From portfolios to pizza, fall A&S career events explore diverse fields
"Cornell alumni are generous with their time and efforts to assist students, to answer questions from students, or connect them to people and places."
Read more
In the Department of Psychology we focus on the investigation of behavior and its cognitive, neural and hormonal underpinnings in the full range of environmental situations. Our strengths lie in four broadly defined areas of development, cognition, neuroscience, and social and personality psychology. We develop and conduct theoretical and translational research to advance health and well-being.
Currently, we offer two majors and minors for undergraduate students. The Psychology major and minor are offered through the College of Arts & Sciences while the Human Development major and minor are offered through the College of Human Ecology. We also offer graduate degrees in the field of Psychology through the College of Arts and Sciences and the field of Human Development through the College of Human Ecology.
Explore the Department
Department News
New A&S dean relishes ‘life in a university’
Peter John Loewen says he's excited to support faculty in their research, meet students and showcase the value of a liberal arts education.
Read more
Timely responses – even from a car – drive babies’ learning 
The timing of others’ reactions to their babbling is key to how babies begin learning, Cornell developmental psychologists found - with help from a remote-controlled car.
Read more
Moral psychology summer institute hosted at Cornell
Directed by College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) faculty in psychology and philosophy, the NEH-funded institute featured presentations from many leading figures in moral psychology, which studies human thought and behavior in ethical contexts
Read more
Nexus Scholars study climate change inequality and infant language learning
The program provides undergraduates with summer opportunities to conduct research with and be mentored by faculty from across the college.
Read more
Cornell expert on SCOTUS ruling in social media dispute
The Supreme Court has sided with the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts; associate professor of psychology Gordon Pennycook, who studies misinformation, comments.
Read more
Peter Loewen named dean of Arts and Sciences
Coming from the University of Toronto, where he is the director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Loewen begins his five-year appointment as the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Aug. 1.
Read more
'It was rewarding to build something that people from the community enjoyed and learned from'
Wynne Williams-Ceci is a psychology and College Scholar major.
Read moreExplore Academic Opportunities
Preparing undergraduate students for the future of psychological research and practice
Undergraduate students develop critical thinking skills, emphasizing the foundational nature of the science of psychology.
Learn at the nexus of graduate level scientific inquiry
The Department of Psychology embraces multidisciplinary and translational research and graduate training, viewing psychology as a “hub science” at the nexus of many other areas of scientific inquiry.
A cross disciplinary approach to research
The Department of Psychology embraces a “big tent” approach to methods, techniques and analysis that can be used to expand the frontiers of psychological science.
Expanding the psychological sciences at Cornell
On July 1, 2021, the College of Human Ecology’s Department of Human Development merged with the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychology to form a new psychology super-department. The new department retains the title “the Department of Psychology” and includes the faculty members from both departments. The evolution sets the stage to enhance collaboration in the psychological sciences and provide students with a rich education from a broad range of leading faculty.