A Letter From the Chair

Thank you for your interest in Drake University. A student who studies psychology at Drake will receive an excellent and an intellectually exciting education in psychology as a science. Our eight faculty members represent many of the varied fields of contemporary psychology, including social psychology, experimental psychology, clinical psychology, health psychology/behavioral medicine, biological and neuropsychology, industrial psychology, developmental psychology, and behavior analysis. Below are a few of things you will experience as a psychology student at Drake University:

Our courses in the science of psychology are intellectually challenging and exciting. Our hands-on, small-group laboratory approach means you'll be conducting and participating in psychological research starting with your first course.
Our faculty is large enough to cover the diversity of contemporary psychology, and our classes are small enough to get to know you. Most psychology classes enroll 20-40 students, and all majors are encouraged to enroll in small (3-7 student) seminar classes.
You can choose either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Sciences degree program in psychology. The BA major is for students interested in psychology for personal or professional career development. The BS major is for students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in psychology or related sciences.
Also, an interdisciplinary B.S. degree is available in Neuroscience.
Interested students work one-on-one with faculty to investigate topics such as depression, personality disorders, stereotyping, adolescent self-consciousness, prenatal effects of drugs, stress-produced illness, career development, as well as topics in cognitive neuroscience and animal learning. Research involvement gives you a competitive edge when you're applying for graduate or professional school.
Students can earn internship credit for supervised experience in psychology. For example, our students have worked in hospitals, mental health clinics, day care centers, and businesses.
The Department of Psychology has two Macintosh microcomputer laboratories, fully-equipped human and animal behavior laboratories, and an electroencephalography (EEG) laboratory. These facilities offer exciting opportunities for Drake psychology students to explore the latest developments on the frontiers of the behavioral sciences. We also have a brand new state-of-the-art electronic classroom equipped with projection equipment to display internet site, videos and other applications on a large screen in the front of the room.

Many more details about the department are available on this website. Nevertheless, if you have any questions about the psychology department at Drake, feel free to call us at 1-800-44-DRAKE, ext. 3181 and ask to be connected to the psychology department. Also, you may send me email below. In most cases, you will receive a response within 24 hours.

Sincerely,
Steven F. Faux, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Psychology
(515) 271-3839

Questions? Drop me a note!