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PrincetonUniversity |
Department of PsychologyPsychology is the study of mental life. It involves the systematic observation and analysis of human behavior and includes relevant study of other species. The Department of Psychology focuses on three broad areas of psychology: cognition/perception, social/personality/clinical psychology, and behavioral neuroscience. The major in psychology provides a unique opportunity for students to explore and to combine these different approaches to the study of mental life. It includes a comprehensive, but flexible, distribution of courses. However, the cornerstone of the program is the two years of independent work. Students work closely with one or more faculty members throughout that period and eventually design and carry out an original piece of research. For students concerned primarily with getting a liberal arts education, psychology is also an appropriate major, with meaningful links to a wide range of other disciplines. For those concerned with preprofessional preparationmedicine, law, and other fieldspsychology is appropriate. In addition, we hope, and expect, that some of our undergraduate majors will continue on to become professional psychologists. The future in professional psychology, both theoretical and applied, seems promising. The theoretical problems of psychology are not likely to be solved any time soon, and the demand for clinical and therapeutically oriented psychologists continues unabated. The applications of psychology in such areas as environmental control, community organization, biomedical engineering, education, health, social work, advertising, industry, and business continue to expand. The breadth of the discipline makes it an appropriate and intellectually rewarding major for just about anyone. We welcome generalists, and we welcome specialists. We hope that no matter what aspects of psychology they pursue, students emerge with something valuable and distinctive a psychological point of view toward behavioral phenomena.
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