Psychology, broadly defined, is the systematic, scientific study of physiological, behavioral and mental processes in humans and animals. The field of psychology is simultaneously a scholarly discipline, a research domain and an applied profession. Psychologists may work in clinical, counseling, educational, industrial or social settings and play central roles in the fields of health, sports, politics and business. The main goal of the Department of Psychology at Bridgewater College is to teach students the significant concepts, theories, research findings and methodological approaches that have shaped the history of psychology and that represent the contemporary status of the field. A vital component of a Bridgewater student’s training in psychology is direct involvement in psychological research and the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to the prevention, treatment and solution of individual and social problems. The Department of Psychology offers a wide range of courses to students to represent the diversity of the field and to meet the diversity of students’ interests. Students have the opportunity to choose those courses that best serve their interests and career goals. The curriculum is research-focused while sampling from subfields within psychology that are traditionally regarded as fundamental (cognition, developmental and social) and those more often labeled as applied (clinical and sexuality), in addition to the neurosciences. Students often culminate their educational experiences through a faculty-mentored research project using state-of-the-art computing and laboratory or through applied research in an internship or practicum setting at one of many human service agencies in the area.