Welcome from Department Chair

Shedrick D. McCall, Jr., Ed.D., LMHP-R, Chairperson, Department of Psychology

Welcome to Virginia State University's Department of Psychology. We are delighted that you chose to explore this field of study. It is our hope that you have a productive and enjoyable experience as you matriculate through our rigorous and competitive curricular.

Psychology is the science that studies the mind and behavior. By participating in one of the most popular majors at the university, you can investigate the theoretical and practical aspects of psychology. Psychology is an intriguing area of study that will help you understand your behavior and the behaviors of others.

Our psychology courses cover a wide variety of topics. The course content is delivered by energetic, dedicated and experienced faculty in small classroom settings. We provide many opportunities for students to participate in research and to gain clinical experience. Students may be placed in a variety of settings such as local community mental health organizations, local schools, and substance abuse clinics, to gain clinical experience. We endeavor to promote experiential learning where real situations are used to help student learn thus better preparing them for a future in their area of interest.

Our Psychology Family, located in the College of Natural and Health Sciences, offers a Bachelors of Psychology (BS) of general psychology at the undergraduate level. If you are considering graduate study in psychology, I invite you to explore the literature describing our graduate training tracks. We also offer a Master’s degree in Psychology. Students working toward the Master of Science (MS) degree may choose a concentration in either General Psychology or Clinical Psychology. Our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Psychology has two concentrations, Clinical Health Psychology and Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (BCHS).

Our students enjoy being a part of the Psychology Club which accepts students from various majors and provides members with social events, service opportunities, and informative speakers who are well versed in the subject of psychology. The VSU Chapter of Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology, is open to Psychology majors who have excelled in the area of Psychology and possess a GPA of 3.0. The purpose of this organization is to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology.

Thank you for choosing Virginia State University for your educational transformation. Whether you are participating in undergraduate or graduate studies, it is our desire to give you the best educational and practical experience in the country.