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The Department of Psychology endorses a view of psychology as the use of scientific methods to study a broad range of factors that often interact to produce human behavior, including cognitive, developmental, personality, physiological and social variables. Therefore, students who major in psychology are expected to:

1. Learn to apply empirical methods to understand human and animal behavior. Students should be able to use and critique a variety of research methods, ranging from controlled laboratory experiments to naturalistic observations. Specific skills to be acquired include the ability to operationally define concepts for empirical study; to collect, analyze and interpret empirical data; to clearly communicate findings to larger audiences through oral and written presentations (for example, APA style research papers, posters and presentations).
2. Learn major theoretical and empirical advances in a variety of disciplines within the field of psychology (for example, clinical, cognitive, developmental, motivational, organizational, personality, physiological, social). This objective should include the ability to compare and contrast explanations offered by different schools of thought within each discipline (for example, behavioral, biological, cognitive, dispositional, psychoanalytic, social learning). It also should include an understanding of both current and historically prominent developments in the various disciplines.
3. Learn ways in which psychological concepts can be applied for the benefit of oneself and society. Students will learn about clinical, educational and organizational applications of psychological research and will consider ways in which psychological principles may be relevant to personal life and civic participation. In addition, students are expected to become more precise and tolerant observers of human behavior and individual differences.

The Department of Psychology at Oglethorpe University has a strong tradition of student achievement in research and internships. Many students collaborate with faculty on research projects or develop and complete their own research projects with the help of faculty mentors. Each year, Oglethorpe is represented at regional and national psychology conferences by psychology students presenting their original work.

Psychology students have completed internships in a variety of settings including: private clinical practices, adoption agencies, law enforcement agencies, law firms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Partnership Against Domestic Violence, Georgia State University Language Research Center, Zoo Atlanta, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center and the Georgia Psychological Association.