Dr. Lucas Torres
Chair and Professor of Psychology

Welcome to the Department of Psychology. These pages contain a great deal of information about the department, faculty research interests, graduate programs, and the undergraduate major. The Department of Psychology offers rigorous and empirically-based training that lies at the intersection of person-centered science and social justice. This emphasis is evident in departmental research interests and in the way that our faculty and instructors work to help students Learn, Reflect, and Engage with course material, experiential activities, and scholarly work. To this end, psychology students are well-prepared to answer complex questions, thrive under adversity, and give back to the communities in which they live.

What is Psychology?

Psychology is the science that studies—through both controlled experiments and sophisticated observation techniques—all aspects of human emotions, cognitions (including sensations, perception, memories, thinking, and planning) and behavior.  Psychologists apply theories and models to explore and solve complicated real-world problems.  Psychology combines a focus on everything that all people do—their thinking, planning, socializing, remembering, feeling, and behaving—with an emphasis on the analysis and interpretation of data. 

There are many types of psychologists. Developmental psychologists study how people behave and change throughout life. Social psychologists are concerned with the effects of social situations on human behavior. Personality psychologists study individual differences in how people behave. Neuropsychologists study the effects of brain damage, disorder or disease on behavioral and brain function. Biological psychologists and Neuroscientists are concerned with the biological bases of behavior. Cognitive psychologists investigate memory, thought, problem solving, and the psychological aspects of learning. Clinical psychologists study mental health/illness and ways to help individuals, couples, families and groups change problematic behavior. Industrial psychologists study the effects of the physical and social aspects of people's work environments on productivity and business. The department takes pride in having nationally recognized scholars in all of these areas.

The Department of Psychology faculty attempt to create an open, welcoming learning environment that emphasizes the science of the discipline, ethical conduct, and an emphasis and delight in the diversity of human flourishing and the human experience (see our “Mission Statement”).

Who are we?

The Department of Psychology comprises a diverse group of faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduate majors. This reflects the fact that we cherish and value the diversity of all persons in regard to their ethnicity, faith, gender, sexual orientation, age, language, socio-economic status, nationality, culture, and ability. The department is committed to facilitating intellectual growth and awareness of multicultural issues by engaging in academic discussions of diversity issues, providing clinical training for multicultural knowledge, abilities, attitudes and skills, and conducting research on multicultural issues. Through our educational efforts, we seek to encourage all individuals to consider their own attitudes and beliefs as well as develop skills and competencies to work and live in a multicultural world.

The Department of Psychology is home to 19 full-time faculty members who are dedicated teachers and world-renowned scholars. More information about faculty research interests can be found on faculty pages.

Advantages of an Undergraduate Psychology Major

In addition to the tremendous benefit of learning about themselves, others and the world, there are many practical benefits of an undergraduate major in psychology.  Psychology majors receive a broad introduction to the field of Psychology and develop foundational skills that allow them to success in different areas of specialization with psychology and/or related fields. Graduates of the psychology program at Marquette are successful in gaining admittance to graduate programs or in securing gainful employment related to their field of study. A major is great preparation for medical, education, business, dental, law, and physical therapy careers. Students who do not pursue advanced degrees may find jobs in psychology-related areas, such as state or local rehabilitation and social service agencies, civil service, human resources departments, and institutions that provide care for people with physical and emotional disabilities.

Need proof? Marquette University’s Office of Institutional Research and Analysis (OIRA) surveyed 2020-2023 graduates within six months of graduation. Of 296 graduates with a B.A. in psychology, 84% were either in a graduate program or employed (with another 10% either serving in the military, engaged in post-graduate service [such as the Peace Corps], engaged in continuing education, or “other”; 6% were seeking employment). Over half of the graduates pursuing higher education were in a master’s or doctoral degree program and 19% were in either medical school or law school.

A lot of information about the undergraduate major and curriculum can be found on the "Undergraduate Program" page.

Several Graduate Programs

The Department of Psychology is home to several graduate programs that train mental health professionals. The Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). It espouses the scientist-practitioner model of training, as it educates students both in the conduct of clinically-relevant research and empirically-supported psychological evaluations, interventions and consultations. The Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program offers both M.S. and Ph.D degrees. It trains students to identify and intervene in behavioral problems that can otherwise cause severe educational and social problems. Graduates are qualified to earn a certificate in behavior analysis.

The M.S. in Applied Psychology Data Analytics (APDA) program combines data analytics with a deep understanding of human behavior. Students engage in interdisciplinary coursework between the Psychology and Computer Science departments, using big data and advanced statistical techniques to apply psychological knowledge in real-world applications.

The graduate programs are described in more detail on our "Graduate Program" page.

Where are we?

The Department of Psychology is in Cramer Hall (16th Street) on the third floor.