Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviors and their underlying mental processes. It is both a biological and social science, a scholarly discipline, and a profession. Psychologists use many different methods and procedures and focus on a variety of problems, so psychology is a very diverse discipline, ranging from the neuroscientist studying brain behavior to the industrial/organizational psychologist studying the behavior of organizations.

Psychologists formulate and test theories using research and statistical methods in an effort to understand, predict, and influence behavior. As a profession, psychology is dedicated to solving human-societal problems.

There are over 50 faculty in the Michigan State University's Department of Psychology. These faculty are at the forefront of psychology research. Their primary areas of research span across these six main areas: Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Science, Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience, Ecological/Community, Organizational, and Social/Personality Psychology. Many of our faculty research across disciplines.

As a Psychology undergraduate student, you will have the opportunity to engage within the classroom, conduct research with top faculty in the field, and expand your educational experiences into the community.

To ensure you receive an appropriately broad and well-balanced education at MSU, psychology majors must satisfy the requirements of three separate units that represent three administrative levels:

• the University
• the College of Social Science
• the Department of Psychology 

You must meet the graduation requirements of each unit.  In addition, you will need to choose elective coursework to achieve the minimum number of 120 credits for a degree. You must complete 30 credits at the 300 or 400 level.

Additional information about the requirements may be found in the Academic Programs Catalog on the Office of the Registrar website.

Graduates with a psychology degree pursue careers in a range of industries, excelling in jobs that demand deep knowledge of human biology, human behavior, pharmaceutics and research.

Alumni work as: 

• Applied behavior analysts
• Health care coordinators
• Research assistants
• Youth care workers/specialists
• Brand ambassadors
• Family support workers

Alumni work at: 

• CBI Rehabilitation Services
• Community Mental Health
• EVE, Inc.
• Hope Network
• Michigan Department of Community Health
• Teach For America
• Neuropsychological Services of Lansing