Psychology is a scientific discipline that examines mental processes in order to understand the perceptions, cognitions, emotions, and attitudes that guide behavior, as well as their functions and underlying mechanisms. In other words, psychology is one of the disciplines that seeks to understand and explain human beings. Standing at the intersection of numerous fields ranging from the social sciences to the natural sciences, psychology’s openness to interdisciplinary interaction and its integrative nature are of great significance.
Psychology encompasses a broad range of research and practice areas. The American Psychological Association (APA)identifies 54 subfields of psychology. In Turkey, five major subfields—Clinical and Applied Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and Experimental-Cognitive Psychology—are supported through advanced graduate-level training.
Undergraduate education in psychology is standardized in both the American and European systems. In Turkey, while taking these international standards into account, the criteria for local programs have been set by the Turkish Psychological Association under the Accreditation Board of Psychology Programs (PPAB) through the Accreditation Regulation of Undergraduate Psychology Programs. According to this framework, an undergraduate psychology program constitutes a foundational science education that covers the essential subfields and applications of psychology. The objectives of undergraduate education in psychology include:
- Foundational knowledge of concepts, theories, and approaches in psychology
- Basic understanding of applications across different areas of psychology
- Fundamental knowledge of research methods and statistics
- Essential skills that foster a scientific perspective and methodology
- Awareness of ethical principles and values
As the Department of Psychology at Yalova University, our primary aim is to conduct our activities in line with both national and international standards.
In this regard, our mission is to enhance the quality and infrastructure of psychology education through a contemporary and up-to-date perspective, alongside research and practice activities. Our goal is to ensure that students acquire fundamental and current knowledge about psychology’s subfields and related disciplines.
Accordingly, our vision and ultimate aspiration are to cultivate graduates who respect ethical principles and human dignity, who follow professional regulations and contemporary literature, who are equipped with scientific thinking skills, and who are able to translate their knowledge and competencies into practices and initiatives that contribute to society.
The undergraduate curriculum in psychology has been structured to include:
- Core courses in the major areas of psychology (e.g., clinical psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology) and research skills (e.g., introduction to research methods, quantitative methods, qualitative methods, introduction to statistics, applied statistics),
- Elective courses that address areas of specialization (e.g., the origins and development of psychoanalysis, social cognition, child and play, psychotherapy approaches),
- Courses from related disciplines (e.g., sociology, philosophy, biology).
The language of instruction is Turkish, and students are encouraged to pursue optional preparatory education in English.