Psychology is an important subject which has wide applications. In order to disseminate the knowledge and skills of psychology to students and research scholars, the department of psychology was established in 1963. The Ph.D. program commenced in 1984. This department occupies an important place in faculty of humanities in the University. The department has been enriched by the dynamic leadership and vision of ex-faculty members which include the founding head of the department Dr. R.E. Pandey and other renowned faculty members – Prof. H.G. Singh, Prof. C.S. Trivedi, Prof. O.P. Mishra, Prof. S.C. Dhamija, Prof. C.P. Khokhar, and Prof. S.K. Srivastava.

The major thrust area in the Department is Clinical Psychology and Organizational Psychology. The Department is well equipped with psychological tests and experimental apparatus. The department also has a rich departmental library. The areas of research interests include the topics of Clinical Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Health Psychology, Social Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Educational Psychology, Cross-cultural Psychology and Indigenous Psychology.
The M.A. Psychology Course includes the latest trends in Psychology, with emphasis on practical training and field work. The courses lay special emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge and skills through theoretical understanding and its practical implications. A large number of our Master’s and Ph.D students after completing their degrees are employed by different organizations, institutes and hospitals. From time to time, the Department organizes Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, Guest lectures, etc. for the benefit of faculty, Scholars and students.

Mission

The Department of Psychology is committed to fostering the holistic development of individuals through the integration of Indian philosophical wisdom, ethical values, and modern psychological science. Rooted in the University’s vision of harmonizing Vedic knowledge with contemporary education, the Department aims to promote scientific inquiry into human behavior and mental processes while nurturing values of self-discipline, social responsibility, and universal well-being.

The Department strives to:

Integrate ancient Indian psychological insights with modern scientific approaches to advance knowledge about human behavior, cognition, emotion, and well-being.

Promote excellence in teaching, research, and application of psychology, preparing students to become competent professionals, researchers, and socially responsible citizens.

Cultivate ethical awareness, critical thinking, and holistic understanding of human nature by combining empirical methods with the philosophical principles of harmony, self-realization, and mental wellness.

Encourage innovative and socially relevant research addressing contemporary psychological issues while remaining grounded in the cultural and moral values upheld by the Gurukul tradition.

Contribute to individual and societal well-being through psychological services, community
engagement, and the promotion of mental health in alignment with the ideals of human dignity and national development.

Through this mission, the Department aspires to develop psychologically informed individuals who embody the Gurukul ideals of character, wisdom, and service, while contributing meaningfully to the advancement of modern psychological science and human welfare.

OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT:

1. To strive for the Centre of Excellence in Psychology
2. To produce knowledgeable and skilled students and scholars
3. To encourage students to pursue advanced specializations such as clinical psychology, counselling psychology, rehabilitation psychology, health psychology
4. To encourage students to pursue higher degrees in the field of psychology such as PhD, D.Lit. and post-doctoral fellowships.
5. To encourage students to qualify comparative exams such as National Eligibility Test (NET), Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and other competitive exams
6. To encourage ‘learning by doing’ in the students for concepts and applications of psychology
7. To enhance employability of the scholars and students
8. To develop applied and research collaborations with institutions and organizations in the area of mental health, rehabilitation, counselling and psychology
9. To undertake service-cum-research projects in the field of psychology
10. To organize periodic seminars, webinars, conferences, workshops and invited lectures.
11. To promote community awareness and undertake campaigns in the field of mental health and rehabilitation
12. To provide career counselling services to the students
13. To provide clinical psychology services and consultations to the persons suffering from psychological problems
14. To commence applied courses in counselling and clinical psychology
15. To participate and launch online/hybrid programs in psychology
16. To encourage students to get exposed to field training and internships in psychology
17. To promote study and applications of psychological principles contained in ancient Vedic literature
18. To promote innovations and creative thinking in research scholars for advancement of scientific study of psychology in the country
19. To promote application oriented researches in psychology
20. To undertake collaborative and inter-disciplinary researches.

SALIENT FEATURES

• The department has well qualified and experienced faculty
• The students are taught applied fields of psychology such as psychopathology, clinical psychology, counselling psychology, rehabilitation psychology, health psychology, cognitive processes, psycho-diagnostics and intensive input in research and statistics is given
• The students are prepared for wide range of career options such as teaching, research, counselling, psychotherapy and administrative positions.
• The department has a well equipped psychology lab consisting of biofeedback devices, behaviour therapy equipment, psychology experiments and huge collection of psychological tests.
• More than two thousand books are available in the Central Library in the field of psychology
• Limitless scope for research scholars to undertake topics for doctoral researches in any area of psychology.