The Department of Psychology at UB, established in the 1920's, offers Ph.D. degrees in four areas: Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Social-Personality Psychology.

The department has as its defining characteristic and distinguishing mission the conduct and communication of research and scholarship that contributes to the scientific understanding of psychology and the provision of high-quality graduate education and training in the profession of psychology. The department is dedicated to offering state-of-the-art education and training to our graduate students to prepare them to become leading researchers and to assume important positions in academic institutions or professional practice.

All of the doctoral programs emphasize research in psychology and are designed to facilitate the development of professional psychologists who are well-qualified to make new contributions to knowledge through independent research. We offer students a learning environment that is exciting and challenging, one that will allow them to follow their interests and develop their research skills as fully as possible.

All graduate students in the department have close contact with at least one faculty research mentor. We also provide a flexible environment in which students are free to work with multiple faculty and follow their own interests as much as possible. There is substantial overlapping of interests and collaboration across research areas, and a coooperative, collegial atmosphere gives students access to all the intellectual resources of the department.

Applicants are evaluated and admitted to only one of the graduate programs, and cannot readily transfer to another program without formal acceptance. However, students are encouraged to take courses outside their area of concentration. Training in statistics and research methods is begun in the first semester, both through course work and by involving students in faculty research.

The goals of the Department of Psychology include helping students prepare to conduct research and practice psychology in our rapidly expanding multicultural society. The department is committed to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the profession of psychology. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to consider careers in psychology.