Psychology
Psychology at Elon: Diverse Courses, Hands-On Learning and Research Opportunities
Large enough to house a broad range of courses, internships and research opportunities, yet small enough to provide close personal mentoring and rich relationships with faculty, Elon’s psychology program equips students with scientific and socio-cultural knowledge that lead to success.
Elon’s psychology program blends the study of psychological theories, principles and techniques with hands-on learning experiences in the classroom, internships and undergraduate research. We provide a solid grounding in research methodology as well as basic and advanced courses in major sub-fields of the discipline:
- Behavioral neuroscience: studies the interplay between the brain, behavior, and the environment.
- Cognitive psychology: explores the operation of mental processes related to perceiving, attending, thinking, language, and memory, mainly through inferences from behavior.
- Developmental psychology: examines the physical, mental and behavioral changes that occur throughout life and the various factors that affect development over our lifespan.
- Social psychology: investigates how an individual’s thoughts, feelings and actions are affected by others.
Students choose from a variety of special topics courses including abnormal psychology, criminal behavior, animal behavior, educational psychology, organizational psychology and the psychology of leadership.
Rooted in the Scientific Method
Our curriculum is based on the American Psychological Association’s undergraduate learning goals and objectives, and faculty continuously plan, assess and modify courses to ensure our students are prepared for careers in psychology and related fields.
Our students develop a love of learning through the scientific method. You’ll learn how to systematically gather information. You’ll think critically, logically and creatively about that information. Finally, you’ll be able to effectively communicate your conclusions to diverse audiences.
As a socio-cultural discipline, we foster an informed and sensitive appreciation for the complex causes of human behavior and the knowledge and skills to put that understanding to use. You’ll understand how to positively impact human affairs, from individual and family functioning, to policies governing broader social institutions.
About the Department
The Department of Psychology, housed in the Psychology and Human Service Studies Building, represents Elon University’s largest liberal arts major. We have over 20 full-time faculty and more than 480 majors and 300 minors.
Among our professors are experts in clinical psychology, biological psychology, educational psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, cross-cultural psychology, personality, child development, interpersonal relationships, applied behavior analysis, language, and many other topics.
We encourage our students to take advantage of the Elon Experiences through closely mentored undergraduate research, study abroad and study USA programs, and internships. Students can also get involved in psychology-related student organizations, including the Psychology Club, which is open to all majors and minors, and Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology.