2023 Student Speaker Is Psychology Minor Giselle Elisa Garcia
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences student Giselle Elisa Garcia will deliver the student address at Commencement in May.
Undergraduate
One of the largest undergraduate programs in the Columbian College, the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences attracts students eager to develop research skills and solve issues within communities and societies.
Our undergraduates apply lessons learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios through learning and research. Students work alongside faculty on a range of health psychology and cultural diversity issues, and many present their findings at local and national conferences. Students pursue career paths that range from the more traditional paths of psychiatry and social work to careers in management and public relations.
Programs of Study
"[Professor Dennis Schell] showed me that teaching, for him, goes beyond the classroom. It's not just about lecturing or giving exams but working with students so they can achieve their best."
Katrina Valdes
BA ’12
Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs Information
The Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) maintains a website for undergraduates and others interested in applying to Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs. Visit their website for more information.
Potential Career Paths
An undergraduate degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences can serve as a springboard to a wide range of professions. Understanding how people think, feel and behave can translate to careers as psychologists, family counselors, behavioral researchers, child care workers, clergy members, occupational therapists and much more. Our graduates have worked for public relations, consulting, media relations, law, higher education and even reality TV companies, including:
- Accenture
- American Psychological Association
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America
- CBS Corporation
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Children's National Medical Center
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
- DC Public Schools
- Edelman Berland
- Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
- Hill Holiday
- Kennedy Krieger Institute
- Literacy Lab Reading Corps
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- National Institutes of Health
- North American Family Institute
- Ounalashka Corporation
- Penguin Random House
- Society for Research in Child Development
- Teach for America
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. National Park Service
- U.S. Navy
- Vanguard
- The View
Learn More at GW Career Services
Undergraduates Making News
Summer Program Opens Doors for STEM Students
Lily Reck, a cognitive neuroscience major, participated in the Columbian College STEM Summer Laboratory Internship Program this summer.
Adapting to a Different Kind of Fall Semester
From remote learning to virtual club meetings, Columbian College students are approaching an unprecedented semester with optimism, determination and a commitment to making the most of new experiences...
Alumnus Doctor Takes Care Abroad
For more than 45 years, Dr. Bill Goldman, BA ’72, MD ’75, has brought care and kindness to his patients. After retiring from his pediatric practice, he found a new home for his passion:...
Students Step Up During COVID Crisis
Cognitive neuroscience major Sophie Gengler, BS '23, has volunteered at her local food bank every week since the GW campus closed in March due to COVID-19. With demand for food skyrocketing, more...
Matchmaker, Matchmaker: An Alumna’s Labor of Love
As a professional matchmaker, psychology major Michelle Jacoby, BA ’87, uses her people skills to help D.C singles look for love in all the right places.