Finding Belonging and Paying it Forward
"The college’s dedication and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure my success has made a profound impact on me.” Meet Abigail Foster ’26.
The Department of Psychology seeks to teach knowledge and skills to investigate and engage the world through psychology, the scientific study of the mind and behavior.
Students in our classes engage in critical inquiry, research conceptualization, data analysis, scientific writing and thoughtful discussions as they explore the breadth of the discipline. Our introductory courses present nine subdisciplines of psychology, ranging from principles of learning to clinical psychology. The expertise of psychology faculty spans a wide range of subdisciplines, including social, cross-cultural, clinical/counseling, community, health, developmental, cognitive, behavioral neurobiology, neuroscience and the psychology of women, gender and sexuality.
Among psychology majors nationwide, Dickinson grads rank #7 for starting salaries at U.S. bachelor-degree-granting institutions (Texas Public Policy Foundation, 2020)
Dickinson psychology offers extraordinary training in research methodology. Our majors learn the fundamentals of research design and strategies for clear scientific communication in four semesterlong courses, and all majors are able to experience the process of psychology research firsthand. Students also have the opportunity to engage in independent projects and collaborative research with faculty and are able to participate in community-based programming.
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“Community Psychology has been my favorite course I've taken at Dickinson! I am majoring in psychology but, sustainability is still very important to me, so I was thrilled when the class focused on sustainable behavior and how to change behaviors to be more sustainable on a personal and systemic level. I loved diving into various sustainable actions, such as reducing water use, changing transportation modes, reducing GHG emissions, etc., and putting a psychological/cognitive-behavioral spin on it. We reviewed various psychological studies surrounding each environmental behavior and discussed further how to implement what we’ve learned from studies about everyday society.”
— Jada Witkowski ’24
"The college’s dedication and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure my success has made a profound impact on me.” Meet Abigail Foster ’26.
Senior Lecturer in Psychology Michele Patterson Ford discusses strategies for coping with stress and dealing with emotional situations during the holiday season.
Psychology majors secure jobs as a behavioral technician, social worker and a clinical assistant at Boston Children's Hospital.
The college's long history of Fulbright success continues as a recent graduate and three seniors receive grants for one of the world's most prestigious international exchange programs.
John Mather will receive Dickinson’s annual Joseph Priestley Award.
Former psychology major Sarah DiMuccio '15 follows her passion for research as the director of research at Catalyst, a global nonprofit that helps build gender equity in the workplace.