The Department of Behavioural Sciences

 Psychology

Psychology

Overview

The Psychology Unit at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, has existed under the Department of Behavioural Sciences for over 20 years and offers prgrammes at the undergraduate and postgradute level.

The B.Sc. Psychology was first established in 1995, and has been a pioneering initiative in the field of Caribbean Psychology, with the St. Augustine Campus of the UWI being the first to offer such a degree. The MPhil/PhD programme began in 2002 and have graduated more than eight candidates with a PhD in Psychology. The M.Sc. Applied Psychology which was established in 2014 and is a taught master’s programme. This programme is intended to play pivotal roles in preparing graduates for the workplace, and also in bridging the gap between the BSc. and MPhil/PhD programmes.

Vision Statement

The primary vision of the Psychology Unit in the Department of Behavioural Sciences is to be a learning and research-driven body that produces scholarly work of international academic and ethical standards. The Unit aims to provide an environment that encourages and rewards excellence of both faculty and students, to create and maintain linkages with regional and international institutions, and to facilitate student exchanges and collaborative research.

Mission Statement

Create and disseminate knowledge and develop skills through teaching, learning, impactful interdisciplinary research and publication, and outreach to address critical societal problems.

PSI CHI

Psi Chi the International Honor Society in Psychology was first established in 1929 at Yale University. Psi Chi boasts of a membership of over three-quarters of a million persons including esteemed Psychologists such as Bandura, Zimbardo and Skinner. Psi Chi is registered with the Association of College Honor Society and is affiliated with the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. Benefits available to members include scholarships, grants, access to and opportunities for publications, networking as well as ease of transfer to other affiliated universities.

After 80 years of operating as a national society, Psi Chi opened its doors to international universities in 2009. Following the successful application for the installation of a chapter at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, the first cohort of members was inducted in 2013. The UWI St. Augustine chapter has been successfully inducting new members each year who hold a minimum 3.0 psychology GPA or are enrolled as graduate students with the psychology department. Since its inception in 2013, the St. Augustine chapter hosts an annual undergraduate research conference which showcases some of the research conducted by undergraduate psychology students of the university, research writing workshops as a well as various outreach programs. This local chapter strives to maintain the mission of PSI CHI; Recognising and promoting excellence in the science and application of psychology.

 

Programmes Offered

Academic Staff