Psychology of Women: Analysis of the Faculty and Courses of an Emerging Field

Abstract

This article provides information on the faculty and course offerings related to the psychology of women in the graduate departments of psychology listed in Graduate Study in Psychology 1979–1980. This highly selective picture is important because it involves the educational programs responsible for producing the majority of psychology's future researchers and practitioners. Questionnaire responses identified 670 persons in 219 programs as having an interest in research and/or clinical activities related to the psychology of women. Also, 212 programs reported having faculty interested in research related to women and 97 programs reported having faculty interested in clinical activities related to women. Course outlines “related to the psychology of women” were requested; 125 were received. Tables are included which present (a) topics appearing most often in headings and topical descriptions of 1979 course outlines; (b) titles of textbooks found to be required in more than one course; and (c) citation of reviews of most frequently required texts. The results suggest that the student wishing to pursue graduate study related to the psychology of women will find a substantial interest in both research and clinical activities related to that field.