Why Study Psychology at Barnard
Barnard College Psychology Department first offered courses in psychology in 1906 over “strenuous objections of many faculty and administrators who maintained that psychology was not a fitting topic for young women” (from the department’s Psychology Virtual Museum--strongly recommend the collection if you are interested in this history!). Throughout its 114 years of history, Barnard Psychology Department has raised countless outstanding psychology students, and I am more than thrilled to become one of them! Similar to my other post on the Education Program, today I want to share some useful information about the courses and opportunities at Barnard Psychology Department to those who might be interested.
Introduction to Psychology is usually the very first course students take at the Psychology Department either to explore their interests in psychology or to fulfill the college science requirements--many do fall in love with psychology after the class! With Introduction to Psychology as a prerequisite, a variety of core psychology lecture courses are offered to help students further explore their interests within the subject. All the courses--from Perception to Personality, Neuroscience* to Developmental Psychology--are taught by very approachable professors with corresponding academic focus, so they always become a helpful resource for students at the beginning of their studying in psychology--and many students ask their core course professor who shares their interest to become their major advisor. To find detailed major requirements, check the department’s website.
*Please note that Neuroscience and Behavior is a separate major at Barnard with their website here!
Other than the core psychology courses, laboratory and research is another great component of psychology studying at Barnard. Laboratory courses are often attached to psychology lecture courses where students learn to conduct psychology studies and write psychology papers. To graduate with a Psychology major at Barnard, students are required to fulfill their Senior Requirement by taking a high-level course and completing a final Capstone paper or project. Many students choose to work with a professor on an independent study and some have their research published or in the press. Since Barnard is an undergraduate college with lots of research opportunities, it is also common at the Psychology Department that students work as research assistants for the professors at their labs during the semester or during the summer through the Summer Research Institute.
Similar to most students interested in toddler development, for my Senior Requirement I want to take the one-year course at the Barnard Toddler Center with Professor Tovah Klein. The center aims to provide toddlers with their first group social experience and to create a research site for developmental researchers and students. The course includes a weekly seminar and fieldwork as an assistant teacher in the center, and students are required to complete their group research projects and papers. It is a unique learning opportunity for getting experience conducting research and working with children. To learn more about the Toddler Center, check the center’s website.
I hope this information will be helpful to those who are considering studying psychology at Barnard, and here is the FAQ page of the Department’s website for reference if you have further questions!