email any questions about applying to Psi Chi to Dr. Reid at reidmp@vcu.edu.

VCU Chapter of Psi Chi

The VCU chapter of Psi Chi hosts numerous events throughout the year that are open to both members and non-members. Past events have included:

  • Graduate School Night, with panelists representing both master's- and doctoral-level programs
  • Careers Panel, with speakers from various specialties of psychology
  • Participation in the Walk for Alzheimer’s
  • Supply drives for The Healing Place (substance use treatment center) and CARITAS (services for the unhoused)
  • Psychology-related movie nights

There are no regular Psi Chi meetings, unless requested by student officers or general members.