The faculty are united by an overarching interest in understanding the origins of human behavior as it develops across the life course and in diverse sociocultural contexts. The faculty also share a strong commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and to research that has the potential for application to important societal problems. The roughly 500 undergraduate majors in the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior begin their program of study with core courses in developmental, social, health, and abnormal psychology. Advanced courses cover specialized topics in these fields, as well as in environmental, clinical, and community psychology. A number of advanced courses delve into the psychological aspects of important societal issues and problems, such as child abuse, violence, divorce, work and family, social inequality, and community health.
Undergraduates also gain rigorous training in research methods and statistics.
A rich array of internships are available to undergraduates through a very popular required Field Study sequence. Opportunities for Field Study internships are plentiful in Orange County in settings such as schools, child care facilities, counseling centers, senior citizen centers, hospitals and other health care settings, and social service agencies. Opportunities to participate in faculty research projects enrich the undergraduate experience by providing competence in the research process, thereby readying students for future careers and graduate study. Outstanding undergraduates have the opportunity to conduct an Honors Research Project with individual faculty guidance. Graduates from our program have assumed positions in the private and public sectors or have continued their education at leading graduate institutions, where they have pursued advanced degrees in psychology, education, human development, public health, social work, counseling, law, and business, among other fields.