Vision and Mission

Vision

The UC Department of Psychology is recognized nationally for the quality of its undergraduate major and the excellence of its graduate training programs in clinical and experimental psychology; our doctoral graduates are well-qualified for a wide range of positions in academe, medical centers, industry or private practice. The faculty is well-funded and conducts important basic and applied research. Faculty and graduate students in our department are dedicated to service to our profession and to the public at the local, state, national and international levels.

Mission

We offer a PhD in psychology to highly qualified applicants from around the country, whom we train through an intensive series of classroom and applied experiences. Our liberal arts majors learn about psychology as a natural science as well as psychology as a social science. They also learn interpersonal skills and understand psychological aspects of social issues. Our majors receive rigorous training in research methods. A wide variety of our undergraduate courses are open to non-majors, who find many options for satisfying Gen-Ed requirements among our course offerings.

Faculty members carry out active programs of research in three main areas: health psychology, neuropsychology, and an interconnected cluster of experimental sub-disciplines that includes human factors psychology, ecological psychology, human performance, and cognitive science. The faculty works in close conjunction with graduate students to produce a steady stream of presentations and papers. The department places a high value on research funding and interdisciplinary collaborations. We place equal value on basic and applied research.

Faculty members play active roles in professional organizations and contribute to the profession through the review of articles and grants. Members of the department participate in college and university governance. We are privileged to share our expertise and our research findings with the public, locally, nationally, and internationally.