Undergraduate Programs
Welcome to the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences
We provide students with an understanding of the principles of behavior, the scientific methods used to derive and refine those principles, and appropriate and novel ways in which to apply such knowledge.
Our alumni have forged careers in criminal justice, human resources, human services, and education. Graduates work at hospitals, correctional facilities, nonprofits, and social services organizations as project managers, marketing specialists, counselors, and health technicians. Those with advanced degrees have become attorneys, college professors, researchers, and psychologists.
Combining Majors and Minors
Many degree combinations are possible for psychology and neuroscience majors, such as earning a minor or a second major. Psychology and neuroscience complement the other social, behavioral, and life sciences including sociology, anthropology, criminal justice, communication, biology, and chemistry.
Check with advisors from each department to ensure your courses meet all degree requirements, especially if the academic program is part of another UD college. Also check with an advisor if your academic interests may lead to a double degree (bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees).
- Students may double major in psychology and neuroscience, with restrictions.
- Psychology majors may minor in neuroscience, with restrictions.
- Neuroscience majors may not minor in psychology.
What can you do with a degree in psychology or neuroscience?
Graduates with psychology and neuroscience degrees have found jobs in a variety of fields:
- Business — Specialize in corporate, sales, or retail management. Analyze data for run a focus group for a market research firm.
- Human resources — Train and retain employees.
- Human services — Work for a non-profit organization in fundraising, grant writing, or conducting outcome evaluations. Or work directly with populations of people in need.
- Health care — Help individuals with psychological disorders as a psychiatric technician at a hospital. Run group sessions and work with patients. In an outpatient or school-based program, work one-on-one with children with autism spectrum disorder.
Employers from a wide range of professions want to hire psychology and neuroscience majors because graduates offer the following useful skills:
- Liberal arts skills such as critical thinking, reading, writing, and analyzing.
- Research skills with a focus on people.
- Core knowledge about how and why people think, feel, and behave.
Resources and opportunities
Get Involved
At the University of Delaware, psychology and neuroscience students build professional skills and pursue their interests through the Nu Rho Psi Neuroscience Honor Society as well as registered student organizations that represent UD as part of national nonprofit organizations and the Phi Delta Epsilon medical fraternity.
The purpose of Nu Rho Psi is to:
- encourage professional interest and excellence in scholarship, particularly in neuroscience;
- award recognition to students who have achieved such excellence in scholarship;
- advance the discipline of neuroscience; encourage intellectual and social interaction between students, faculty, and professionals in neuroscience and related fields;
- promote career development in neuroscience and related fields;
- increase public awareness of neuroscience and its benefits for the individual and society; and
- encourage service to the community.
Who may join?
Membership is by invitation and is open to graduate and undergraduate men and women who are making the study of Neuroscience one of their major interests and who meet the other academic qualifications. Nu Rho Psi is also open to qualifying Neuroscience faculty and alumni of Neuroscience programs. Requirements for membership include:
- Major or minor in Neuroscience
- Completion of at least 3 semesters of the College course
- Completion of at least 9 semester hours of Neuroscience-related courses
- Undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in Neuroscience courses
Gain job experience, access to mentors, and a potential job after graduation
Internships
Two course options are available for majors to earn credit for an internships:
1. Psychology Field Placement (PSYC365) — Spend the first two weeks reading about internship possibilities in the Delaware region, writing a resume, applying for internships, and interviewing at the sites. The internships are sometimes competitive, and the whole process is just like it would be for a real job search. When you get a placement, you will work approximately 10 hours per week at the internship site for the rest of the semester. You will also complete regular writing assignments.
PSYC365 is open to juniors and seniors who have completed at least four courses in psychology. You may also take it up to two times if you wish. This course counts for the Discovery Learning Experience (DLE) requirement.
Past internship sites have included:
- Nemours Children's Hospital
- TeamCare Behavioral Health
- Open Door
- Sarah's House Shelter
- Newark Manor
- Mental Health Association of Delaware
- Planned Parenthood of Delaware
- Child, Inc.
2. Experiential Internship (UNIV364) — If you find an external internship, you could enroll in this free elective course sponsored by the Career Center at UD. You must spend a minimum of 50 hours at your internship site while you are enrolled in UNIV364 and you CANNOT take the class before or after you have already finished your internship. This course counts for the Discovery Learning Experience (DLE) requirement.
Finding an Internship
- Find an internship on your own through networking connections.
- UD's Career Center is one of the best resources. Attend one of the many career fairs held each year, and search the Career Center's Handshake database. Log into Handshake with your UDel username and password.
- Volunteer with local organizations that provide services to specific populations, such as the Delaware chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Autism Delaware.
Earn credit for research with Psychological & Brain Sciences
Psychology and neuroscience majors typically get credit for research as Independent Study (PSYC366). The credits can vary from one to six credits. Students and their faculty mentors agree on the number of credits based on the number of hours worked per week. Students who continue to work in a lab for a longer period of time could potentially enroll in Advanced Research (PSYC466).
Neuroscience majors also often get credit for research as NSCI368 (Research) which is a variable credit course (one to six credits) that involves a weekly seminar as well as participation in a research lab. Students who continue to work in a lab and have completed NSCI368 could potentially enroll in Advanced Research (NSCI468).
Registration
Students CANNOT register themselves for research credit courses. Your faculty mentor or a designated lab representative must provide the registration information to the Psychological & Brain Sciences advising office to be enrolled. Make sure that you and your lab have the following information for registration purposes:
- Your full name
- Your UD ID
- The research course you need
- The number of credits
Please note that you can only enroll in these independent study or research courses if your faculty mentor is in or officially affiliated with our department.
Advising
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences has multiple advisors for different types of issues. The academic advisor and academic program manager help you plan courses, solve registration problems, and explain UD's online resources. Our academic program directors for the neuroscience and psychology programs can answer specific questions about curricula, classes, and careers.
All first- and second-year students within the College of Arts and Sciences are assigned an advisor from the Student Success Center (SSC). Team members specialize in academic and advising services and co-curricular coaching.
In their third year, psychology and neuroscience students are assigned to a full-time faculty member within the department to assist them on their path to graduation. Faculty advisors and the director of advising can talk with you about big-picture issues like graduate school plans and career options.
Alexandra Shaw
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences
Office: Wolf Hall, Room 108
Alexandra Shaw serves the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences as an academic program manager. Alex earned a Master’s in Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs from West Chester University. She has gained a variety of experiences assisting students during her career in higher education. As an academic program manager, she works with students on special registration issues, determines exceptions to major requirements, issues course substitutions, refers students to other campus resources, and assists students with course scheduling and degree planning. In addition, Alex evaluates psychology and neuroscience courses for transfer credit equivalents.
Eric Roth
Director, Neuroscience Major and 4+1 Master's Program
Office location
University of Delaware, 105 The Green, Room 225, Wolf Hall, Newark, DE 19716
From mammals to reptiles, Eric Roth, Ph.D., uses a multidisciplinary approach integrating neuroscience and ecological techniques to address questions related to many aspects of animal behavior and cognition with an emphasis on spatial ecology. Where is an organism at a given point in time and why is it there? What navigation mechanisms are used to move from location to location? How is sensory information integrated and processed to influence spatial decision making, perception, learning, and memory? What biological, ecological, neurobiological, cognitive, and evolutionary factors interact to produce spatial behavior? More specifically, in relation to many of these potential factors recent research projects have focused on epigenetic influences, hippocampal place cells, brain lateralization, social interactions, home range properties, and neuro-ecological relationships.
Dr. Roth oversees the neuroscience major curriculum and students. He can:
- Talk with you about graduate school and careers related to the neuroscience field.
- Answer questions about the 4+1 Program in Neuroscience.
- Help you with inquiries about exceptions to the Neuroscience major requirements.
Agnes Ly
Director of Undergraduate Advising
Office location
University of Delaware, 105 The Green, Room 218, Wolf Hall, Newark, DE 19716
Agnes Ly, Ph.D., focuses primarily on undergraduate teaching and advising. She is the director of undergraduate advising for psychology and neuroscience majors. She also regularly teaches general psychology and statistics.
Dr. Ly's scholarly research explores autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is a lifelong developmental disability exhibiting impairments in social communication and interaction as well as stereotyped and restrictive behaviors and interests. Most recent estimates in the U.S. indicate that one child out of every 68 has a diagnosis. Grounded in family systems theory, Ly's research focuses on both the marital and coparenting relationships, and especially as to how they relate to adaptive child functioning. Most recently, her research interests have included using a multi-method approach (i.e., interviews, surveys, behavioral coding of observations) to explore these family dynamics.
Dr. Ly oversees undergraduate advising for the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences. She usually helps students with special problems regarding one of our majors and can:
- Work with you on special registration issues.
- Answer questions about exceptions to psychology major requirements.
- Evaluate transfer courses.
- Advise you on courses or experiences (on- or off-campus) that will enhance your education.
- Help you explore career options in psychology and related fields.
- Discuss graduate school options.
