Academic Program

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This information is part of the Colgate University catalog, 2025-26.

Faculty
Professors Braaten, Hansen, D. Johnson, Kelly, R. Shiner (Chair), Tierney
Associate Professors Conti, Cooley, Liu, Martinez, Philbrook, J. Tomlinson
Assistant Professors Ferrara, Galaj, Niraula
Visiting Assistant Professors  Akua, Brawner, Depowski
Lecturers Albert, Webb

Psychological science is the scientific study of behavior, emition, and cognition in humans and other animals. As a discipline, it seeks to identify and understand basic and complex processes including sensation and perception, learning and memory, thought and language, motivation and emotion, development, personality, psychopathology, and social interaction. These processes are examined from a variety of levels of analysis: from genetic and neural mechanisms to physiological and cognitive systems, and from individual behavior to interpersonal, cultural, and societal dynamics. Because it addresses fundamental aspects of human experience, psychological science has wide-ranging relevance to personal, social, and global challenges.

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is the home of Colgate's interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program. For more information about the Neuroscience program, please visit the  program page. 

Psychological Science

Psychological science offers two introductory courses: , a topics course designed for non-majors, and . Students must complete  to be eligible to enter the major.

The department offers a wide range of courses covering topical areas in the field as well as Research Methods (), Quantitative Methods (), Biological Psychology (), and senior thesis projects (/). In consultation with their departmental advisers, majors are encouraged to select 200- and 300-level courses that offer a breadth of exposure to the broad content and methodologies comprising psychological science.

Awards

Kevin Carlsmith Prize — in recognition of an outstanding senior interested in social, personality, or clinical psychology.

The Sarah Kulkofsky Award — established in memory of Sarah Kulkofsky '02, to be awarded each year to an outstanding senior interested in cognitive or developmental psychology.

The Phil R. Miller Prize — established in memory of Lt. Phil R. Miller '41, who lost his life in the service of his country in World War II, and awarded to a junior or senior psychology major demonstrating unusual interest in and capacity for work in psychology.

The Psychological and Brain Sciences Citizenship Award — awarded by the department for outstanding contributions to the Psychological and Brain Sciences department through exemplary leadership, service, and achievement.

Advanced Placement

Entering students who receive scores of 5 on the Advanced Placement examination in psychology are eligible to receive one psychology course credit toward graduation, which will be recorded as .

Honors and High Honors

The requirements for achieving honors and high honors in psychological science are as follows:

Honors

  1. Overall GPA of 3.30 or better
  2. Major GPA of 3.50 or better, calculated across all courses counting toward the major (including ).
  3. A two-semester independent research project of high quality
  4. Satisfactory oral examination performance on the subject matter of the senior thesis and related fields.

High Honors

  1. Overall GPA of 3.50 or better
  2. Major GPA of 3.70 or better, calculated across all courses counting toward the major (including ).
  3. A two-semester independent research project of very high quality
  4. An oral examination performance that demonstrates mastery of the senior thesis and related fields.

International Exam Transfer Credit

Transfer credit and/or placement appropriate to academic development of a student may be granted to incoming first year students who have achieved a score on an international exam (e.g., A-Levels, International Baccalaureate) that indicates a level of competence equivalent to the completion of a specific course in the department. Requests should be directed to the department chair. Any such credit may not be used to fulfill the university areas of inquiry requirement, but may count towards the major. 

Transfer Credit and Study Groups

Transfer of psychological science credit from other institutions by students already matriculated at Colgate requires prior written permission from the registrar and the department. Normally, no more than one transfer course or one Colgate Study Group course may count toward the major/minor.

Credit for PSYC 150, 200, 275, and 309 may be granted only in exceptional cases for summer or study abroad coursework. Students must obtain prior approval from the department to be considered for such exceptions. Students who are transferring into Colgate may receive credit for these courses if they were completed prior to matriculation, subject to departmental review.

Colgate sponsors study-abroad programs in the natural sciences and mathematics at the University of Galway in Ireland. The department also accepts transfer credit from the University of Otago in Dundin, New Zealand. See .

Contact psychological and brain sciences for more information regarding transfer credit within the department. 

Related

Courses