Psychology
Our students do psychology—they don’t just read about it. Plus, they build relationships with faculty (often as a coresearcher!), engage in hands-on learning opportunities in Portland and overseas, and learn from and collaborate with their peers, both in and out of the classroom.
Why Choose a Degree in Psychology?
While you build a scientifically rigorous foundation in the psychology discipline, you will also design studies, analyze and interpret data, communicate your findings, and have the opportunity to apply these skills in real-world settings. We believe this active, engaged approach to learning is the best preparation for your life after Lewis & Clark, both as a professional and a scientifically literate citizen.
What You’ll Study
Our psychology curriculum is multidisciplinary, and spans social, clinical, developmental, cognitive, and biological/neuroscientific aspects of the field. We believe in working closely with our students both in the classroom and our laboratories. Undergraduates are deeply involved in our research programs exploring the psychology of health-related behaviors, the neuropsychology of bilingualism, the use of technology to teach coding concepts to children, the social construction of depictions of mental illness, and many other topics.
Outside the classroom, psychology students often complete off-campus internships and practica at a variety of relevant agencies and organizations. Many of our students study overseas. In addition to general cultural programs that are open to all students, there are programs designed and led by psychology faculty to Australia and Ireland, in which students gain credit toward their psychology degree and gain valuable internship experience.
Connect With Lewis & Clark!
Complement Your Education With One of These Minors
The most popular minors for our psychology majors are: neuroscience, gender studies, or ethnic studies.
What Students Are Saying About Lewis & Clark
Ainsley Rios BA ’27More about AinsleyI chose Lewis & Clark College because it checked all of my boxes: swim team, an art community, and a highly ranked psychology program—all on a beautiful campus.
Sarah Duncan BA ’27More about SarahI enjoy psychology, and I find mental disorders/behaviors the most interesting.
Henry Ruano BA ’25More about HenryI am always surprised by the amount of information about the human brain we have in terms of interactions with other human beings.
What Can You Do With a Degree in Psychology
Our alumni use their BA in psychology in a variety of careers in research, clinical work, social services, teaching, and the health professions, while others go on to earn their master’s and doctoral degrees. Many also utilize the problem solving, statistical, writing, organizational, and public speaking skills they learned at Lewis & Clark in fields not directly related to psychology.
Dedicated Faculty
Our expert professors are your expert mentors. You will learn directly from faculty (no graduate assistants here!) that are nationally recognized in their fields of study who love to work with and learn from their students. Your professors will inspire you to be a thoughtful and passionate participant in a diverse world. Your small classes will support you as you explore new ideas, find your voice, and speak your truth.
Psychology faculty rely on their students to be collaborative researchers in the lab, a rare opportunity for many undergraduate students. Students are frequent coauthors on peer-reviewed faculty publications and professional presentations.
Todd Watson More about ToddI cannot imagine a lab without my undergrad collaborators! I love to watch my students develop into thoughtful, independent investigators.
Jolina Ruckert More about JolinaL&C students are some of the brightest, most curious, loving, and hard-working people, and collaborating with them is the best part of my work.
Invest in Yourself
A private, liberal arts education is often more affordable than you think. Last year, Lewis & Clark distributed over $74 million in assistance from institutional, federal, state, and private sources. Additionally, we’re so confident that first-year students will graduate in four years that if you don’t, we’ll cover the extra semester of tuition.
Find Your People
Our student-led Psychology Club organizes symposia, lectures, and social events. In April 2021, Noam Chomsky presented a Q&A via Zoom on linguistics and the cognitive revolution!
Where Lewis & Clark Will Take You
Marjorie Pichon BA ’14More about MarjorieMy liberal arts education taught me to think critically from multiple perspectives. This skill has been invaluable to me ever since.
Alan Misael Gaxiola BA ’21More about AlanBeing an alumnus of Lewis & Clark opened many doors for me. Thanks to the alumni network, I was able to break into the field I wanted to work in!
Ruth Liebendorfer BA ’22More about RuthAll of my professors and classes, all of the support I received from career center staff, all of the little moments here and there of assistance from members of the Lewis & Clark community — they all made a huge difference and in a multitude of ways prepared my for my current job and career plans.
Featured News
Championing Self-Care and Community
With a grant from Projects for Peace, Nichole Champion BA ’25 created the Holistic Wellness Initiative, an effort to create spaces of belonging, healing, and empowerment for Portland youth.
