The university's main building houses many lecture theatres, seminar and computer rooms and laboratories under one roof. Everything is still in close proximity despite the new extension. Although there are a number of larger lectures at Bielefeld too, the accompanying seminars, project seminars and working groups have a restricted number of participants where necessary and possible to ensure a very pleasant learning/teaching environment. There are also various guidance programmes available for students of the department. Special attention is paid to the initial study phase.

The department has a varied programme for students partaking in the ERASMUS programme. There are collaborations with 34 European partner universities. The department also supports a range of courses held in English internally. There are various international collaborations in the field of research.

The technical equipment for learning and teaching is state-of-the-art and is constantly updated and renewed where necessary. Computer workstations and research laboratories are available as well as equipment and instruments required for research. For hybrid events, all rooms have been fitted with DTEN devices to facilitate participation both in-person and via Zoom. The largest topic-specific databases available for use include PSYNDEX, PsycInfo (APA), Web of Science, PsycArticles (APA), PsychTherapy and the Dictionary of Psychology [Wörterbuch Psychologie].

The research profile of the department is characterised by the subject areas "Life Chances: Opportunities and Adversities" and "Intelligent Interactive Systems". Various methods are employed in research from longitudinal panel studies to neuroscientific approaches and the whole spectrum of basic and practice-based research is conducted. A particularly prominent current research project os TWINLIFE (longitudinal twin study).