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DEPARTMENT OFFICE
King Hall C3104
Phone: (323) 343-2250
E-mail: psych@calstatela.edu
Website: www.calstatela.edu/academic/psych/html/deptmenu.htm

Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior and mental and emotional processes of human beings, as well as the behavior of animals as it applies to humans. The field also encompasses the methods, procedures, and instruments necessary for the study of these processes.

Psychology majors do volunteer work or are employed at various levels of the job market, including community organizations, social service agencies, county and state civil service, business and industrial companies, personnel and public relations firms, hospitals, research centers, and many others.

The Department of Psychology offers programs leading to Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science, and Master of Arts degrees. The graduate degrees are described in the Graduate Programs section.

The Faculty

Professors: Fary M. Cachelin, Desdemona Cardoza, Ramani S. Durvasula, Mitchell Eisen, Gaithri Fernando, Senqi Hu (Chair), Pamela C. Regan, Gloria J. Romero,
Kaveri Subrahmanyam.
Associate Professors: Joel Ellwanger, Robert Kennison, Kimberly King, Eric Kohatsu. Brigitte Matthies, Heidi Riggio, Henry Schlinger, Munyi Shea.
Assistant Professors: Jessica Dennis, Alicia Izquierdo-Edler, Bahram Shabani, Ji Son, Douglas Stenstrom.
Emeriti: Burton L. Alperson, Richard S. Balvin, Theodore S. Bell, Nancy Cobb, Annette Ehrlich, Stuart P. Fischoff, Herbert Goldberg, Herbert Goldenberg, Harold J. Gottlieb, Thomas M. Graham, Jean P. LaCour, John M. Leiman, Anson J. Levine, Robert T. Lewis, Z. Barry Lowenkron, Irwin Lublin, Herbert Moskowitz, David R. Perrott, Jean S. Phinney, Michael W. Roffe, Bernard J. Somers, Judith E. Stevens-Long, Michael Wapner, David J. Weiss.

The Graduate Program

The Department of Psychology offers both Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees. The Master of Arts degree in Psychology is a mentor-based, rigorous graduate program designed to develop research and conceptual skills for students whose primary interest is in continuing their education in a doctoral program. Students are encouraged to contact a faculty member in the area of research in which they are interested before applying to the university. Positions in the department are limited and acceptance into the program depends on students finding someone on the faculty who will agree to serve as a mentor. The department also offers the Master of Science degree with options in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Forensic Psychology, and Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). In addition, students may emphasize community college teaching in their M.S. program.

Programs for this Department:

Undergraduate Major

• Psychology, B.A. 
Undergraduate Minor

• Psychology Minor 
Graduate Major

• Psychology, M.A. 
• Psychology, M.S. 
 

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