Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
Stony Brook University, State University of New York
Stony Brook, New York
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Stony Brook University, State University of New York - Department of Psychology - Overview
Graduate Program in Psychology at Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University (SBU) is a public research university located on the North Shore of Long Island, New York. Founded in 1957, it was formerly the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and is considered the flagship campus of the SUNY system.
Stony Brook University is home to 16 of the highest ranked graduate education programs in the nation. Graduate programs in clinical psychology began at Stony Brook University in 1966. Today, the Department of Psychology is one of Stony Brook's largest graduate departments.
The department is organized into 4 program areas: Clinical Psychology, Biopsychology, Cognitive/Experimental Psychology, and Social and Health Psychology. Master's students earn their degree in 1 of these areas but may study others as well.
One Year Master's Program Provides Exceptional Learning Experience
Stony Brook University offers a 1-year program to earn a Master of Arts in Psychology. Among the program's distinguishing features are professional development workshops that address a wide range of graduate student and career issues and "Brown Bag" seminars -- weekly informal meetings where students and faculty present current research in social/health, cognitive/experimental, and biological psychology. The program boasts a program director dedicated exclusively to the M.A. program.
Highly Ranked Clinical Psychology Program at Stony Brook
The university's clinical psychology program is among the top 20 programs in the nation as ranked by "U.S. News and World Report." The clinical program was one of the first in the nation to support a behavioral tradition in clinical psychology.
While maintaining its behavioral roots, the program today includes broader perspectives oriented around an empirical approach to clinical psychology. Graduate students embrace an empirical perspective to psychological problems while developing into skilled clinicians.
Comprehensive Program in Biological Psychology
The Biological Psychology program for master's degree students at Stony Brook University provides research training in behavioral neuroscience and cognitive and affective neuroscience. Coursework and research in this program explores human cognition and animal behavior within a range of topics such as cognitive, clinical, and behavioral neuroscience; gene-environment interactions; psychopharmacology; anatomical plasticity; human brain imaging; and rodent models of developmental disorders and psychopathology.
State-of-the-art Facilities for the Cognitive/Experimental Psychology Program
The Cognitive/Experimental program focuses graduate research and coursework in language, memory, decision-making, and visual attention. Interdisciplinary research develops with collaborators in computer science, linguistics, biopsychology, and medicine. The Cognitive/Experimental Psychology program at Stony Brook University uses state-of-the-art facilities for the study of behavioral techniques as well as for eye-tracking, ERP, and MRI imaging in a new SCAN (Social Cognitive Affective Neuroscience) Center.
Program in Social and Health Psychology
The M.A. degree program in social and health psychology at Stony Book University is designed for students developing a research career in both fields -- social psychology and health psychology -- or an interface between these 2 disciplines, such as the application of social psychology theory to health problems.
Social psychology coursework focuses on topics such as social support processes, prejudice and racism, stereotyping, social cognition, and social neuroscience. Health psychology course work helps students evaluate and enhance the psychosocial and behavioral factors that promote health, prevent disease, or affect adjustment to disease.
A Wide Range of Top Notch Clinics and Laboratories at Stony Brook
SBU's Krasner Psychological Center provides counseling services to the outside community. Graduate students may also conduct research or coursework at the university's Anxiety Disorders Clinic, the Family Translational Research Lab, and the Marital Therapy Clinic. SBU also has an affiliation with Brookhaven National Laboratories.
Diversity in the Psychology Department at SBU
The graduate program at the Psychology Department of Stony Brook University has a recognized history of cultural and ethnic diversity; every effort is made to recruit people from underrepresented groups. The program integrates cultural and ethnic concerns into all aspects of graduate training. In addition, the university supports "Affirm" -- a network of psychologists who openly support their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender family members.
Faculty Members
Faculty members in Stony Brook University's highly regarded Department of Psychology are recognized nationally for their contributions to research and training in clinical, cognitive, and behavioral assessment and treatment. Their research programs are well funded by federal agencies and other grant-awarding organizations.
Research areas of core faculty members include depression and dysthymia; spouse abuse and marital discord; psychotherapy process and integration; substance abuse; pain perception; social problem solving; developmental disabilities; parenting; language disorders; literacy enhancement; child abuse; and close relationships.
Among the faculty members in the psychology M.A. program are Edward G. Carr, Professor, Ph.D., whose research interests include applied behavior, developmental disabilities, child problem behavior, and biological factors in intervention; and Joanne Davila, Associate Professor, Ph.D., with research interests that include interpersonal functioning and maladaptive personality styles.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition and fees at Stony Brook, set by the State University of New York, are considerably below those of comparable programs on Long Island and the greater New York metropolitan area. "Fiske College Guide" has named the school a "best buy." Students should contact the Graduate School at Stony Brook University for current tuition and fee schedules.
To apply for need-based aid including student loans, students should complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
SBU Campus and Surroundings
Stony Brook University is situated on 1,362 suburban acres in Stony Brook, New York, on Long Island's North Shore -- about 60 miles east of Manhattan and 60 miles west of Montauk. The university's Research and Development Park is located on 246 acres adjacent to the main campus.
Stony Brook also has branch campuses in Manhattan and Southampton, on Long Island's east coast.