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UCL Psychology and Language Sciences

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About us

The UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences is the largest and highest ranked psychology department in the UK. We undertake world-leading research and teaching across the areas of mind, behaviour and language.

Peter Fonagy
The UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS) joins together in a single Division students, researchers, academics and professional support staff committed to make UCL a global leader in the scientific study of mind.

In a courageous move to co-locate the scientific study of language and psychology we created a powerhouse of original research and teaching excellence that attracts the highest calibre of students and staff from around the world joining a collegial community of 120 academics, 2,300 students, 180 researchers and 100 professional support staff working together to achieve progress through quality. In the last Research Excellence Framework PALS came first for the volume of research rated as world leading and internationally excellent.

PALS research and teaching covers the breadth of our field encompassing almost all aspects of relevant work including behavioural and cognitive neuroscience, language, sensory systems, learning and memory, therapeutic interventions, decision-making and social cognition applied to the most significant problems we face including climate change, mental health, inequality and social conflict.

Taking thoughtful advantage of the significant opportunities of our depth and breadth we work collaboratively across specialisms supporting each other to fully exploit our state-of-the-art facilities in brain imaging (fMRI) and stimulation (TMS), behavioural testing, computation and systems neuroscience, a strategy that has enabled us to achieve a unique position providing unparalleled educational opportunities for our students learning alongside some of the world’s most creative and productive researchers to become the leading investigators and professionals of the future.

Professor Peter Fonagy OBE
Head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences

 
Why study at PALS

Why study with us?

We are rated the best place in Europe to study psychology by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2020.

John Draper PALS

Sustainability

We're very proud to have been recognised by UCL as the greenest department and we're on a mission to improve the impact of UCL's estate, build community and further research.

People

EDI and Career Development

Our mission is to foster a stimulating, respectful, congenial and fair environment and provide equal opportunities to all of our staff and students.