Program Overview

The Department of Psychology has a strong commitment to scholarly and scientific excellence. It has been heralded as one of the most diverse universities in the nation. This setting offers exciting opportunities for research and scholarly discourse.

Temple University’s Undergraduate Psychology program provides a modern curriculum covering a breadth of content, ranging from biological bases of cognition and behavior to sociocultural influences on human interactions and psychological disorders. The curriculum is designed to develop students’ critical thinking skills through emphasis of the scientific basis of Psychology and courses in statistics and research methodology. The program also emphasizes the integration and synthesis of information across courses and activities through the stepwise progression of the curriculum from the introductory, foundational and advanced classes up to the final capstone course that is taken senior year.

Students are strongly encouraged to develop applied skills through rigorous and highly focused experiential learning in research laboratories and community–based internships. The curriculum is designed to be sufficiently flexible to satisfy undergraduates’ diverse needs. As such, students may select an individually tailored curriculum for employment or further study in psychology, neuroscience, medicine, law, business or other fields.

Honors Psychology Program

The Honors Psychology program is designed to be a 2-year study that begins with a yearlong investigation of methodology, critical thinking and writing. In the second year, the program culminates in the production of a senior thesis that is presented at the student poster session. Each semester, the class explores a new topic in-depth. Student-led discussions complement traditional lectures, encouraging students to engage fully with the course content.

The Honors Psychology program has several main goals. First, students may expect an integrated panoramic view of the field of psychology, from its historical roots to current perspectives. Second, the program will provide students with a foundation in scientific methodology. Students will then take that knowledge to design, implement and analyze data for their senior thesis. Third, this hands-on experience encourages students to grapple with key theoretical and research ideas related to their particular interest. Additionally, the program offers an intimate and individualized experience to prepare students for the future career paths to which they aspire.

Learn More about the Honors Psychology Program.

Psychology Internship and Practicum

The Psychology Internship/Practicum course gives you experience in the work-world and, as such, is unlike most other courses you will take. There are two courses required for completion: Internship (Psych 3785) and Practicum (Psych 3787). You will have dual responsibility: to provide the best service possible to your agency/school/company (you will be, in some sense, an ambassador for Temple and for the Department) and to communicate regularly with your advisor.

View the following pdf to learn more about this course, requirements, guidelines, contact information and deadlines. Psychology Internship and Practicum.

Psychology 5-Year Master’s Program (+1)

The +1 Master in Psychological Research offers outstanding Temple University psychology majors the opportunity to earn both the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and the Master of Science in Psychological Research in just 5 years. Admission to the program is highly selective. The program provides a research-intensive experience, advanced coursework and professional development to students who intend to pursue doctoral studies in any of the academic psychology disciplines. Students apply to the program in the spring semester of the junior year after completing a minimum of 72 undergraduate credits. Additionally, students must have a faculty sponsor who has agreed to mentor the student’s master’s project research during the four-semester program.

To learn more about this accelerated degree offering, please visit the Psychology Accelerated Degree Admissions page to learn more about graduate program requirements, dates and deadlines and instructions on how to apply.

Research Opportunities

For a list of current labs and research opportunities, please see the Department of Psychology Collaborative Research Register of Faculty Sponsors which lists all current opportunities, requirements, lab and research project descriptions and applications to apply.

Getting Involved in Research

Graduate programs in psychology highly regard students with research experience. At Temple you have the opportunity to volunteer in labs representing a wide range of psychological interests. Many of the faculty pages link to lab websites where you can learn more about their research. If you want to volunteer in a particular lab, email the faculty member to inquire if there are openings for a research volunteer.

Another opportunity to carry out research is through the Psychology Honors Program in which students carry out a focused research project and present it at the end of their senior year at a departmental poster session.

Participating in Psychology Research at Temple

There are various opportunities to participate in psychology research studies at Temple. If you are a Temple student, you can find out more about participating in research through the Sona Systems site at: temple.sona-systems.com.

Ambler Campus Psychology Program

Did you know you can also complete your undergraduate Temple psychology degree at our Ambler Campus? Ambler psychology students complete the same coursework as Main Campus students while benefiting from smaller class sizes in a suburban setting. Plus, you can take advantage of exciting research opportunities at the campus’ nationally acclaimed Infant Lab. Visit Temple Ambler’s Psychology page to learn more.