Welcome to the Department of Psychology at NUI Maynooth.

The Department of Psychology was established in September 1999 and offers both BA and BSc degrees in psychology as well as postgraduate research degrees (MSc and PhD) and a professional Doctorate in Psychological Science (Applied Behaviour Analysis). The Department of Psychology is part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

The Department of Psychology is housed on the second and third floors of the John Hume building on the North Campus of the University. Students have the use of dedicated facilities including an experimental psychology laboratory, a suite of sound attenuated and/or electrically shielded cubicles for psychological research, a computer, research and teaching laboratory, as well as developmental and social psychological laboratories with CCTV, one way mirrors and observation booth. The Department also has specialised neuroscience facilitates which are used by undergraduate and postgraduate students.

We hope that you will find the information on our web pages useful.  Please feel free to contact us for further information on our courses. You can reach us by telephone on +353 (0)1 7086311 or 7084765. Our E-Mail address is Psychology.Dept@nuim.ie

What is Psychology?

Psychology is a broad discipline that has been defined as the scientific study of mental life and behaviour. In general terms, psychologists attempt to explain emotions, thoughts and behaviour, to use their knowledge to help people with difficulties, and to bring about change for the better. For example, psychologists are interested in solving many practical problems, such as: How should parents deal with their child's temper tantrums? What is the best way to help someone with a fear of public speaking? How can you improve problem-solving skills? Why do some students do better in exams than others? How can we support mental health? What kind of person will make a good long-distance lorry driver?

Of course, some psychologists are interested in more academic issues, such as: Can apes learn to use human language? Are serial killers born or made? How are memories stored in the brain? Is human psychology fundamentally different from that of animals?

If you find these types of questions interesting then you may well enjoy studying psychology. The primary purpose of an undergraduate degree is to establish objectivity, critical thinking and scientific rigour in the psychologists of tomorrow. An important part of this involves training in the use of controlled observation methods, experimentation and statistical analysis. For those wishing to become professional psychologists, the undergraduate degree represents only the first stage in a professional training that will require an additional two to six years of study or supervised experience.

The BA and BSc Degrees in Psychology at NUI Maynooth aim to provide a solid grounding in psychology as a discipline and to prepare students for postgraduate study in any of a variety of specialisms. A postgraduate degree is normally required before one may practise as a professional psychologist.

For information on Undergraduate or Postgraduate courses, choose from the menu on the left.