Psychology

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
1701 N. 13th Street
Weiss Hall, 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19122
https://liberalarts.temple.edu/academics/departments-and-programs/psychology

Peter Marshall, Chair
656 Weiss Hall
215-204-7360
peter.marshall@temple.edu

Peter James, Associate Chair
617 Weiss Hall
215-204-3409
pjames@temple.edu

David Waxler, Director of Undergraduate Studies
519 Weiss Hall
484-589-0730
david.waxler@temple.edu

Nicole Pileggi, Senior Academic Advisor for Psychology
616 Weiss Hall
215-204-3403
nicole.pileggi@temple.edu

The undergraduate Psychology program at Temple University provides a modern curriculum covering a breadth of content, ranging from biological bases of cognition and behavior to sociocultural influences on human interactions and psychological disorders. The curriculum is designed to develop students' critical thinking skills through emphasis of the scientific basis of psychology and through courses in statistics and research methodology.

The program also emphasizes the integration and synthesis of information across courses and activities through the step-wise progression of the curriculum from the introductory, foundational, and advanced classes up to the final capstone course that is taken in the senior year. Students are strongly encouraged to develop applied skills through rigorous and highly focused experiential learning in research laboratories and community-based internships. The curriculum is designed to be sufficiently flexible to satisfy the diversity of needs among undergraduates. An individually tailored curriculum may be selected for the purpose of preparing students for employment or further study in psychology, neuroscience, medicine, law, business, or other fields.

Psychology identifies several learning goals for each level of instruction in the program. At the introductory level (PSY 1001, PSY 1002, PSY 1003, PSY 1004), goals include familiarity with the scientific grounding of the discipline (PSY 1001), basic statistics (PSY 1003) and scientific methods (PSY 1004), as well as information on how to prepare for a career in psychology or a related discipline (PSY 1002). At the Foundation level (2000-level courses), students develop deeper knowledge of the fascinating content areas in the discipline, which are broadly organized in two groups:

  1. Developmental/Clinical/Social (DCS); and
  2. Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS).

Students are required to choose at least two courses from each of these two general areas, and this ensures familiarity with the breadth of the discipline. These courses cover a wide range of topics from the functions of the neuron to the development of moral thought. At the Advanced level (3000-3620), students continue to develop critical thinking skills to dispassionately examine conflicting claims, analyze data, organize research papers, and become more proficient with the scientific process in a writing intensive course (PSY 3096). Students also are required to select four courses with the option of continuing to develop breadth or choosing to delve into greater depth in one area, such as clinical psychology. Finally, at the 4000 level, students choose a Capstone course to complete their coursework. This writing-intensive course is designed to help students integrate their knowledge base, to refine their critical and writing skills, and generally to synthesize their knowledge of the discipline.

Who should consider majoring in Psychology?

Majoring in Psychology is obviously an excellent choice for students interested in pursuing a career in clinical, counseling, research, or applied psychology. In addition, the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology is a popular and versatile degree that can help prepare students for careers in many other areas. Some examples of fields that are well suited for psychology majors are:

  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing
  • Research
  • Social Services

Advising

The Psychology Department has its own academic advisor for undergraduate students (see contact information at the top of the page). Psychology majors are encouraged to contact the Department Advisor with questions about the curriculum and graduation requirements. In addition, psychology majors should contact the advisor for:

  • Capstone Registration
  • Psychology Internship Inquiries
  • Research Credits
  • Adding a Psychology Course After the Open Drop/Add Period

Internship & Research Opportunities

Psychology students have the opportunity to gain real-world experiences and course credit through Internship and Practicum classes. A list of internship sites and more information can be found on the Internship and Practicum Site.

For students interested in research opportunities, many of the Temple Psychology faculty have active research laboratories on a wide range of research topics. Students can apply to work as research assistants in a laboratory and can also earn Collaborative Research credit for doing so. More information on collaborative research can be found on the Collaborative Research Site.

Psychology Accelerated +1 BA/MS Program

The accelerated +1 Bachelor of Arts in Psychology / Master of Science in Psychological Research offers outstanding Temple University psychology majors the opportunity to earn both the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and the Master of Science in Psychological Research in just 5 years. Admission to the program is highly selective. This program is designed to provide a research-intensive experience, advanced coursework, and professional development to students who intend to pursue doctoral studies in any of the academic psychology disciplines.

Students apply to the program in the spring semester of their junior year after completing a minimum of 72 undergraduate credits. Eligible students have a minimum 3.5 GPA overall and in Psychology. Additionally, students must have a faculty sponsor who has agreed to mentor the student's master's project research during the four-semester program.

Applications are due March 1st each year.

For more information on the Accelerated degree option, visit the Psychology Program.

For more information on the Master's degree in Psychological Research, visit Psychological Research MS.

Careers

An undergraduate degree in psychology affords many opportunities for careers and further study at the graduate level because the knowledge and skills learned through the major (e.g. critical thinking, human behavior) are important to many disciplines. Psychology majors are often employed in management positions, real estate, sales, marketing, social services, and labor relations. Many psychology majors also go on to graduate study in psychology or other fields, including law, medicine, and business school.

Psychology students at Temple are informed of career options and advised to begin to make career decision through a formal course called Careers in Psychology (PSY 1002). This course is designed to encourage students to begin to prepare for their career early during their undergraduate training so that they may maximally benefit from their undergraduate education.

Policies Regarding Curricular Overlaps

There are several related majors and minors offered by the Psychology and Neuroscience Department, including the major and minor in Psychology, the Cognitive Neuroscience minor, the Clinical and Health Psychology minor, the major in Neuroscience: Systems, Behavior & Plasticity (see Neuroscience section for details) and the Neuroscience Research minor.

Students majoring in Psychology may take a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience, a second major in Neuroscience, or a minor in Neuroscience Research. Psychology majors are not permitted to take the minor in Clinical and Health Psychology but are permitted to take those courses as electives in their major.

Students who opt to double major in Psychology and Neuroscience may double-count the following required courses without taking additional electives in their major to replace the credits:

Students who major in Psychology and minor in Cognitive Neuroscience may double count the following required courses:

Students who major in Psychology and minor in Neuroscience Research may double count one elective course and

  •  PSY 3096 Conducting Psychological Research  or NSCI 3096 Conducting Neuroscience Research

Programs