Study human behavior in one of the world’s most complex and fascinating cities.
Psychology is the science of human behavior - and there is no better place on earth to study human behavior than Rome. A city of three thousand years of continuous civilization, Rome has been the stage for empire and republic, faith and philosophy, art and architecture, migration and multicultural exchange.
AUR’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology combines the academic rigor of an American liberal arts degree with the international perspective of studying in Rome with students from across the globe. The program approaches psychology through research, cross-cultural understanding, and real-world engagement, preparing students to think critically about human behavior in its full social, cultural, and historical context.
Built in alignment with the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major and informed by EuroPsy standards, the degree provides a strong foundation for graduate study and professional pathways in areas such as mental health, social work, education, research, human resources, and public relations.
As a U.S.-accredited degree from an American university in Rome, the Psychology BA offers students the academic structure of an American undergraduate education within a uniquely international learning environment.
"The purpose of psychology is to give us a completely different idea of the things we know best."
Paul Valéry - poet, essayist, and philosopher
Psychology in Rome
Studying psychology in Rome means learning in a city where questions of identity, belonging, migration, intercultural communication, public health, and social change are part of everyday life. AUR’s location allows students to connect classroom learning with the world around them. Through field-based learning, internships, close faculty mentorship, and opportunities such as a practicum course in Early Childhood Learning, students are encouraged to explore psychology both academically and practically.
The result is a degree that does more than teach psychological theory. It helps students understand how human behavior is shaped by culture, environment, relationships, institutions, and lived experience.
An interdisciplinary liberal arts approach
Psychology at AUR reflects the university’s broader commitment to interdisciplinary learning. Students have opportunities to explore psychology-related questions across a wide range of fields, including Art, Business, Communication, English, International Relations, and Travel and Tourism Management. This breadth allows students to connect psychology with areas such as visual culture, leadership, media, language, politics, tourism, education, and global mobility. It also helps students develop the flexible thinking and communication skills increasingly valued across graduate programs and professional fields.
Experiential learning and internships
At AUR, students learn by doing. Psychology majors benefit from the university’s emphasis on experiential learning, internships, small classes, and close interaction with faculty. Rome provides a distinctive setting for this approach. Students are encouraged to connect psychological concepts with real-world issues and professional environments, gaining insight into how psychology applies across education, community life, organizations, communication, and public service.
What you will study
Students in the Psychology major will develop a foundation in the scientific study of human behavior while gaining the tools to analyze people and societies from multiple perspectives. Areas of study may include:
Career and graduate pathways
A Bachelor of Arts in Psychology prepares students for a wide range of future directions. Graduates may pursue further study or professional opportunities in fields including:
- Human development and learning
- Social and cultural psychology
- Research methods and psychological inquiry
- Communication, identity, and behavior
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Psychology in educational and professional settings
- Cross-cultural and international perspectives on human behavior
Students will graduate with strong analytical, research, and communication skills, as well as the ability to understand human behavior within complex social and cultural environments.
- Clinical psychology*
- Counseling*
- Social work
- Education
- Human resources
- Communication
- Public relations
- Community and nonprofit work
- International organizations
For students who plan to continue to graduate study, the program provides a strong academic foundation in psychological research, critical thinking, and cross-cultural analysis.
* Careers in these areas require further study
"What we see changes what we know. What we know changes what we see.”
Jean William Fritz Piaget - Swiss psychologist known for his work on child development.
Course requirements and further detail
This is a new major launching in Fall 2026. For more in-depth information about this program and individual course requirements, please contact admissions@aur.edu
