Department of Psychology

Would you like to:

  • learn how the brain works?
  • explore your own personality and those of the people around you?
  • read case studies on child autism? • observe a counseling session with a person with schizophrenia?
  • record otters’ mating behaviors at the zoo?

Consider a major or minor in psychology at Agnes Scott. 


Enjoy Small Classes in State-of-the-Art Facilities

As a science major, you’ll have access to multi-million-dollar scientific instrumentation, dedicated faculty-student research laboratories, independent student project laboratories and long-term observation areas in the Mary Brown Bullock Science Center. All psychology labs are taught by full-time and part-time professors (not graduate or teaching assistants), and all students have the opportunity for hands-on research and experimentation. Our low student-to-faculty ratio offers you a comfortable environment to learn about human behavior and gain a greater understanding and appreciation for individual differences. In psychology classes, you can expect to engage in dynamic discussions, listen to intellectually-stimulating lectures, analyze your collected data, discuss journal articles and examine case studies.

Conduct Research and Publish Your Results

Psychology faculty at Agnes Scott encourage undergraduate students to conduct supervised research, and even co-author journal articles. Students have the opportunity to present on campus at the Spring Annual Research Conference (SpARC) and also at regional, national, and international conferences.

Learn Hands On Through Internships

Many psychology students complete multiple internships during their time at Agnes Scott. Examples include working with industrial and organizational psychologists at TalentQuest, City of Decatur HR, and the Georgia Aquarium Training Department. Other students work with clinical and counseling psychologists at Emory Autism, Grady Trauma Project, Atlanta Victims Assistance, and Feminist Women’s Health Center. Still others work with neuroscientists at Zoo Atlanta and the Yerkes Primate Research Center.

Get Involved On Campus

The student-run Psych and Neuro Club, open to all who are interested in psychology, will provide you the opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience, as will Agnes Scott’s chapter of Psi Chi, the international honor society for psychology.

How will this degree help me when I graduate?

A major in psychology increases your writing and communication skills, as well as provides you with the knowledge to perform research experiments. These new skills will prepare you for both employment and graduate studies. Agnes Scott psychology alums often work in the following fields:

  • clinical settings
  • social work
  • nonprofit organizations
  • medicine
  • occupational or physical therapy
  • communication disorders
  • nursing
  • human computer interactions
  • education
  • research
  • human resources
  • business and consulting