College of the Pacific
Welcome to the Department of Psychology
“I think often of my time at Pacific and am so grateful for my experience in the Psychology Department. I appreciate the opportunities I was awarded to learn and grow.”
—Lauren Brinkman, former student
The Psychology Department offers a B.A. degree program focused on the understanding of behavior, thoughts and emotions.
Psychology is a broad discipline, with many areas of specialization, and majors are exposed to several fascinating areas of study, including behavioral, biological, clinical, cognitive, developmental and social psychology.
In one year, a student may study topics such as couple's therapy, body self-image, autism, parenting and eye-witness identification.
The Psychology Department has seven full-time faculty members who are committed to providing an excellent and engaging education for students:
- Our faculty teach interesting and lively courses that encourage student involvement in the mastery of psychological principles in a variety of subfields of psychology, as well as the application of the material to life situations. The diverse areas of Psychology are tied together by faculty members' commitment to scientific inquiry, and by their desire to teach students how to understand and conduct research (including research design, data collection, statistical analysis of data, and written and oral communication of results).
- Our faculty provide many opportunities for students to work on research projects, often resulting in student co-authorship of presentations at professional meetings or publications.
- Students are offered many opportunities for getting applied experience through internships/practica in the community and other hands-on experiences. This involvement prepares them for future careers in a variety of psychology-related fields.
- Close faculty-student interactions support students in achieving their goals, whether a student plans to seek admission to graduate or professional school, find a position in an interesting and fulfilling career, or achieve better understanding of self and others throughout life.
Graduate Programs
The Psychology Department also has a graduate program which offers an M.A. program for students who are interested in applied behavior analysis or in preparing for entry into a doctoral program.
The undergraduate and graduate programs are interlinked so that each program is supported and enhanced by the other.
New Visiting Scholars Program Underway!
Pacific’s Psychology Department has been hosting formal visits from eminent scholars in behavioral psychology. The visits expose students and faculty to other experts in their field and spark new ideas for teaching, clinical practice and research.
Visiting Scholar Dr. Greg Hanley of Western New England College (center) with Dr. Matthew Normand and Holly White
