Psychology has had an important presence at SMU almost since the University opened its doors in 1915. The first psychology professor, Dr. Joseph Yarborough (Ph.D., 1919, Univ. of Chicago) joined the faculty in 1920. By the late 1920s, undergraduate majors began graduating. The SMU chapter of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, was chartered in 1930 (16th in the nation). The training of graduate students also began in the 1920s and the first Master’s degree in Psychology was awarded in 1926. A Ph.D. program was initiated in the early 1990s.

Currently, the psychology faculty numbers 13 tenured or tenure-track faculty and three lecturers. The department faculty has offices or lab space in three locations: Hyer Hall, Heroy Science Hall, and Expressway Tower.