Psychology is a remarkably broad field that studies mind and behavior at all levels of analysis ranging from the micro to the macro; from single cells to complex systems; from individuals to groups and cultures; and from invertebrates to humans. Our department is committed to research, teaching/mentorship, and service. We have over 1,000 undergraduate majors and enroll approximately 100 graduate students in our Ph.D. programs. Graduate students have an unusually high success rate in securing external funding, and we have an excellent track record for placing them following their Ph.D.s.
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.
In 1921-2, in keeping with a growing trend across the nation, Berkeley's Department of Psychology was established as a separate unit, emerging from the Department of Philosophy. For nearly a century, the department has been a national and international leader in psychological research and the superior educational programs that we have provided to undergraduates and doctoral students.
In the Department of Psychology we focus on the investigation of behavior and its cognitive, neural and hormonal underpinnings in the full range of environmental situations. Our strengths lie in four broadly defined areas of development, cognition, neuroscience, and social and personality psychology. We develop and conduct theoretical and translational research to advance health and well-being.