Undergraduate Students
The Undergraduate Mentorship Program pairs undergraduate students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds with faculty members in the department. The purpose of this program is to provide social and academic support for undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in psychology and neuroscience. This program provides a series of workshops led by faculty and graduate students aimed at helping undergraduates best prepare for graduate school. The program also includes one-on-one matching with a faculty member in a related sub-discipline to provide feedback on personal statements, CVs, summer internships, post-baccalaureate programs, and graduate programs. Undergraduate students also participate in mock interviews.
The Baylor McNair Scholars Program prepares low-income, first generation, and members of groups that are traditionally underrepresented in graduate school for doctoral studies. The program assists students by helping them gain necessary academic skills to find a faculty mentor, engage in research, and apply to graduate school. In addition, students receive help applying to summer research programs aligned with their interests and may receive financial assistance when applying to conferences and graduate school. Interested students can apply as early as their sophomore year.
Link: Baylor McNair Scholars Program
The LEARN Diversity & Inclusion Initiative is run by faculty and undergraduate students and is dedicated to sharing and applying research in psychology and neuroscience to educate students on the topics of racism, implicit bias, and prejudice. The goal is to foster and cultivate a community of students from diverse backgrounds who listen and support each other. LEARN has student leaders who have the opportunity to develop skills in leadership, organization, and communication. Leadership of LEARN organizes meetings, recruits new members, networks with other entities on campus, maintains membership, and educates others about issues related to Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality. If you are interested in becoming a member of LEARN or serving in a leadership position, please contact Dr. Lawrence.
Below is a selection of undergraduate classes covering DEI topics.
PSY 1305 (Introduction to Psychology) – Students will infuse diversity and multiculturalism into each chapter. An example of topics focused on include sexual development and orientation, implicit bias with race, racial and sexual bias with intelligence, and socialization of gender roles.
PSY 3309 (Introduction to Clinical Psychology) – Students will learn about models of training in clinical psychology and the basic tools used by clinical psychologists in research, assessment/diagnosis, and treatment. Emphasis will be focused on cultural sensitivity across research, assessment/diagnosis, and treatment.
PSY 3310 (Social Psychology) – Students will cover important topics that influence individual behavior, such as stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, stigma, and threat.
PSY/NSC 3311 (Cognition) – Students will have the opportunity to understand different perspectives with assignments and engage in diverse service projects. In addition, there is an entire chapter devoted to “Crosscultural Cognition” and includes discussions on race, ethnicity, and gender/sex differences.
PSY 3333 (Biopsychology of Health Disparities) – Students will spend the semester focusing on health disparities, primarily focusing on socioeconomic status and race. Throughout the course, students complete a semester-long service project with different agencies in Waco serving diverse populations (e.g., Meyer Center, The Cove, Mission Waco, King Club). Students incorporate their service work into course material with evidence based literature and readings presented in class.
PSY 3335 (Child Psychopathology) – Students have the opportunity to grow in their understanding of the role of structural, institutional, and environmental racism on developmental processes and outcomes. With this, students will better understand disproportionate risk factors and deprivation of protective factors in marginalized communities.
PSY 3341/3350 (Human Development) – Students are provided with and discuss multicultural and diverse events and occurrences throughout the lifespan (e.g., birthing, marriage, death and funerals, coming of age). There are also in-depth class discussions on inequities related to poverty and race/ethnicity and gender/sexual orientation and how these impact individuals across the lifespan.
PSY 3V90 (Community Volunteer Work in Psychology) – Students engage in volunteer work with a community or nonprofit agency serving diverse clientele, such as Talitha Koum, Waco Family Medicine, and MHMR. During weekly supervision time, students will explore how to connect with clients and best serve the nonprofits while being culturally sensitive to various issues (e.g., homelessness, poverty, food insecurity).
PSY/NSC 4312 (Behavioral Medicine) – Students will study psychological, behavioral, and physiological factors and processes that influence health and illness. The class uses primary and current research articles to examine the impact of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status and social class on health disparities. Students are encouraged to engage in critical thinking, reflection, and discussions on how discrimination impacts health and medical outcomes. Lectures, readings, activities, and assignments highlight the importance of considering culture, background, and beliefs when evaluating and treating patients.
Baylor University also offers a number of opportunities for students. To learn more about these opportunities, please visit:
Campus Involvement | Diversity & Inclusion