About us
The Department of Psychology is a creative and international environment for education and research in psychology and related fields.
We conduct successful research in the main areas of psychology and actively contribute to societal development. With advanced laboratories specialising in sleep and sensory research, as well as our own psychological clinic, we offer unique opportunities for both research and education.
Our courses and programs attract students from all over the world, and our researchers are your teachers, ensuring that teaching is always based on the latest research. A degree from us will equip you with competitive skills that make you valued in the job market.
The Department of Psychology in numbers
- 6 research divisions
- 2 integrated institutes for interdisciplinary research
- 300 publications a year from our researchers
- 1,200 students every semester on our courses and programmes
- A psychotherapy clinic with 4,000 visits annually
- 200 staff members
- Annual turnover of 230 MKr ($22M)
- The department was formed in 1953
Research
The Sound Lab. Photo: Jens Olof Lasthein
We conduct research on all aspects impacting individuals, from brain function and health to clinical practices and organizational structures. Our researchers publish regularly in international scientific journals and actively participate as experts in the media.
We collaborate extensively with local, national and international researchers, and we have a continuous exchange of visiting students and researchers from around the world. With cutting-edge research, we contribute to a deeper understanding of human psychology and its impact on society.
Centre for Cultural Evolution
The Centre for Cultural Evolution conducts interdisciplinary research on the causal relationships that shape and change human culture in both the long and the short term.
The centre's organizational home is the Department of Psychology since 2024.
Stress Research Institute
In the Sleep lab. Photo: Jens Olof Lasthein
In the Sleep lab. Photo: Jens Olof Lasthein
Through basic and applied research, working across disciplinary and methodological boundaries, the Stress Research Institute studies how individuals and groups are affected by different social environments with particular emphasis on the impacts on health and stress.
Stress, work, health and recovery is a leading research area at Stockholm University.
Stockholm University Psychology Clinic
The Psychology Clinic (arranged photo)
The Psychology Clinic is a registered care unit at Stockholm University situated at the Department of Psychology, dedicated to both clinical training and clinical psychological research.
At the clinic, approximately 150 students deliver psychotherapy under supervision with about 350 patients every year, as part of the Masters program in clinical psychology (cognitive behavior therapy or psychodynamic therapy).
The clinic accepts patients from the general public. Due to therapy activities in a training context, therapies are delivered in Swedish and clients are required to have Swedish Bank-ID for identification.
For clinical research the clinic can provide not only therapy- and supervision rooms with an integrated video system, but also a secure web-based system for handling of clinical data as well as the integration of tools for doing online therapy.
Education
Students in Albano. Photo: Jens Olof Lasthein
Our psychology courses and programs are among the most popular at Stockholm University and offer great opportunities to specialise and deepen your knowledge according to your interests. We offer on-site, distance and hybrid courses, and an increasing proportion of our courses are taught in English.
At our modern campus Albano, you can study in a stimulating and international environment that prepares you for future challenges. We also offer contract lectures and courses that can be tailored to meet specific needs within your organisation.
History
David Katz
The origin of the Department of Psychology is to be found in the inauguration of the Olof Eneroth professorship at Stockholm University College in 1937. David Katz was the first holder of this professorship. At that time the department was called the Department of Education but psychology played a dominant role, and later the name was changed to the Institute of Psychology and Pedagogy.
In 1953 the department split into two separate departments, one of which was the Psychological Institute, later established as the Department of Psychology.
Through its history the department has undergone dynamic development. From humble beginnings it is now one of the largest departments at Stockholm University with over 250 members of staff and about 1.200 students attending our courses and programmes each semester, with revenues of more than SEK 220.000.000 annually.
From a modest start, the psychologist education has developed into a five-year training programme, fulfilling the requirements to become a licensed psychologist. Since 2007 we also have a psychotherapist programme to license to practice psychotherapy. The range of other courses on offer has developed in a similar manner and our students can be found almost everywhere in society: school, work, sports, health, disabled, law enforcement, road safety work, etc.
Research has also grown considerably, both in breadth and depth. Currently, we have six divisions engaged in research, both basic and applied, in all the main areas of psychology.
Frescati Hage in spring.
In 1982 the department moved from premises in the city of Stockholm to Frescati Hage near the central campus of Stockholm University, which later became a part of the world's first National City Park.
In 2020 we merged with the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University.
In the summer of 2021 the Department of Psychology moved to Albano, a newly built campus, half a mile across the street from Frescati Hage.
In 2024 the Centre for Cultural Evolution joined the department as part of the Division for cognitive psychology.
Olof Eneroth professors
- David Katz 1937–1951
- Gösta Ekman 1952–1967
- David Magnusson 1969–1993
- Lars-Göran Nilsson 1994–2016
- Timo Mäntylä 2016–2023
- Pehr Granqvist 2024–
Last updated: 2026-01-07
Source: Department of Psychology