Welcome

Welcome

The Department was founded in 1888 when Joseph Jastrow was appointed as the nation’s first Professor of Psychology. That fact is the basis for the Department’s claim to being the oldest Psychology Department in the United States. Since Jastrow’s time, the Department has grown in number and stature. Some of the many eminent psychologists who have been associated with the Department are Clark Hull, Harry Harlow, Carl Rogers, David Grant, and Leonard Berkowitz.

The Department has established itself among the very top ranked research departments. It has also grown to be one of the largest undergraduate majors at the University. At any one time, we have approximately 1200 students who are majors or working toward becoming majors. In addition, many thousands of students enroll in our courses (approximately 3700 students enroll in Introductory Psychology each year). Although the number of students puts a great stress on our limited resources, we take pride in our reputation for excellence in teaching. The Department welcomes your commitment to teaching and to meeting the mission of our undergraduate program.

The mission of the Undergraduate Program in Psychology is to provide students with opportunities to:

• Learn about the multiple content areas of scientific psychology
• Develop the ability to think critically and quantitatively
• Enhance written and oral communication skills
• Prepare for the most rigorous graduate and professional programs

Graduates will be able to apply the science of psychology toward improving the intellectual, emotional, and economic well-being of the citizens of the State of Wisconsin and beyond. Some students will go to graduate school and become the next generation of scientists and college teachers who will create and disseminate new knowledge. Others will choose careers in areas such as business, medicine, law, education, and counseling. Because all courses in psychology emphasize critical thinking and the analysis of research, the Undergraduate Program prepares students to take on the challenges of a changing world.

This mission should guide your work as a teaching assistant.

Please feel free to consult with me (mjones@wisc.edu) and other members of the faculty and staff.

Melanie Jones
Undergraduate Program Director