The field of Psychology first emerged at Harvard in the late 1800's under the scholarship of William James, and ever since then Harvard has been at the forefront of the field. The Department has a long and rich history, and its past faculty and researchers have included some of the most famous names in psychology, including B.F. Skinner, Gordon Allport, Jerome Bruner, George Miller, and Henry Murray. Click here for brief biographies of some of the pioneers who have worked and taught in the department. Today, the department has 30 faculty members. In 2007, the Chronicle of Higher Education published a quantitative survey which ranked Harvard as #1 among psychology departments in Faculty Scholarly Productivity. Members of the Harvard community may view these rankings here. The Graduate Program in Psychology currently has around 65 graduate students who are trained in four major research programs: Cognition, Brain, & Behavior; Developmental Psychology; Social Psychology; and Clinical Science.

The department encourages any interested student to explore being part of a research team while you are an undergraduate. Research gives you an appreciation for how psychological knowledge develops and allows you to become an active member of a community of individuals who share your particular curiosities about the world. In some cases, your research can culminate in an honors thesis or publication.