Rush University Medical Center is one of the major centers of health care delivery, education and research in Chicago and the Midwest. With a distinguished history going back over 150 years, the Medical Center, its components and affiliated institutions, offer educational and training programs in all major health and health-related fields. It currently comprises 24 buildings, including the Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital, the Rush University Library, and the Johnston R. Bowman Health Center. Rush University is the academic arm of the Medical Center and includes Rush Medical College, the College of Health Sciences, the Graduate College and the Rush College of Nursing.

The Department of Behavioral Sciences is an independent department within the Basic Sciences Division of Rush Medical College and Rush University Medical Center. As a result of this autonomy, psychologists here function with a high degree of independence in their scientific, academic and clinical endeavors.