Welcome Message from Department Chair, Robert J. Gatchel, Ph.D., ABPP

Welcome to the Website of the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Arlington. I hope you will find the information you need. If not, please do not hesitate to contact the key people listed on our Webpage.

Psychology is an exciting discipline that continues to make significant contributions to both science and practice. A person with almost any interest or skill can find a future in psychology. Psychology has ties to many other disciplines. You will find psychologists in such fields as education, government, mental health, medicine, law, business, engineering, and sports. You can go to the careers section of this Website to find more career information.

Our focus as a Department is to provide a strong scientific background to both undergraduate and graduate students. We have the highest rated Psychology Department in the North Texas area, as determined by the Carnegie Foundation. In addition, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has just again reaffirmed the accreditation of The University of Texas at Arlington. Our undergraduate program is designed to provide students with up-to-date knowledge, analytical skills, writing and presentation skills, and research skills that will be useful, both for those who will be seeking jobs with an undergraduate degree, and those seeking to go on to professional or graduate schools. We believe our lab-based and scientifically-oriented program is the strongest undergraduate program in the State. Many undergraduate students have an opportunity to become involved in research programs with nationally recognized faculty. This experience greatly enhances their career and graduate school options. We also take our undergraduate advising seriously. In fact, one of our Advisors - Ms. Laura Wolf - just received the University's Outstanding Academic Advisor Award for 2008.

Our graduate program is one of the top experimental programs in the United States. Our focus is on basic research in animal/evolutionary behavior, cognition, developmental, health psychology, industrial/organizational, neuroscience, pain, personality, and social. We have three separate specialization tracks: Experimental Psychology, Health Psychology, and Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Our Departmental research programs are funded by federal agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense, as well as various private foundations/companies. Many of our faculty are highly cited scholars and have international reputations. All graduate students in our Ph.D. program are assigned to work in one of the research laboratories. Our Ph.D. students have been successful in finding challenging careers in academia, industry, and government.

Best wishes and good luck!

Robert J. Gatchel, Ph.D., ABPP
Chairman, Department of Psychology, College of Science
Nancy P. & John G. Penson Endowed Professorship in Clinical Health Psychology