» Psychology

In this program, you will:

• Use the scientific method to study human cognition, emotion and behavior.
  
• Develop the ability to analyze data and think critically.
• Participate in hands-on internships and faculty-led research.
• Be able to customize your academic experience with minors, like our Neuroscience minor.
• You can review an overview of the major here.

By the time you graduate, you'll be able to:

• Put your experience and knowledge to use helping others.
  
• Work in fields such as mental health, medicine, special education, wellness and business.
• Take your studies further with graduate school.
• Conduct cutting-edge research and lead the way in the psychology field.

Why Psychology?

As the science of human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, Psychology affects every aspect of our lives and the human experience.

An undergraduate degree in psychology is a great choice if you’re planning to pursue advanced degrees in mental health or medical fields. It will also serve you well if you’re aiming for any career that benefits from a strong understanding of human behavior. That might be in research, school counseling, teaching, criminal justice, human resources and more.

Career Paths

With a psychology degree, you can become a:

• Career counselor
• Clinician
• Criminal psychologist
• Forensic psychologist
• Geropsychologist
• Marriage and family therapist
• Psychometrist
• School counselor
• Sports psychologist
• Substance abuse counselor
• And more

You will also have a personal career advisor who will help you explore all your career options and find a path that aligns with your passions.

Make an Impact with Your Own Research

When you get involved in research at Chapman, the work you do won’t be confined to just the classroom or the campus. There’s a whole psychology community out there, and you can join it.

You’ll have the chance to do research alongside your peers and professors and dive into the topics that really interest you. As an undergraduate-only program, Psychology majors work directly with faculty in research and fieldwork internships. There are exciting opportunities to learn and train in our faculty research labs, scientific centers, institutes and partnering programs including:

• The Center for Excellence in Biopsychosocial Approaches to Health (CEBAH) - a hub for the scientific study of mind-body processses that affect our health and well-being.
• The Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences (the Brain Institute) - a nexus of interdisciplinary researchers in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, neurobiology, behavioral economics, engineering, and computational sciences.
• Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Research Institute - our faculty partner with medical scientists at CHOC and other local medical centers to apply psychological principles that enhance patient care, health, and recovery.

Want to learn more? Check out Sohini Mukherjee ‘16’s research journey. She studied the intersection of socioeconomic and hygiene, and presented her research at the American Psychosomatic Society.

Internships

The best way to learn how to be a psychologist, clinician or counselor? Getting hands-on experience. That’s why Chapman gives you access to plenty of internship opportunities in all types of psychology-related settings.

From schools to hospitals and much more, you will be able to work in the local community and get real experience before you graduate.

Study Abroad

Psychologists aim to understand human cognition, and getting a global perspective is one of the best ways to do it. At Chapman, you will get the chance to:

• Study abroad at a school in another country.
• Take an international class where you will travel to another country with your Chapman classmates.
• Intern abroad and get to know what it’s like to work in another country.

Student Clubs and Organizations

Chapman has hundreds of clubs and student organizations right on campus dedicated to almost any interest you can imagine, including psychology. You can keep exploring the field outside of the classroom in our chapter of the Psi Chi psychology honor society. 

You can also explore all of Chapman's student clubs and organizations on our Clubs and Organizations page.

Admission and Tours

Interested in taking the next step? Learn how to apply or check out our transfer prerequisites.

Want to learn more about Chapman? We are always available for tours and information sessions. We’d love to meet you!

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