These are remarkable times for psychology. Scientific breakthroughs
concerning the biological, emotional, cognitive, and social basis of
normal and abnormal behavior are reported in the media almost daily.
The faculty associated with the Department of Psychology at Yale
University represents the cutting edge of research and scholarship in
this broad and exciting field.
The primary goal of graduate education in psychology at Yale
University is the training of researchers, for academic and applied
settings, who will broaden and deepen the knowledge base on which the
science of psychology rests. The graduate program in the Department of
Psychology annually enrolls about 15 new Ph.D. students. When applying
to the Department, each potential graduate student indicates one of
five areas of concentration, and usually has a “home” in a particular
lab, but it is also possible to collaborate with faculty and students
in other labs and participate in programs that cut across these
traditional areas (e.g., cognitive, affective and social neuroscience;
health sciences).
Our
Department has an illustrious history, but, more important, continues
to reinvigorate itself by recruiting the most outstanding scholars we
can identify in behavioral neuroscience, clinical psychology, cognitive
psychology, developmental psychology, and social-personality
psychology, with special efforts to attract those whose interests
bridge these areas. These scholars include faculty, research
scientists, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates
in Psychology and other programs (e.g., the School of Management,
Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program).
A primary objective of our graduate program is to encourage
research that follows from an understanding of the substantive and
methodological bases of scientific psychology as well as from other
social and biological sciences. We encourage students to appreciate the
multiple historical and theoretical contexts from which the field has
emerged, and to create an environment that facilitates student and
faculty interest and participation in research activities. Moreover,
many members of the faculty are committed to exploring the impact of
their work on individual, community, and societal problems.
Consequently, faculty and student interests and research often bridge
basic science to issues of public policy, providing opportunities for
students to develop broad areas of expertise.
We are deeply committed to graduate education and are eager to
work closely with students to help them take advantage of the rich
offerings of our Department and University in ways that suit their
interests and talents. The relatively small size of our graduate
program and the large number of primary and affiliated faculty ensure
that each student receives extensive attention in following an
individualized curriculum. Over the years, we have cultivated a
supportive environment that provides rigorous training. Our program is
an active, exciting, flexible, and challenging setting in which
qualified students who share our interests thrive. We welcome your
application.
Marcia K. Johnson
Professor and Chair of Psychology
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