Psychology Department

Home / Academics / Departments / Psychology Department

The psychology department prepares you to solve a wide range of problems. You can study topics such as interpersonal relationships, group dynamics and personality traits, as well as emotion, learning and thinking. You can use this knowledge for careers as diverse as business, counseling, law, medicine and social service. The research-based degree enables you to explore psychology’s areas of interest, including neuroscience.

Majors

Psychology

Build professional skills in the science of human behavior and enhance your learning with a minor in Neuroscience.
Learn More

Minors

The neuroscience minor combines biology and psychology to help you understand behavior. You’ll explore topics like addiction, genetics, learning, and perception. This minor is ideal for careers in medicine, research, marketing, or pharmaceuticals.

While open to all students, space is limited. To apply, take PSY 201 Brain and Behavior as a first-year student and apply by fall of your sophomore year.

Department Resources

The ��ƽ�� Department of Psychology is a collegial, intellectual community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who:

Promote the comprehension and application of scientific inquiry to enduring and emergent questions of psychology.
Conduct collaborative scholarship and empirical research that advances the discipline.
Cultivate exceptional quantitative, analytic, and communicative skills, and engaged curiosity toward learning, and a broad and multi-faceted perspective of the world.
Commit to continuous improvement as individuals and as a department.

The Honors Research Experience in Psychology

The ��ƽ�� Honors Research Experience in Psychology is a unique opportunity for an undergraduate student to become a lead researcher pursuing important questions in a supportive and collaborative environment. Students develop lifelong skills in critical thinking, written and oral communication, and intellectual independence. Recent graduates have been accepted into top graduate programs in clinical psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, school psychology, neuroscience, law and other allied fields.

Mentorship

Students who are accepted into the program receive one-on-one mentorship from both the Director of the Program in PSY 400, a course devoted to developing a detailed proposal, and from their faculty adviser at the same time. Our faculty have broad-based research expertise in psychology and students develop honors theses on a variety of topics.

Outcomes

Psychology honors students routinely achieve impressive awards and pursue distinguished careers. In the past few years, our students have:

won six $5000 summer research fellowships from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
earned four Psi Chi Midwestern Psychological Association Research Awards for their presentations.
been admitted into Ph.D. programs in neuroscience, school psychology, master’s programs in counseling, social work, and public health.

The Daniel J. Elias Endowment Fund

The Daniel J. Elias Endowment Fund provides generous support for honors project expenses and an annual Honors Colloquium where students present their findings in a public forum. This unique colloquium features a nationally recognized speaker who delivers a keynote address about the societal and intrinsic value of psychological research.

Eligibility

Students are eligible to apply in October if they have 1) junior standing, and 2) a 3.5 GPA in PSY or overall OR enrollment in good standing in the University Honors program. See current program director or Psychology Department administrative assistant for more information. Interested students are strongly encouraged to talk with a professor about their interest in the program in their sophomore year.

Awards & Grants

Psychology majors at ��ƽ�� benefit from many awards and grants that are made possible by the generous gifts of alumni, friends, faculty, and staff to promote and support their achievement and success.

Scott and Wendy Racine Summer Research Fellowship

Established in 2025, The Scott and Wendy Racine Summer Research Fellowship Fund provides an annual fellowship to provide financial support a student pursue an independent research project mentored by a Psychology Department faculty member over the summer months.

York Student Research Fund

York Student Research Fund was established in 2024 by the estate of alumnus Dr. James York to fund collaborative research between Psychology faculty and students. These annual funds help students and faculty with the costs of research projects, travel to professional conferences, and other necessary expenses.

Racine Teaching Fellowship

The Racine Teaching Fellowship, established in 2021, provides financial support for student engagement and mentoring in the teaching of psychology usually in the form of paid teaching assistantships. These opportunities allow students to develop their critical thinking and teaching skills, but also support learning and success in the classroom among their peers.

Thomas F. O’Grady Experiential Learning Grant

Endowed by Thomas O’Grady ’93 in 2012, these annual grants fund students’ academic experiences outside traditional classrooms for summer and . These experiences foster communication, research and critical thinking skills.

Daniel J. Elias Honors Research Fund

The Daniel J. Elias Endowment Fund was established in 2007. It provides generous financial support for Psychology Department honors student research projects and an annual honors colloquium. The colloquium showcases student research and features an expert speaker on the latest research to promote psychological well-being. First-semester juniors are eligible to apply. Contact the Department Office for more information.

Etaugh Study Abroad Fellowship

Established in 2018, the Etaugh Study Abroad Fellowship provides an annual scholarship to defray the costs of studying abroad for students who seek international travel for the first time and have financial need.

Robert Lowder Quantitative Excellence Award

The Robert Lowder Quantitative Excellence Award, established in 2023, honors the legacy of Dr. Lowder, a founding faculty member of the ��ƽ�� Department of Psychology. It funds an annual award to a student who demonstrated excellence in quantitative reasoning through research and/or academic achievement.

Carl E. Smith Memorial Award

Established by the Class of 1966, alumni and friends, this award honors Dr. Carl Smith, the psychology department’s founding chairperson. Recipients, who are nominated by faculty, receive a monetary award and their names are engraved on a plaque displayed in the department. Psychology majors who are graduating seniors and continuing their education at an institution of higher learning are eligible.

Outstanding Senior Award

This award is presented annually to the graduating psychology major who excels in academics and leadership. Students are nominated by psychology faculty.

Community Practicum Award

This award is presented annually to a PSY 342 student who has demonstrated the highest levels of psychological skill, engagement and professional demeanor during his or her placement. Students are nominated by psychology faculty.

Eligibility – The scholarship is available to full-time juniors or seniors psychology majors who plan to pursue graduate education or a profession related to childhood development. Preference is given to students who have completed coursework in child development and who demonstrate financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Assistance.
Selection process – Eligible students complete a brief application distributed each year by the psychology department. Recommendations are then provided to the Office of Financial Assistance.

Inclusive Excellence Award

This award recognizes the student who has best exemplified the Psychology Department’s commitment to inclusive excellence. Award winners will have demonstrated their efforts to celebrate the diversity of our majors, as well as promote equity and inclusion within and outside the classroom

The Psychology Department Impact Award

This award recognizes the invaluable contributions of a student who, through their engaged participation, either within or outside the classroom, has left a positive and lasting impact on our department. This student embodies our shared values of inclusivity, community, and engaged learning. Their example will continue to serve as a model of transformational learning outcomes for future students to come.

�����ƽ��