The Department of Psychological Sciences represents the combined strengths of the fields of psychology and communication sciences. Approved by Case Western Reserve University’s Board of Trustees and effective January 1, 2011, this distinctive new department was formed by merging the Department of Psychology’s and the Department of Communication Science’s faculty, staff, research, and undergraduate and graduate training programs.

What is the Department of Psychological Sciences:
This new department was formed by the merger of the Department of Communication Sciences and the Department of Psychology. It includes tenured and tenure-track faculty members from the former Departments of Psychology and Communication Sciences.

Why did the two departments merge:
A number of faculty collaborations from both departments had taken place for many years. Members of both departments realized they shared similar goals and interests in the science and practice of understanding and improving the human condition. By merging, it strengthened and consolidated the resources and opportunities for students and faculty from each department.

What is the history of the merger:
During the 2009-10 academic year, the idea for the merger was proposed to the Executive Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences by the faculty in both departments. The College of Arts and Sciences faculty overwhelmingly approved of the formation of the new department. The proposal then advanced to the Faculty Senate, which also approved the merger and was then submitted to the University’s Board of Trustees for its final consideration. The trustees formally approved the merger on November 16, 2010.

Updating the names of our programs
The name of our Graduate Experimental Psychology Ph.D. program was changed to the Developmental, Cognitive, and Affective Sciences Program in May 2017.

The name of our Health Communication Minor program was changed to Communication for Health Professionals Minor in March 2017.