Overview

Sunrise Reflection on Horizon Hall
Sunrise Reflection on Horizon Hall

George Mason’s Department of Psychology focuses on conducting innovative, high-impact research and providing rich educational experiences for  undergraduate and graduate students to enhance human potential and promote the individual and common good.

Our department contributes strongly to the university’s Research I status, with a range of research programs across a number of subdisciplines. Faculty and students alike publish findings, present at conferences, and secure extramural funding, with an emphasis on conducting research of consequence. Our research spans the gamut from basic to applied, but all with an eye toward supporting practice-informed research that can solve real-world problems and generate knowledge that can improve the human experience. We also support researched-based practice because want to bring our findings to the practice of psychology.

We are committed to training students at all levels.  We have one of the largest undergraduate programs in the university, in large part because of how fascinating the field is and versatile and useful a degree in psychology can be. Some undergraduate students do their own independent research through our undergraduate honors program.  We also have a number of masters-level and doctoral graduate programs that offer advanced training to students. At all levels, students receive high-quality instruction in the classroom and opportunities for hands-on research working side-by-side with faculty in research labs. 

Also in line with the values of George Mason, our department is committed to creating an environment of inclusive excellence. We define our success not by how many students we exclude, but by how many we can include and mentor toward their goals. We recognize that our society has created several ways of categorizing people that have resulted in false hierarchies of value and unequal access to resources – and we further recognize that psychology as a discipline has been an active participant in such actions. As a department, we firmly embrace the equality of individuals and the goal of equitable opportunities, and we understand that we can achieve our broader goal of furthering the individual good for all only by fostering an inclusive environment where all are welcome and all can thrive.

We are also at the forefront of evolving technologies in education, with an undergraduate degree that can be completed entirely online. We have also have a Master of Professional Studies degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology that can be completed online and is targeted towards working adults. 

We welcome you to our department, and invite you to learn more through our website and by reaching out to contact us.

CurbyDr. Tim Curby

Interim Chair, Department of Psychology

Tyler Shaw

Dr. Tyler Shaw

Associate Chair of Graduate Studies

Dr. Erin Murdoch

Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies

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