Psychology

Departmental Information

Directors of Undergraduate Studies
Neuroscience and Behavior Major:
Prof. Frances Champagne
315 Schermerhorn
(212) 854-2589
fac2105@columbia.edu

Prof. Sarah Woolley
317 Schermerhorn
854-5448
sw2277@columbia.edu

Psychology Major:
Students A-K
Prof. Patricia Lindemann
354A Schermerhorn Extension
(212) 854-8285
pgl2@columbia.edu

Students L-Q
Prof. Carl Hart
316 Schermerhorn
(212) 854-5313
clh42@columbia.edu

Students R-Z
Prof. Betsy Sparrow
355C Schermerhorn
(212) 854-1348
sparrow@psych.columbia.edu

Preclinical Advisor
Catherine Monk
356 Schermerhorn Extension
(212) 854-5576
cem31@columbia.edu

Administrative Coordinator
Joanna Borchert-KopczuK
406 Schermerhorn
(212) 854-3940
jb2330@columbia.edu

Undergraduate Curriculum Assistant
Pamela Jackson
406 Schermerhorn
(212) 854-8859
pjj2103@columbia.edu

Departmental Office
406 Schermerhorn
(212) 854-3608

Website
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/

The Department of Psychology offers students a balanced curriculum in experimental methods, perception, cognition, neuroscience, developmental, social, personality, and clinical areas. The curriculum prepares majors for graduate education in these fields and provides a relevant background for social work, education, medicine, law, and business. The department offers an honors program for outstanding students and encourages majors to participate in advanced seminars and supervised research.

The course offerings have been designed to meet the needs and interests of four groups of students: (a) those who wish to explore a few topics in psychology, for whom a representative variety of courses is provided, (b) those who wish to major or concentrate in psychology, (c) those who wish to major in neuroscience and behavior, and (d) those seeking to fulfill the science requirement.

Many opportunities exist for becoming involved in research projects in the Department of Psychology. All qualified students are welcome. Students may volunteer to work in a lab, register for supervised individual research (PSYC W3950), or participate in the department’s two-year Honors Program. Information on faculty research is available on the department’s Web site. Students are advised to read about the research laboratories on faculty Web pages, select a lab that interests them, and go to the professor’s office hours to discuss potential research opportunities.

Majors and concentrators in psychology and majors in neuroscience and behavior should begin planning a program of study as early as possible. All necessary forms and information are available outside 406 Schermerhorn or online. Students should complete a Major Requirement Checklist before consulting an adviser and before starting their final semester. Returning students should check the department Web site for recent updates to the curriculum.

Guide to Course Numbers

Course numbers reflect the structure of the psychology curriculum. The 1000 level contains introductions to psychology, introductory laboratory courses, and statistics. PSYC W1001 The science of psychology and PSYC W1010 Mind, brain, and behavior are introductory courses with no prerequisites. Either one can serve as the prerequisite for most of our 2000-level courses. The 2000 level contains lecture courses that are introductions to areas within psychol­ogy and have few, if any, prerequisites. The 3000 level contains more advanced and specialized undergraduate courses, most of which are given in a seminar format. The 3900s are the courses providing research opportuni­ties for undergraduates. The 4000 level contains advanced seminars suitable for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students.

Subcategories within the 2000, 3000, and 4000 levels correspond to the three groups in our distribution requirement for undergraduate psychology majors: (1) per­ception and cognition (2200s, 3200s, and 4200s), (2) psychobiology and neuroscience (2400s, 3400s, and 4400s), and (3) social, personality, and abnormal (2600s, 3600s, and 4600s).