Hamilton is an exciting place to study psychology. The campus intellectual community is vibrant, and the facilities are extraordinary. The department is located in the Science Center, which includes study areas, teaching laboratories, research laboratories, and commons areas. During a typical academic year, the Department of Psychology sponsors a number of meetings to provide students with information about senior projects and graduate schools, in addition to a number of social gatherings to provide opportunities for students and faculty to interact in settings beyond the classroom. [Click here for a typical calendar of events.]
The distinguishing feature of the Hamilton Department of Psychology is the emphasis on student involvement in research. All students complete at least one intensive laboratory course as part of their requirements, and every student works on a senior project, usually involving two semesters of empirical research. Every semester there is an evening when every student who has finished the senior project makes an oral presentation. The department has a distinguished record of students and faculty being coauthors of scientific publications and of presentations at national conferences.
Students who perform unusually well in psychology courses are invited to join Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology. At the end of each year, the department provides awards to the most outstanding students: the Jonathan Marder prize (for the best overall performance by a psychology student), the B. F. Skinner Award (for the student who has demonstrated outstanding performance in psychological research), and departmental honors for students who attain the highest overall averages in psychology courses. The department also acknowledges the student who produces the best senior thesis. [See the recipients of these awards.]