The graduate program in social psychology is designed to provide students with a comprehensive background in the theoretical, empirical, and methodological foundations of basic and applied social psychology. The emphasis is on the development of research skills for eventual professional productivity.
Coursework: To provide the core for their specialization in social psychology, all students in the Social Psychology Program are required to take a survey course in Social Psychology, Advanced Research Methods in social psych, and three topical seminars of their choice . Graduate seminars in social psychology include topics such as social cognition; attitudes and attitude change; the self; romantic relationships; stigma and prejudice; health; emotion, and subjective well-being.
In addition, students are required to take a year-long graduate-level statistics sequence and at least two additional courses dealing with quantitative and methodological foundations. This requirement is designed to provide students with a strong methodological background that can be used throughout their research careers. Examples of these types of courses include: research methods, program evaluation, multivariate analysis of variance, regression, factor analysis, subjective measurement, and scaling. The specific courses that go toward meeting this requirement can be based on the student’s career objectives.
Finally, students are expected to take four courses outside of social psychology. This additional course work, inside and outside of psychology, is designed to facilitate the achievement of students’ unique goals and interests, and can include additional coursework in methods and/or statistics. Programs of study are jointly constructed by the student and the members of his or her committee.
Research: Course work provides a foundation of knowledge about the discipline. However, the objective of advanced graduate work is to go beyond what is already known and to be on the cutting edge of knowledge in a discipline. As such, the student’s research apprenticeship occupies the dominant role in his or her training. Beginning in their first semester, students are expected to work closely with faculty on research, and are encouraged to work with and attend meetings in multiple research labs. All students are expected to present on their first year research projects at the end of their first year, and each subsequent year. Students are also expected to share their work annually at regional (SSSP) and national conferences (SPSP) in the field. The apprenticeship process provides the opportunity for first-hand research involvement, the development of skills, the generation of joint projects, and the writing and publication of research findings.
This research also forms the basis of the student’s master’s thesis and dissertation work. Prior to proposing their dissertation, all students must pass their qualifying exams to demonstrate that they are ready to advance to candidacy, consisting of a formal written literature review and oral defense on a topic of the student’s choice. Recent example topics include morality, place attachment, neoliberalism, and transformative experiences.
Weekly Colloquium Series: To share our work with each other and keep up to date with new developments in the field, all social area faculty and students participate in a weekly area colloquium speaker series. First and second year students should also participate in the discussion portion of the course if it is offered.
Social Area Graduate Handbook: More information about the graduate program in social psychology, our expectations for students, requirements during the program, etc., is available in the 2023 Social Area Guide.
Prospective graduate students are encouraged to read the Roadmap to Applying to Graduate School in Social Psychology, and to reach out to faculty of interest.
Graduate Courses
SOP 6099 Survey of Social Psychology — Empirical and conceptual foundations of social psychology; part of the graduate proseminar package.
SOP 6219C Advanced Research Techniques in Social-Personality Psychology — Advanced laboratory and field research techniques.
SOP 6409 Seminar: Current Topics in Social-Personality Psychology — Advanced study of selected topics in the areas of social psychology and personality, including prejudice, social motivation, self-presentation, health psychology, population psychology, and others. Can be repeated with a change in content.
SOP 6419 Seminar: Attitudes and Social Cognition — Examines theory and research in a subarea of social cognition and attitude formation and change; can be repeated with a change in specific topic.
SOP 6509 Seminar: Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes — Examines theory and research in a subarea of small group behavior and interpersonal relations; can be repeated with a change in specific topic.
SOP 6929 Colloquium in Research in Social-Personality Psychology — On-going colloquium series intended for graduate students in the area; provides the opportunity for the presentation and discussion of research initiatives.