Psychology



Food for Thought
Whatever you do, don’t think about oranges.
Don’t think about their round shape, their bright, textured skin, and their aromatic sweet smell. Just don’t.
So you thought of an orange — and that’s ok. We know it’s hard not to precisely because that’s what our brain is built for: rapidly processing and translating stimuli from our five senses into information, thoughts, and impressions of the world around us. In microseconds, we weigh all of this against what we know, what we think we know, what we feel, and what we have experienced.
Given a certain set of variables, the study of psychology then becomes about understanding and predicting what factors might correspond to thoughts and behavior.
From understanding how a certain customer demographic will respond to commercials, to the ways in which children develop a code of ethics, to yes, even why you thought about oranges after you were told not to — the College of Science psychology program works to explore the deepest inner workings of our brains and uncover why we do what we do.
Degree Options
Faculty Research
Introduces students to the role of culture in psychological science. Discusses the relationship of culture to psychological theories and research.
Offers beginning students a general overview of the effects of drug use/abuse in many segments of society with particular attention placed on the collegiate population.
Introduces the range of topics that are of concern both to psychologists and to members of the legal profession. Covers the legal and ethical issues inherent in the conduct and process of professional psychology.
Experiment with Experience
Co-op is a cornerstone program for Northeastern University, and the psychology department is home to a variety of co-op opportunities for students. From real-world settings such as Boston hospitals, conducting research in labs both on or off campus, working in these spaces allows students to gauge their likes and dislikes about different psychology careers before making a commitment.
Jolaade Okanlawon
Center Support Teacher at Bright Horizons
“During my co-op, I really loved being able to provide positive guidance to all of the children at the center in order to augment their self-esteem as well as to encourage good behavior. Ever since my co-op came to an end, I realized that I had a preference for interacting with the toddlers at the center. This has made me more aware of the fact that if I were to pursue Speech-Language Pathology as a career then I would definitely specialize in Early Intervention.”
Yolanda Whitaker
Clinical Research Assistant at CARE Lab, McLean Hospital
“I recently completed my second and final coop at the CARE Lab at the Behavioral Health Partial Program, an acute psychiatric clinic at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. During my time there I worked on several grant-funded research projects that focused on targeting various cognitive processes, such as impulsivity and cognitive interpretation bias. Being trusted to administer a clinical assessment was an amazing opportunity that I did not imagine I would be given as an undergraduate student.”
Kelly Marchese
Research Coordinator at CORE Lab, Northeastern University
“For my first co-op, I worked as Research Coordinator at the Conceptual Organization, Reasoning, and Education Lab, a psychology lab on campus. The lab is focused on cognition and education, studying how people organize and apply their knowledge about the world around them. As Research Coordinator, I acted as a bridge between the undergraduate Research Assistants, graduate students, and principal investigator of the lab and made sure the lab was running smoothly and efficiently. One of my favorite parts of this co-op was making connections with so many different people. The undergraduate RAs come from many different majors and all had very unique interests, providing so many new perspectives on the projects. Working with lots of different research assistants and graduate students gave me the chance to expand my own ideas and knowledge.”
Fallon Cassidy
Human Factors Co-op at QinetiQ-NA
“During my co-ops, I used motion capture suits and eye trackers to make human-technology interactions more functional. The acquisition of the skills has allowed me to be a competitive applicant in the current job market and has given me the confidence needed to land my dream job at an amazing company, straight out of my undergraduate education!”
Ian Brenckle
Research co-op in the Interdisciplinary Affective Science Lab
“I had previously done a co-op at another cognitive science lab, leading me to believe that working at the IASL would be more of the same. While some surface features remain, the experience I have thus far received at the IASL is significantly different, and no less valuable than that from other placements. Overall, the experience has been enlightening, and most of all fun. I foresee that some of the skills, both technical and professional, that I learn here will be invaluable in the world of active research.”
Ned Gold
Research Co-op at Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
“First of all, I came to Northeastern University because of the co-op program. Co-op gave me the hands-on clinical and research experience I so craved and needed, allowing me to figure out whether my mental goals were on point in reality. Most importantly to me, though, I was able to hone my manner of interaction with patients by working closely with them for weeks at a time and administering the non-invasive brain stimulation, which as you can imagine, is a very personal therapy. Developing a rapport with the patients—something I could really only have done in a setting like my co-op at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center— and helping them was my favorite part of co-op: their gratitude was inexpressibly rewarding to me.”






Watch Our Video to Learn More About Our Psychology Program
Watch Our Video to Learn More About Our Psychology Program



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