The Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology at Appalachian State University has 33 full-time faculty members, all of whom hold the doctoral degree. Graduate courses are offered across applied and basic areas of psychological science. The low student/faculty ratio enables the faculty to become scientific and professional mentors for their students and to maintain a close professional interest in each student's progress and development. The opportunity for students to participate directly in active research programs allows them to become coauthors on scientific publications and presentations with faculty members.