The Institute of Psychology was created in 1920 and is the birthplace of French psychology. It was the first institution to train psychologists at the university level. The Institute has 4,000 students studying psychology from the undergraduate to the post-graduate level. It is one of the only training and research centers in France to offer a broad range of courses in the other subdisciplines that lead to the many careers in psychology. In addition, the Institute of Psychology sets itself apart through its experimental, clinical and applied research on societal issues and in the fields of health and education.
The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has cultivated a tradition of strong, empirically based teaching and research in contemporary experimental psychology. The 42 faculty, 70 graduate students, and many of the 2500 undergraduate majors conduct cutting-edge research in core areas of experimental psychology, including cognition and the perceptual sciences, developmental and evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and behavior, and social psychology. The department's commitment to interdisciplinary pursuits are reflected in expansive research and teaching collaborations with a variety of other disciplines, including the biological sciences, anthropology, communication, educational psychology, linguistics, geography, and sociology. One of 10 campuses of the prestigious University of California system, and the fifth leading public university in the nation, UCSB provides a dynamic intellectual environment that prizes academic rigor and creativity to generate discoveries with wide-ranging impact. The inspirational setting is embedded in nature, nestled between the Santa Ynez mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
The Psychology & Neuroscience community is dedicated to creating an academic and social environment where each person can flourish. We have ongoing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts, led by the Psychology & Neuroscience Task Force, to develop strategic priorities for diversity and inclusion with measurable outcomes. It is our priority that all students, staff, faculty, mentors, and trainees – every member of our community – is represented and supported.
The field of Psychology first emerged at Harvard in the late 1800's under the scholarship of William James, and ever since then Harvard has been at the forefront of the field. The Department has a long and rich history, and its past faculty and researchers have included some of the most famous names in psychology, including B.F. Skinner, Gordon Allport, Jerome Bruner, George Miller, and Henry Murray. Psychology is one of the most popular courses of study among undergraduates at Harvard.