Mission Statement
Department of Psychology
The mission of the Psychology Department is to teach at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels, and to conduct scholarship and research. The teaching is conducted with students of extraordinarily diverse backgrounds and goals, and is intended to provide knowledge of the basic content areas and methodologies of psychology, as well as skills for thinking critically about psychological issues, so that students will be prepared to evaluate relations between theories and data, to understand the various basic research methodologies, and to think critically about applied issues in psychology and in life outside of the field of psychology. Given the diversity of our students, the knowledge and skills we teach should be applicable both for those students who plan careers in psychology and related fields and for those who will not pursue such careers.
The department has faculty who are engaged in a broad range of teaching, scholarship, and service. Because the department is home for the CUNY doctoral subprogram in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, we should be especially prepared to train students in I/O psychology, but our mission includes teaching and conducting scholarship and research across a broad set of areas, including social/personality, cognitive, psycho-physiological, quantitative, and clinical psychology.
Our goals include producing scholarship and research that merits national and international recognition, and we seek to involve students at all levels in our scholarship and to provide opportunities for students at all levels to gain experience in our research laboratories and in clinical and applied settings. Given the diversity of our students, the broad range of interests of our faculty, and the conduct of programs at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels, the accomplishment of our mission requires integration among its parts, for example, (a) involving doctoral students in the training of undergraduate and masters students in faculty research laboratories, (b) providing opportunities for students to gain experience across faculty interests, and (c) developing curricula that are appropriate for, and responsive to, the diversity within the department and within the City of New York.
Our teaching, research, professional practice, and other conduct are conducted so that they are consistent with the principles of respecting persons as autonomous agents, avoiding harm and maximizing benefits for students, research participants, and others, and providing equality of opportunity.