As a psychology major you will learn to use research methods and statistics to study
the brain and behavior, and apply these methods to solving some of humankind’s most
important issues. Coupled with critical thinking skills gained through a strong liberal
arts education, our majors graduate well-equipped to pursue careers in psychology,
health, business, education and law to name a few.
Psychology students can earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. Both provide
training in the theories and practices of psychology while also providing a wide-ranging
liberal arts background. Students can participate in a robust undergraduate research
program by joining a research lab, gain valuable skills through internships, learn
outside the classroom in practica or through independent studies.
Graduate students can pursue a Ph.D. degree in experimental psychology, clinical-community
psychology, or school psychology. The experimental psychology curriculum integrates
behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, quantitative psychology and developmental psychology. Clinical-community integrates child clinical psychology,
community psychology, health and social disparities, and prevention science, applying
research to the improvement of psychological well-being at the individual, family
and community levels. One of the top programs in the United States, our school psychology
program trains students for careers in academic settings and scientifically informed
practice along the continuum of prevention, assessment, early intervention and intervention
for youth and their families, in schools and other community settings. In all three
programs, graduate students whose area is not quantitative psychology but wish to acquire advanced quantitative skills are able to pursue a certificate in quantitative psychology.
Psychology students learn beyond the classroom in our research and clinical facilities . We encourage everyone to get involved. More than 200 undergraduate students are
involved with independent study with our distinguished researchers ever year. Students
gain skills ranging from high-resolution brain imaging to evaluating real-world prevention
and intervention services for children and families. Students also have the opportunity
to learn applied skills relevant to many helping professions through our Psychology Services Center and other applied internships. More than 200 undergraduate students are involved
with independent study with our distinguished researchers ever year.
Four senior faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a prestigious and highly competitive honor awarded
by their peers for contributions to science. Other members in the department have won numerous other awards and honors in recent years, including MERIT Awards
from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a $1 million grant from the National
Institute on Drug Abuse to develop new quantitative methods relevant to health-related
outcomes, and several large research grants from NIH as well as the Institute of Education
Sciences and the National Science Foundation.
