Welcome to the Department of Psychology
The Department of Psychology has two units: M.A Psychology and M.A Applied Psychology at the North Campus and South Campus respectively. It also runs a PhD programme. The Masters' curriculum of Psychology was introduced in the University of Delhi in the year 1957, under the Department of Philosophy and Psychology. The Department of Psychology was then later established as an independent department in the year 1964 under the headship of Late Prof. H.C. Ganguli.
With the aim to cope with the ever expanding student population, the concept of multi - campus system was conceptualised during the early seventies, resulting in the establishment of South Campus in 1973. One of the objectives of it's establishment, has been to avoid replication of existing course(s) and provide necessary diversity in the programmes offered by the university at both the campuses. Furthermore, the M.Phil and Ph.D courses were also initiated in the mid 1980's.
In the this light, several of new interdisciplinary and applied science courses were introduced in the South Campus wing. In it's endeavor to widen the horizons of the Social sciences, Applied psychology course was designed to train the professional psychologists to serve in hospitals, organizations and counseling centers as well as advertising and marketing agencies.
In the acknowledgment of the department's laurels in teaching and research, the University Grants Commission (UGC) identified this department as the Department of Special Assisstance (DSA) in 1989. Cognitive Psychology and Applied Social Psychology are the key areas that were highlighted. Two phases of the DSA programme (10 years) have been completed. Recently in 2015, UGC has recommended the Department for the Special Assisstance Programme (SAP), with the ongoing research projects focussed on Grief and Bereavement etc.
The Department of Psychology was awarded "Second'' position in the event "Awards for good practice'' at the Antardhwani - 2013 organized by the University of Delhi, Delhi.
The Department has a total strength of 9 teaching faculty, out of which, currently there are 4 Professors, 1 Associate professor and 4 Assisstant Professors. This entails 2 Professors in the Applied psychology unit at the South Delhi Campus. The teaching and research programme is supported by the technical staff at various levels . Apart from the student laboratory, meant for practicum work for the students at the masters level, we 4 research labs; Behavioral Skills Lab, Psychological Assessments Lab, Neuro- Cognitive laboratory, Culture and Human development lab equipped with necessary amenities. The Seminar room is equipped with the State- of- Art- facilities. Presently, the best and latest technology gadgets have been procured and set up to enhance the teaching and research activities. One of the strengths of the teaching programme is to establish interface with the industries and organizations working in varied domains such as; Hospitals, NGOs, Corporate Sectors etc. The M.A Psychology and Applied psychology courses include the latest trends in Psychology with the emphasis on skill based learning in the form of practicum, internships and other field work(s). The courses lay special emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge and skills through theoretical understanding and practical implications.
The department has already initiated the process of revising all the courses at the undergraduate and post graduate level. In addition to lecturing as the primary mode of instruction, teaching is also interactive with due emphasis on seminar, presentations and discussions and experential exercises and peer mentoring.
The Departmental teaching, research and field training are centered around contemporary issues such as stress and health, ageing, drug abuse, community mental health, disability, neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation, etc. A large number of our postgraduates and doctorates are employed by different organizations/hospitals.
With the objective of keeping up with the emerging research trends, the department organizes conferences, seminars, refresher courses, workshops etc for the augmentation of faculty and students. It has hosted Indian Science Congress sessions thrice as well as an International Conferences and various National Level Conferences revolving around the themes of Cognitive Psychology, Quality of Life, Human Resource Development, Culture and Psychology, Health Psychology, Affect, Identity and Discourse, Puzzles of Perception and on Indian Psychology. Moreover, many research projects have also been undertaken.
