"We found something new out about the brain and how that relates to anxiety. We're going to try to get it published because we got really great results. So, that's really gratifying." - Huma Rana Senior, Psychology Major

About the department

The Psychology Department at Bryn Mawr College offers an undergraduate major in psychology, a concentration in Neural and Behavioral Science, and a doctoral program in Clinical Developmental Psychology. The department has eight full-time faculty members, as well as six adjunct faculty members who teach in the graduate program. Psychology majors typically number approximately 40-50 students in the junior and senior classes.
Undergraduate dtudents have a choice of two different one semester introductory courses in experimental psychology, each with a laboratory component. Each satisfies the Bryn Mawr College laboratory science requirement. Majors take courses at the 200-level (survey courses in the major areas of psychology, such as biological, developmental, and social) as well at the 300-level (advanced courses that provide more in-depth examination of topcs areas, such as developmental psychopathology, psychopharmacology, cognitive neuroscience, and history of psychology). Student involvement in research is strongly encouraged. Completion of a senior thesis is required for a student to be considered for Honors in the major.

The doctoral program in Clinical Developmental Psychology has a scientist-practitioner orientation and focuses on children and adolescents in the contexts of family and school. The program accepts approximately five students per year. Students complete a predissertation and a doctoral dissertation, serve as teaching assistants in various undergraduate courses, participate in half-time practica in assessment and therapy, and complete a one-year ful-time clinical internship.

The Psychology Department is fortunate to have two well-established facilities serving children in the broader community. Undergraduate students in Psychology have the opportunity to work as assistants at both the Thorne School and the Child Study Institute. These facilities also serve as sites for some Praxis courses in the department.