Home / Academics / Departments / Psychology Department
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.
Awards & Grants
Endowed Funds: These awards are made possible by the generous gifts of alumni, friends, faculty, and staff.
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.
The Daniel J. Elias Endowment Fund was established in 2007. It provides funds for honors program research and an annual honors colloquium. The colloquium shows student research and features an internationally known researcher. First-semester juniors who have completed PSY 206 Experimental Psychology are eligible. Application materials are available in the psychology office (Bradley Hall, Room 80).
Established by Thomas O’Grady ’93 in 2012, the endowment finances students’ academic experiences outside traditional classrooms. These experiences foster communication, research and critical thinking skills.
Departmental Awards:
Carta ’72 established this scholarship to mentor student recipients and to encourage research of childhood development. Carta is a professor of special education and senior scientist at the University of Kansas. She also is director of early childhood research at KU’s Juniper Gardens Children’s Project. In 2014, she was named director of “Bridging the Word Gap Network,” a national network of experts in language and literacy development funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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.
This award is presented annually to the graduating psychology major who excels in academics and leadership. Students are nominated by psychology faculty.
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.
Student Grants
Psychology majors who author a research poster or presentation at a professional conference are eligible to apply for a departmental award of up to $100 to defray travel costs.
Additional student travel funds are available from the University.
The Sherry Endowment for Undergraduate Research in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences supports student travel. Sherry Fund application materials are available in Bradley Hall, Room 226.
The Office of Teaching Excellence and Faculty Development supports student travel for presenting collaborative projects conducted with faculty. Special Emphasis Grants from the University support student research. Consult with a faculty advisor for more information.