From understanding the ways we perceive, learn about and act in the world, to probing the causes and treatments of mental disorders, psychology — literally, the study of the mind — is the scientific approach to understanding the complexities of behavior.

Learn from the experts.

Your professors are among the nation's leading psychologists, researchers and authors. They'll share this wide range of experience with you in their classrooms.

Appreciate the mind's complexity.

The best way to understand something is to analyze it from multiple perspectives. You will gain an understanding of how your mind's complexity is shaped by the combined influence of your genetic heritage, previous experiences in life, current brain activity and social surroundings. Our psychology major's core content courses cover psychology's subdisciplines of biological, clinical, cognitive, developmental, industrial, personality and social psychology.

Why did you do that?

Beyond our content area courses in the psychology major, you can more fully explore the answer to this question through elective courses such as Chaos and Complexity, Human Sexuality, Marriage and Family, Prejudice, Fantasy and Imagination, and Gender Roles.

Conduct research as an undergraduate.

Work with a faculty mentor whose research area intrigues you. Through independent study or simply volunteering, our psychology majors work on projects such as factors that influence the mental health of ethnic minority groups; the impact of parental conflict, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and autism on child development; how stereotypes and norms shape social judgments; leadership in work groups; and the effects of aging on memory. You can also sharpen your research skills in our computer, behavioral observation and testing labs.

Special courses for seniors.

You can try on your professional hat in the Field Experience course by working in the Milwaukee community while being supervised and directed by a psychology faculty member. Also, courses such as Introduction to Clinical Psychology, Psychology of Marriage and Family, and other specialized seminars give you the opportunity to extend and apply your learning in career-oriented directions.

Some of the classes you'll take:

  • General Psychology
  • Psychological Measurements and Statistics
  • Research Methods and Designs in Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Biological Psychology

For a complete listing of required courses for the program in psychology, please visit the Marquette University Online Bulletin at this link.