Welcome to the website of the Department of Psychology at UMBC

Our website is designed to provide you with information about our department, our courses, programs and students, our faculty, and our interests. After your visit, please feel free to contact us if you need more information.

At the undergraduate level, the Department offers the B.A. and B.S. in Psychology, as well as a minor for students pursuing a degree in another discipline. We also offer specialized concentrations within psychology: human services psychology, developmental psychology, and biopsychology, as well as a certificate in the psychology of the workplace. At the graduate level we offer Ph.D. programs in Applied Developmental Psychology and Human Services Psychology (HSP). Within the HSP program are tracks in Clinical Psychogy (accredited by the American Psychological Association), Behavioral Medicine, and Community and Applied Social Psychology, as well as a specialized MA track in Applied Behavior Analysis offered in collaboration with the Kennedy Krieger Institute of the Johns Hopkins University (accredited by the Association for Behavior Analysis International). Through a collaborative initiative of the University System of Maryland, we also offer our B.A. degree in Psychology and a Masters of Professional Studies degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland.

Our goal is to provide our students with intensive study and research training across the many areas of psychology. Through this training, our students develop an appreciation of the scientific basis of psychology and the skills necessary to examine basic or applied psychological issues in a systematic manner. Our undergraduate program is designed to provide students with up-to-date knowledge, analytical skills, writing and presentation skills, and research skills that will be useful, both for those who will be seeking jobs with an undergraduate degree, and those seeking to go on to professional or graduate schools. Many undergraduate students become involved in research with our nationally recognized faculty, presenting at conferences and co-authoring published papers. These experiences greatly enhance their career and graduate school options.

Many of our undergraduates go on to pursue further training at the master's and doctoral level, while others go on to work in a wide variety of occupations in which an appreciation of the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological bases of psychology are of value. Along with a sound knowledge of psychology and its methods, our graduates leave with valuable skills in writing, critical thinking, and data handling and analysis that are useful in virtually any profession or job.

Psychology has ties to many other disciplines, such as education, mental health, medicine, public policy, law, social work, business, engineering, and sports. Our graduate programs follow an apprenticeship model that provides for individualized research opportunities with faculty as well as formal coursework. The programs are designed to prepare students for careers in research and teaching, or for applied opportunities in the public or private sector. Our students have won awards from professional organizations such as the American Psychological Association, the Institute of Educational Sciences, the National Science Foundation, and the American Educational Research Association, and they have gone on to successful careers in academia, research, government, and professional practice.

Faculty in the department are internationally-recognized scholars. Many have received awards and fellowships from prestigious organizations for their scholarship and public service, and many have served in lead editorial roles on prominent journals in their specialty areas. Their research programs advance the field and contribute to the well-being of society. Faculty are funded by federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Institute of Education Sciences, as well as numerous state agencies and private foundations. Over the past few years our department has brought in more than $2 million per year in grants and contracts.

The Department of Psychology is the largest academic unit in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at UMBC and one of the largest across all colleges. At present, the Department has more than 900 undergraduate majors and 100 graduate students, 27 core faculty, 28 adjunct faculty from various universities, research centers, and private practice, and 6 professional and administrative staff members to help us accomplish our research, teaching, and service goals. Psychology faculty work collaboratively with faculty in other departments at UMBC as well as other major research universities in the area, such as the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the Johns Hopkins University.

I encourage you to explore these pages and learn more about what the Psychology Department and its faculty have to offer you. Whether you are looking for specifics about our undergraduate programs, exploring possibilities for graduate school, or seeking information about faculty and research, I hope you will find it here. If not, please feel free to request more information via the contacts listed on our web pages.

Warmest wishes.
Linda Baker