In 1875, William James launched the discipline of Psychology in the US by offering a course at Harvard called Physiological Psychology. Ten years later in 1885, the Arizona Territory established the Territorial Normal School with its first cohort of 33 students who started classes in February 1886.

Alumni Leadership Council

Deann Davies, Chair of Alumni Leadership Council

Jeanne Altman 

Kathy DeBoer, Senior Vice President, Chief Quality Officer

Welcome to the Department of Psychology at ASU! Operating at the intersection of the mind, brain, and behavior, psychology explores many of the world’s most complex issues and fascinating questions. Our exceptional faculty of internationally recognized researchers and teachers, working with our students, investigates many of the mysteries and challenges of human behavior. For example,

ASU is strongly committed to the success of its expanding numbers of over 2000 veteran students and their dependents. A key aspect of that commitment is reflected in the 2015 launch of the Veterans Wellness Research Center at ASU which aims to serve as a hub of transdisciplinary research on resilience to stress and trauma. Our overarching goal is to conduct research through which we both learn from, and benefit, our veterans and their families. The Center's mission is three-fold:

In addition to providing stipend and tuition support for our doctoral students, the Department of Psychology offers the following awards as opportunities for additional funding in recognition of excellence and outstanding scholarship. The deadline for all application materials, including a letter of support from a Department of Psychology faculty member, is March 22, 2024. Please direct any questions to the Psychology Awards Committee.

As a graduate student in the Department of Psychology, you'll find that interactions with faculty and your cohort are central to a variety of ongoing research and educational programs in the department and beyond. Our students typically establish lifelong relationships with their faculty mentor/advisor and not only become collaborators during their graduate training, but maintain their collaborative and collegial experience throughout their careers.

Psychology Career Resources

Psychology is a STEM discipline and the study of the human mind, brain, and behavior and the processes between these. A bachelor's degree in Psychology is also a liberal arts degree with a versatile educational foundation providing development of the following skills: