Department of Psychology - Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Winthrop University Department of Psychology and to its website.

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and students in our department, I would like to welcome you to the Winthrop University Department of Psychology.

Whether your plan is to enter the job market or pursue graduate training, our department is prepared to help you succeed. We offer classes on a range of topics, including mental health issues, neuroscience, social processes, cognition, lifespan development, industrial-organizational principles, and school psychology.

Our faculty all possess doctorate degrees, the highest degree awarded in their areas of specialization. They are dedicated to scholarship and the scientific study of psychology, having received national and international awards for their research. You will also find our faculty members actively engaged as leaders in campus and community service.

However, the main focus for our faculty is on the intellectual, career, and personal development of our students. The faculty have won numerous awards for teaching, advising, and mentoring. Our graduating seniors rate their experiences very positively and indicate that they would “highly recommend” our department to their friends.

Students in our department have outstanding opportunities to learn and grow. They can:

  • conduct research with the close mentorship of a faculty member
  • present research at professional conferences, often with financial support from the university
  • apply classroom material to the world around us through service learning
  • engage in internships and field experiences for academic credit in local agencies and organizations
  • identify and meet the needs of others through community service
  • socialize with peers and faculty through our active Psychology Club or our award-winning chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology
  • develop leadership skills through our departmental student groups

Our students represent diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and we see this diversity as a strength of our department.  We are committed to creating an environment where all students feel welcome, repected, and valued. Our inclusive culture allows all of us to connect, belong, and learn together.

If you would like more information about psychology at Winthrop, I invite you to review our web site, which includes detailed information about our department and our undergraduate and graduate programs. Be sure to check out WebAS, our web-based academic and career resource center for students. I also invite you to reach out to me or other departmental faculty if we can help in any way or personally welcome you to our department.

 

Darren R. Ritzer, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology and Interim Department Chair