The Department of Psychological Sciences represents the combined strengths of the fields of psychology and communication sciences. We offer two undergraduate majors: Psychology and Communication Sciences, as well as two minors: Psychology and Communication for Health Professionals. Students can tailor their experience to meet their own career and educational goals. This can be accomplished in many ways, including through independent studies and experiential learning opportunities with faculty, honors Capstone projects, and Pathways. Pathways provides student with guidance to structure coursework based on their specific career interests. Pathways include Clinical, Lifespan Development, Pre-Health, Neuroscience, and Research. Students may choose several Pathways that meet their needs.
We also provide graduate programs, including a masters in Communication Sciences, and three Ph.D. programs: Communication Sciences, Clinical Psychology, and Developmental, Cognitive, and Affective Sciences (DCAS). Our Ph.D. students conduct cutting edge research, learn effective and engaging pedagogical skills, and those in Clinical Psychology and Communication Sciences programs learn to provide empirically supported treatments in a variety of settings.
Department News and Highlights
Why you should rethink homework and focus on creative time
MSN: Sandra Russ, Distinguished University Professor and the Louis D. Beaumont University Professor at the College of Arts and Sciences, said that kids learn far more from creative, imaginative play than from nightly worksheets. Read the full article here.
For ex-Haredi Jews, forgiveness may be a route to greater happiness, study finds
Religion News Service: Yehudis Keller, clinical psychology PhD student at the College of Arts and Sciences, said leaving ultra-Orthodoxy carries “high cost or high demand,” and the adjustment can be “really difficult in multiple ways.” Her study found that forgiveness—especially self-forgiveness—correlated with greater resilience, well-being and life satisfaction after...
Inside an audiology lab, where Lauren Calandruccio investigates multilingual hearing behavior in noisy environments
While working as a clinical audiologist, Lauren Calandruccio realized how many unknowns remain in the science of hearing. And she wanted to help find those answers. Inspired by the time she spent with her patients and the many unanswered questions, Calandruccio decided to go back to school and pursue...
Communication sciences PhD student, Cassandra Lopéz, is determined to develop hearing assessment materials for Spanish-speaking communities
Cassandra Lopéz, a second-year PhD student, is working to improve hearing assessment for Spanish-speaking communities and the clinicians who serve them. “Having experienced the challenges of limited bilingual resources both as a clinician and as a child of a monolingual Spanish speaker, I am deeply motivated to address this gap,”...
Psychotherapy services available for children and families
The CWRU Psychology Clinic is now accepting referrals and new clients for child and family psychotherapy, offering evidence-based support in a university-affiliated setting. Our graduate trainees provide care for children, adolescents, and families facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, behavioral concerns, relational difficulties, and transition stress. Located on the CWRU campus, the...
Meet new faculty at the College of Arts and Sciences – Stacy Ryan-Pettes
Associate Professor Department of Psychological Sciences Though Stacy Ryan-Pettes always knew she wanted to work to improve the lives and condition of youth navigating the juvenile justice system, it was during her research training that she discovered a passion for implementation science and health equity. A licensed clinical psychologist with a...
Meet new faculty at the College of Arts and Sciences – Rita Obeid
Assistant Professor Department of Psychological Sciences Before arriving in Cleveland, Obeid was a visiting associate professor at Lehman College, where she conducted research on child language development to reduce stigma toward disabilities on a national and international level. Obeid also received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from the American...
Meet new faculty at the College of Arts and Sciences – R. Elizabeth Capps
Assistant Professor Department of Psychological Sciences R. Elizabeth Capps received her bachelor’s in psychology from Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, before receiving her masters in psychology from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Capps then received her PhD in clinical psychology, and completed a fellowship at Children’s National Hospital in...
Applications for the 2026-2027 Academic Year are open!
Questions? We’d love to hear from you! psychsciences@case.edu