The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University was established nearly 100 years ago and remains committed to excellence in the field. We currently support four primary research programs: aging and development; clinical psychology; behavior, brain & cognition; and social and personality psychology, with an additional emphasis on diversity science that cuts across all of these areas of specialization.
The Psychological & Brain Sciences department has about 80 graduate students in residence and graduates approximately 150 undergraduate majors a year. Psychological & Brain Sciences is one of the most popular undergraduate majors at Washington University. We have two complementary majors in the department, and also participate in the Philosophy, Neuroscience and Psychology major. Although we specialize in the four areas of research described above, the department provides a full undergraduate program with courses in many other topics within Psychological & Brain Sciences. We also offer a lively rotation of workshops, seminars, talks, and other opportunities for interaction and engagement, providing opportunities to learn about the research happening across the department, while also bringing in noted experts from around the world.
U.S. News & World Report has named WashU’s Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences one of the top 10 psychology graduate programs in the nation — a significant milestone for the department and Arts & Sciences.
“Psychological and brain sciences has the distinct honor of being Arts & Sciences’ first PhD program to break the top 10 in the past two decades,” said Feng Sheng Hu, the Richard G. Engelsmann Dean of Arts & Sciences. “This is an incredible testament to the visionary leadership of department chairs past and present, the immense talent of our faculty, the dedication of our graduate students, and the groundbreaking research we are accomplishing together.”
The Washington University Psychological Service Center is an outpatient mental health clinic within the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences. This treatment facility, which was established in 1972, provides training opportunities for advanced doctoral students in the clinical psychology program as well as low-cost treatment options for members of the St. Louis community. Confidential services are available to adolescents, adults, and couples in the greater St. Louis area.
