Welcome Letter from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Psychology at Loyola University Maryland! 

For over 50 years, the department has provided best-in-class education and training in psychology and clinical mental health to thousands of dedicated undergraduate and graduate students from around the world. Deeply rooted in the Jesuit traditions of cura personalis, community, and service, our graduates have assumed critical roles in academia, medical and community mental health settings, and private psychotherapy practice, and our faculty represent leading voices in a diverse range of psychological disciplines, including clinical, forensic, health, organizational, and social psychology. Buttressed by the Loyola Clinical Centers and a network of hundreds of externship and field placement sites in and around the greater Baltimore-Washington metro area, it is no exaggeration to say that the department is a premiere national destination for training in psychological research, practice, and clinical mental health. 

Personally, I should know. My own training as a Loyola undergraduate psychology student propelled my deep interests in the fields of organizational psychology and workplace diversity, and offered me the research training needed to earn my Ph.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University in social-organizational psychology. Other alumni from our graduate programs have gone on to lead local, regional, and national community mental health organizations, including the Maryland Psychological Association, the Board of Examiners of Psychologists for Maryland, and the American Psychological Association. With faculty and staff deeply committed to our students and to our mission of providing them a firm foundation in critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, our tradition of educating students to “learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world” long endures.

We are thrilled that you have chosen to explore our department and encourage you to learn more about us by reading through our newly redesigned website, emailing our faculty, and asking to speak with current students. Our undergraduate psychology major is the largest undergraduate major at the University. Our clinical professional counseling program is the latest innovative iteration of our 50-year legacy of training mental health practitioners at the masters-level, and our doctoral program in clinical psychology is currently the #8 ranked clinical Psy.D. program in the United States. Our faculty are as renowned for their expertise as they are for their award-winning commitment to student mentoring. Our professional networks and ties to our community partners are deep and strong.

There has never been a better time to join us. 

Sincerely,

Frank D. Golom, Ph.D.
Class of 2004
Chair, Department of Psychology

First- and second-year Psy.D. students at the 2022-2023 Loyola Clinical Centers orientation.