I was wondering if anyone could give some insight on how good CMU’s Psychology department is compared to other top tier schools? I’ve tried finding rankings on undergrad psych programs and was able to find a couple, in which CMU is ranked pretty high. But, I just haven’t been able to find many websites that even discuss undergrad psych programs in general. I know CMU is a great school overall and I will most likely be attending; however, I just feel a little concerned about the fact that it seems to mostly be known for its computer science/engineering programs, and less for its social studies department. So, if anyone could give me any info that would get me more excited about their other programs (especially psychology) that would be great! Although I am mainly interested in Psychology, I am also considering taking up a second major in economics. So, any info on that would be great too.
CMU is highly regarded in psychology and social sciences. All their programs are more quantitative in nature. You can’t get around the technology aspect of CMU.
@annwank Thanks, I don’t mind that CMU tends adopt a more quantitative approach towards psych. I’m just concerned that CMU’s strong reputation only originates from its CS program, and that employers/general public don’t see it as one of the top places to go for programs like psychology.
dv2410, I got accepted this year, applying to HSS. I heard there’s two honor programs for HSS called QSSS and SHS(by invitation only). Those programs emphasizes quantitative analysis and can provide fantastic social science education.
I was a psych major at CMU many years ago. I had no idea how the psych department ranked among the others, but I loved the fact that it was a small and intimate department. Many professors there did lots of research and published numerous books and paper. Due to its small size (most of my junior and senior classes had less than 10 people), I was asked to help one professor with his research, which helped me to begin my own research, which turn into my senior thesis project, which I got to present at two psychology conventions. And the research and travel expenses were paid by CMU’s undergraduate research grant. I learned so much from those experiences. After CMU, I attended graduate school, where the professors were quite impressed with my research writing capability. Not sure what your plans are for after college, but if you plan to continue with research or graduate school, CMU will prepare you to do just that. You might even want to start looking up the psych professors and their research topics now and see if any of them are of particular interest to you. Best wishes!!