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The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ is one of the best in the nation. It has been ranked by the National Academy of Sciences as one of the best in the country with respect to the quality of the faculty and their scholarly productivity. As well, the psychology graduate program and the clinical psychology program are ranked #26 and #16 in the nation, respectively, by U.S. News & World & Report, and the undergraduate program is #36 by Best Value Schools. 

In addition, the department has a number of excellent and award-winning faculty, including a fulbright scholar, two University of Colorado Distinguished Professors, four College of Arts and Sciences Professors of Distinction, two American Psychological Association fellows, an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow and five Association for Psychological Science fellows.

Altogether, these factors have promoted an environment of excellence and demand, leading the psychology major to be the top major in the College of Arts and Sciences in terms of graduates, and the Outstanding Undergraduate—an award offered every graduation by the college—to be a psychology or neuroscience major every year since 2015. 

The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience is nationally recognized in several areas of research, focusing broadly in six categories: behavioral, psychiatric and statistical genetics, behavioral neuroscience, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology and social psychology. 

Their diverse faculty also include several who have joint affiliations with institutes and centers like the Institute for Behavioral Genetics, the Center for Neuroscience, the Institute of Behavioral Science, the Institute of Cognitive Science, other majors like Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Integrative Physiology, other colleges within the University of Colorado system like Leeds School of Business and Anschutz School of Medicine, as well as outside organizations like Kaiser Permanente and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

For the undergraduate students pursuing a degree in either psychology or neuroscience, there are a number of research opportunities beyond just class work:

• The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) offers students a chance to work alongside a faculty sponsor on original research. Learn to write proposals, conduct research, pursue creative work, analyze data, and present the results. For more information, call UROP at 303-492-2596 or visit the .

• If you’re contemplating postgraduate education, either in professional or graduate school, you are encouraged to participate in the departmental honors program. It provides opportunities for individualized and intensive work, including valuable experience in conducting psychological research.

• The experience of studying abroad can prove invaluable for you as a psychology or neuroscience major. Your firsthand experience abroad can help you gain valuable insights into many aspects of human behavior, especially social and cross-cultural psychology. The university offers more than 100 programs throughout the world. These programs offer credit that counts as if you had taken the courses here, in some cases  also fulfilling major and core requirements. You may spend a few weeks to a full academic year abroad, depending on the program you select. Prior language study or other prerequisites are necessary for some programs, so early planning for study abroad is essential. Further information about study abroad is available from the Office of International Education which is located in the Center for Community, call at 303-492-7741, or visit the .

A degree in neuroscience or psychology provides pathways to many interesting and challenging careers. Though people commonly assume that psychology majors will pursue careers in counseling, the degree also provides background for positions in administration, recreation, health education, personnel work, labor relations, advertising, public relations, vocational rehabilitation, research and much more. Neuroscience, on the other hand, provides a foundation for such careers as biological scientist, speech-language pathologist, physician or surgeon, veterinarian, physical therapist, scientific research and development or neuroscience nurse.

If you’re considering advanced professional work in psychology, it is important that you understand the difference between psychology and psychiatry. While the disciplines are closely related, psychiatry is a medical specialty practiced by physicians who treat mental illness. Psychiatrists continue for several more years of highly specialized training beyond the medical doctor (M.D.) degree.  Professional psychologists may also treat mental illness, but in addition they promote mental health. Graduate work leading to a master of arts (M.A.) or doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is required. 

If you’re contemplating graduate work in psychology or neuroscience, you should be aware that a sound liberal education with exposure to other areas is generally considered superior to a record that solely emphasizes psychology coursework.

 offers free services for all ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ degree-seeking students, and alumni up to one year after graduation, to help students discover who they are, what they want to do, and how to get there. They are the bridge between academics and the world of work by discussing major and career exploration, internship or job searching, and graduate school preparation. 

Psychology and neuroscience majors often go on to health-related graduate study. According to the 2017-18 College Salary Report by PayScale Human Capital: 

• the median salary for someone with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and 0-5 years of experience is $38,700;
• median salary for 10-plus years of experience, $65,300;
• for those with a degree in neuroscience, the respective numbers are $41,900 and $70,100.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 2016-2026 job growth for medical scientists with a doctoral or professional degree with be 14 percent, significantly higher than the average for all jobs.

Preparation for Graduate Work

If you wish to pursue graduate work in any field of psychology or neuroscience there are several important endeavors that you will need to begin as an undergraduate. Since you will need letters of recommendation from your professors, we advise that you get to know them early. You can do this by attending public talks they may give, by working on projects they may sponsor, or simply by stopping by during office hours. 

You will also need research experience. Volunteer to work with faculty on research projects, or pursue an honor's thesis or other independent research. If you wish to work in the counseling field, you will also need volunteer experience in some area of mental health. The psychology advising office in Muenzinger D243 can provide information about research and volunteer opportunities and advise you on how to pursue departmental honors. For more information, check out the extensive .

Despite the bachelor's degree in neuroscience being relatively new, the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience has an extensive alumni network working in a variety of industries across the globe. Some alumni of the program include:

• (BA '97) is associate professor and director of research for the Division of Wound Healing at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. He founded the ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ Neuroscience Club as an undergraduate and went on to receive a master’s degree and doctorate in podiatry.

• (BA '02) is a neurosurgeon with the Colorado Brain and Spine Institute at Swedish Medical Center. Ben went to medical school and completed a residency in Neurosurgery at NYU. He earned an MD at the Chicago Medical School and completed a residency at NYU Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital in New York.

• Johanna (Blumenthal) Urman (BA '09) earned her law degree in 2012 from the University of Colorado School of Law and is currently a member of the Boulder law firm James and Associates, where she practices family law. She often with recent graduates who are in transition from college to the workplace or are in between jobs.

• , MD (BS '88) is associate professor of Orthopedics and chief of Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.

• Tara Nyhuis (BA '08) completed a Neuroscience PhD degree in 2013 at ���Ҵ�ý�ƽ������ and is now director of clinical operations at San Diego-based , which is known for the development of an effective Ebola virus antibody therapeutic treatment that was used toward the end of the 2014-2016 epidemic in West Africa.

• Hardik Kumar Patel (BA '16). Kumar graduated with a degree in Neuroscience. While at CU Kumar played a major role in revitalizing the Neuroscience club. He is currently attending medical school at the University of Miami, where he is on the founding team of a brand-new, student-run wound care clinic that operates in conjunction with the first and only syringe exchange program in Florida. He is also involved in a legislative effort to expand syringe exchange services throughout Florida.

• John “Logan” Brock (BA '16) was named the 2016 Outstanding Undergraduate in the College of Arts & Sciences and will attend the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in the fall.