OFFICE OF ADMISSION
Woodland Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Big thinking for a big world
800-837-1290 or 412-365-1290
admission@chatham.edu
chatham.edu
PSYCHOLOGY
FACULTY
• Thomas Hershberger, Professor of
Psychology; B.A., Allegheny College;
M.A., Ph.D., Northern Illinois University
• Sheila Seelau, Associate Professor
of Psychology; B.A., M.A., University
of North Dakota; Ph.D., Iowa State
University
Think cognitively.
• Margaret L. Stubbs, Chair, Department of Psychology and Professor of
Psychology; B.S., Vassar College; Ph.D.,
Brandeis University
• Joseph Wister, Associate Professor of
Psychology; B.A., Rutgers University;
M.A., Ph.D., Miami University
The psychology program at Chatham University provides students with the opportunity to explore contemporary theory
and research in psychology. Our curriculum enables students to think scientifically about behavior and mental
processes, to appreciate and respect others, and to pursue a variety of alternatives, including employment and graduate
or professional school. Learning occurs in various settings in addition to the classroom, including opportunities for
independent research, applied internships, Psi Chi (an honors organization), and presentations at research conferences.
Students can major, minor or design an interdepartmental major in psychology. Twelve courses, including the tutorial,
are required for a major in psychology, and six courses are required for a minor. Eight courses are required for an
interdepartmental major.
The program is organized in a common structure for the baccalaureate curriculum: a required introductory course, two
methodology courses, seven advanced content courses, and the tutorial, the senior capstone experience. But the formal
curriculum does not tell the story of the department.
We know and respect our students and expect the best from them, providing the support and encouragement they need
to become professionals. We take pride in our teaching and make our courses rigorous, challenging, interesting, and
innovative. Our courses are consistently highly rated by students.
There is a strong research program in the department, almost always with student involvement. Over the past three
years, over 40 presentations of research at local, national and international conferences reflect collaboration among
faculty members in the department. Many include our students as co-authors. In addition, students regularly present
their research at the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference, supported by Chatham for over 35
years. The emphasis on collaboration and collegiality has led students to describe the psychology program as an
“extended family” or “village.” We like this characterization.
Although we take our work quite seriously, we are less serious about ourselves. From our “Pink Freud” picnic to a
constant array of activities, there is a sense of energy.
Psychology is the largest major at Chatham, with over 20% of the seniors being majors. Over the last ten years over
95% of our students are glad they majored in psychology and would recommend psychology to entering students.
Our students go on to both graduate and professionals schools, and begin careers in a wide range of areas.
911
COURSES
INTERNSHIPS
• General Psychology
• Statistics and Research Design
• Foundations of Behavioral Research
• Junior Seminar in Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Personality
• Abnormal Behavior
• Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy
• Childhood and Adolescence
• Adolescence and the Transition to
Adulthood
• Adult Development
• Psychology of Learning
• Cognitive Psychology
• Motivation
• Psychopharmacology
• Psychobiology
• Psychology of Women
• Health Psychology
• Human Sexuality
• Death and Dying
• Animal Behavior
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology
• Psychology of Eating
Internships allow students to apply the skills and knowledge they learned in the classroom and to acquire first hand
work experience related to their academic studies and career plans. Some recent psychology internships include The
Children’s Institute, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Carriage House Children’s Center, The Pittsburgh Zoo and
Aquarium, and Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.
THE SENIOR TUTORIAL
The Senior Tutorial is the capstone of a Chatham education. The tutorial is a yearlong independent research project
conducted in collaboration with a faculty member during the senior year. Chatham is one of the few universities across
the country that offers such a program. Recent psychology tutorials include:
• Using Art as a Stress Management Tool for University Students
• Testing the Interrelationship of Seven Positive Psychology Traits
• Family Conflict, Grades, and Depression in Vietnamese and American Youth
ACCELERATED GRADUATE PROGRAMS
The Accelerated Graduate Programs give qualified undergraduate women the opportunity to complete both their
undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years. Students intending to major in psychology may wish to enroll in the
Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) Accelerated Graduate Program. Students with a major in
psychology have also been successful applicants to Chatham’s Accelerated Graduate Programs in Occupational Therapy
and Physician Assistant Studies.