Department of Psychology

Psychology is behind everything we do. Explore the human mind. Understand how people interact with each other and what drives behavior. Learn more about the human experience and make lives better.
Why study psychology?
Whatever career you pursue, a background in psychology—the scientific study of behavior—enhances your employability. Just as importantly, it helps you understand yourself and others.
Psychology teaching and research cover four distinct areas:
- Clinical Health Psychology: how mental, emotional and social factors affect physical well-being.
- Cognitive Psychology: understanding fundamental mechanisms underlying cognitive and neural processing—how we think, perceive, remember, forget, solve problems, focus and learn.
- School Psychology: assessment and intervention to improve learning, behavior and mental health among children and adolescents.
- Social Psychology: study of thought and behavior in social and physical environments.
Check out our research page.
You have many study options—a bachelor of arts major, a bachelor of science major and a minor. Opportunities for undergraduate research helps you apply what you learn in class, find a mentor, improve your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and pursue a topic that fascinates you.
What can I do with a psychology degree?
According to the 2019 Princeton Review, psychology is one of the ten best majors in terms of job prospects, salaries and popularity.
When you study psychology, you gain skills to succeed in graduate school, professional school, and the workplace. Professional psychologists may be researchers investigating behavior and/or practitioners applying their knowledge and skills to individual and social problems.
Psychology degrees can lead to positions in:
- Public and private healthcare
- Education
- Mental health support
- Law
- Social work
- Therapy
- Counseling
- Child development
- Media and advertising
- Human resources
- Business and management
Psychology faculty are distinguished psychologists known for the highest achievement in research, a strong commitment to teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and active engagement in community settings.
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News

A&S Psychologist Contributes to Important Study in Nature Medicine Journal
The study explored why individuals with the chromosomal disorder 22q11.2 deletion syndrome show varying symptoms.

Managing Your Mental Health During Election Season
Syracuse University psychology professors Dr. Afton Kapuscinski and Dr. Kevin Antshel provide recommendations for managing mental health in the midst of an election.

A New Tool to Fight Alcohol and Opioid Deaths
A&S psychologist receives a $1.3 million grant to develop a program to target interrelations between pain, hazardous drinking and use of prescription opioid medications.

A Gift Grounded in Love and Advocacy
Their marriage certificate is framed and hangs on the wall in their home, a forever tribute to the love between Janet G. Jones and Syracuse University alumnus Dr. Faith (“Chris”) Maltby Cobb ’51, G’66, Ph.D. ’74. Though Dr. Cobb passed away in 2018, their commitment endures through a new gift of $2 million to the Forever Orange campaign to fund the Cobb-Jones Clinical Psychology Endowed Professorship within the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.