About us
Welcome
Our department is noted for a long history of excellence in research, teaching, and service. With approximately 50 faculty, 150 graduate students, and 1800 undergraduate majors, we are one of the largest departments at Ohio State.
We are also one of the top ranked psychology departments in the country providing extensive course offerings and research opportunities in seven program areas. Faculty in the department work in diverse areas of human and animal cognition, emotion, and behavior and engage in many interdisciplinary research activities. By exploring the web links above, you can learn about our educational and research programs, the people responsible for them, and admission requirements.
After a century of excellence in teaching, research and service, The Ohio State University is recognized as a leader among the nation's centers of higher learning. Ohio State sponsors a wide variety of graduate and professional programs.
History
The study of psychology is part of a long and distinguished tradition at Ohio State.
The first psychology course was offered in 1879, and in 1907 an independent Department of Psychology was formed. The first Master of Arts degree in Psychology was awarded in 1915; the first Ph.D. in 1917. Since that time, about 2,800 master's degrees and 2,000 doctorates have been conferred.
Department graduates hold respected teaching, research and professional positions across the United States and many practice in other countries. In fact, there is at least one Ohio State graduate on the psychology faculty of almost every major university in America.
Faculty
About 60 professors make up the Psychology Department faculty at the Columbus campus. Many are recognized both nationally and internationally for their contributions to their fields, and many hold joint appointments, which means they are also members of other department faculties at Ohio State.
Our faculty members, as well as a number of our alumni, are the recipients of the discipline's highest awards for professional and scientific achievement. Many serve as editors of major journals and several are president's of professional societies. They understand that they are role models and that they have a responsibility to help graduate students develop their sense of professional identity and commitment. Click here to access a list of faculty awards and here to access faculty editorships.
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
International graduates of this major are approved by the Department of Homeland Security for three (3) years of work permission in the United States after graduation. Visit the Office of International Affairs website for more information.