Department Overview and Goals

More than 1,000 undergraduate students are majoring in psychology at Brooklyn College, with over 200 in the four master's programs (experimental psychology, industrial psychology, organizational psychology, and mental health counseling) and over 30 in the Ph.D. program in cognition, brain, and behavior.

Our department has served as the intellectual home of eminent psychologists such as Abraham Maslow, Solomon Asch, Harry Helson, Heinz Werner, and Hal Proshansky.

This background and intellectual heritage has made its mark. According to data collected by the National Science Foundation, between 1966 and 1999, Brooklyn College was fourth in the nation in awarding undergraduate degrees to students who later went on to complete the doctorate in psychology.

Goals of the Psychology Department

The undergraduate program accepts the following guidelines and anticipated learning outcomes.

Guideline 1

Theory and Content of Psychology—Students should show familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.

Guideline 2

Research Methods in Psychology—Students should understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation.

Guideline 3

Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology—Students should respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and, when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes.

Guideline 4

Application of Psychology—Students should understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues.

Guideline 5

Values in Psychology—Students should be able to weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and reflect other values that are the underpinnings of psychology as a discipline.

Guideline 6

Information and Technological Literacy—Students should demonstrate information competence and the ability to use computers and other technology for many purposes.

Guideline 7

Communication Skills—Students should be able to communicate effectively in a variety of formats.

Guideline 8

Sociocultural and International Awareness—Students should recognize, understand, and respect the complexity of sociocultural and international diversity.

Guideline 9

Personal Development—Students should develop insight into their own and others' behavior and mental processes and apply effective strategies for self-management and self-improvement.

Guideline 10

Career Planning and Development—Students should emerge from the major with realistic ideas about how to implement their psychological knowledge, skills, and values in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings.