Welcome to the Rider University Psychology Department
Life is full of challenges and opportunities. How will you handle them?
The Department of Psychology at Rider University offers courses and experiences that prepare you for understanding life’s twists and turns, responding to them confidently, carving a meaningful and successful path, and helping others do the same. As the science of how people think, feel, and behave, Psychology offers a uniquely rich foundation that can be applied to all career paths as well as to personal lives:
- In-depth knowledge about people – their behaviors, motivations, personalities, cognitive styles – helps you persuade, lead, and negotiate.
- Understanding the connection among mind, brain, and behavior fosters the sort of self-awareness that ensures both personal and professional success.
- Applied knowledge about data sets and research methods adds the scientific rigor and quantitative skill set that so many employers value.
Top 10 Reasons to Study Psychology at Rider
- Curriculum: A comprehensive, modern, and applied curriculum in Psychology with engaging foundational courses and hands-on instruction.
- Elective Coursework: Exciting and diverse elective coursework – including Health Psychology, Psychology and Culture, Sport Psychology, Play and Imagination, Psychology and Law, Creativity and Innovation, Psychology of the Family, and many others.
- Faculty: Dedicated, creative faculty who are both well-respected scholars and experts in effective pedagogy.
- Internships: Real-world experience from a myriad of options for internships.
- Conduct Research: Opportunities to conduct research with faculty in a variety of research areas and present those findings to national and international audiences.
- Psychology Learning Community: A vibrant, supportive and diverse Psychology Learning Community.
- Advising: Regular meetings with faculty advisors to tailor successful academic and career paths.
- The Goldstein Lecture: The acclaimed Goldstein lecture on prejudice reduction which brings to campus world-renowned researchers for thought-provoking discussions.
- Mentor Other Students: Opportunities to become a(n):
- Psychology Ambassador
- Mentor for the Psychology Learning Community
- Supplemental Instructor working closely with a faculty member on course content
- Psi Chi: Become a member of Psi Chi, the international Honor Society in Psychology
Explore Our Curriculum
The Rider Psychology program offers:
• Breadth of study, through foundational courses in statistics, research methods, and the main areas of focus (Biological, Cognitive, Development, Social and Personality, and Mental and Physical Health)
• Depth of training in specific areas of interest within Psychology
• The benefit of applying the wealth of findings from the science of Psychology to the real world
Join An Active and Supportive Community
The Department of Psychology at Rider brings together faculty and students who share an interest in the critical interplay of the mind, brain and the multitude of external variables that make people behave the way they do. Courses and experiences in our program provide an all-encompassing edge by teaching and sharing what is known about human behavior and cognition and how to best apply that knowledge.
We welcome you to be a part of PLC, our Psychology Learning Community. Build relationships with student mentors, current students and Psychology faculty through this active living, learning community. Designed to help first-year students integrate into the life of the University, PLC supports personal and academic growth in and out of the classroom through mentoring, social and academic activities that foster meaningful interactions focused on a common academic interest.
Engage with Our Faculty
Our diverse faculty are active researchers and experts in their fields. Just as importantly, they are eager to use their knowledge as an active platform for engaging students in a highly interactive learning process.
With a constant focus on pedagogical best practices, the Psychology faculty teach fascinating courses in a wide range of areas such as clinical, cognitive, social, developmental, and health psychology, as well as foundational coursework in statistics and research design, with an eye toward real-word applications that employers value in new candidates.
The Rider Psychology faculty, just like our students, represent different backgrounds and interests.
Collaborate with Faculty
Our faculty are eager to mentor and collaborate with students on varied research projects. Many Rider psychology seniors bound for graduate school receive offers of substantial financial aid in the form of assistantships and tuition waivers largely thanks to the high quality of the research our majors are encouraged to conduct and then co-author for journal publication and presentation at regional and national conferences.
The Goldstein Lecture
This lecture is an annual event honoring Dr. Marvin Goldstein’s career as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology and as a scholar whose focus was the study of prejudice and prejudice reduction.
Continue Making A Difference
A bachelor’s degree in Psychology qualifies a person for a large number of jobs. The path you take depends on your interests. About 75% of Rider Psychology graduates start their careers directly each year, while about one-fourth choose to pursue graduate and professional training at the masters and doctoral levels. Across both choices, the Psychology training they received makes them uniquely prepared to rise to the challenges and leverage the opportunities presented in the course of their post-collegiate professional lives.
Potential Career Areas
- Education
- Human Resources
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Healthcare
- Mental Health
- Research
- Criminal Justice
- Social Services
- Business
- College Administration
Grad Programs
All seniors that sought admission to graduate school were accepted by at least one of the schools to which they applied, including many of the most prestigious universities in the country, such as:
- Columbia University
- Temple University
- University of Pennsylvania
- New York University
- Emory University
- Rutgers University
Contact
Associate Professor, Department Chair
Science Hall 319D
escorpio [at] rider.edu
609-896-5343