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Our Mission
The Department of Psychology is dedicated to understanding the complexity of the human mind and behavior. The Psychology faculty is comprised of scholars with expertise in diverse areas who are actively engaged in the discovery of new knowledge and its application, the education of undergraduate and graduate students, and serving the needs of the larger community. In fulfilling these objectives, the Department of Psychology is guided by the following core values: developing a conceptual framework that encourages lifelong learning, promoting critical thinking about “popular” psychology as well as the scientific literature, encouraging the discovery of self-knowledge and understanding, and raising awareness about how gender, race, ethnicity, and class affect human behavior and perspectives.
Instruction in the methods and content of the field of psychology is provided within the Liberal Arts and Sciences tradition of encouraging intellectual and personal development. The curriculum offers a diversity of learning situations and includes many opportunities for writing. The undergraduate program prepares students for graduate study or entry-level employment. The graduate programs are designed for those who intend to continue at the doctoral level, to gain employment in applied or scientific settings, or to obtain advanced training related to present employment. The Department is committed to the ongoing assessment of its programs.
Both undergraduate and graduate students are required to study research methods and statistics in order to comprehend the empirical nature of psychology. The ethical principles of the field are stressed, so that students come to value the dignity of the individual, the importance of promoting human welfare, and the maintenance of scientific, academic, and professional integrity. We focus the educational experience on information students can take with them and use for the rest of their lives. Critical to this is the development of transferable skills. To this end, we provide opportunities for students to collaborate with faculty on research and to engage in a variety of fieldwork experiences.
