Social Psychology, Ph.D.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• deal competently and critically with literature and research in the field of social psychology.
• summarize books and/or articles on a specific topic, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and identify gaps that suggest directions for future research.
• generate hypotheses and design, execute, and analyze empirical social science research using methods appropriate to the research question, research topic or type of data.
• choose the appropriate method for their own research endeavors, having been exposed to quantitative, experimental and qualitative approaches to social research.
• conduct successful, meaningful research and to have engaging careers in both academic and applied settings.
• communicate social psychological theory and research findings effectively in both oral and written form.
• explain general and important concepts, theories and research findings in various arenas of social psychology.
• integrate and analyze ideas and findings, especially as they pertain to the student’s stated research interest.
• embark on a career in academia or an applied field, dependent on the student’s preference and specialization.
• develop skills as a teacher and instructor.

Contact Information

Monica Miller, Foundation Professor/Director, Interdisciplinary Social Psychology PhD Program

(775) 784-1287
Effie Mona Mack, 344
mkmiller@unr.edu

http://www.unr.edu/social-psychology

Graduate Handbook *

Admission Requirements

Students interested in this program must have a background in both psychology and sociology, with a minimum of 18 units in one of the two fields and the equivalent of 6 units in the other. Students can be admitted without sufficient background in the second field, but such a deficit must be made up early during their graduate study. Guidance in the selection of appropriate courses for fulfilling a deficit includes consultation with the student’s adviser and the Program Director. Students must also have completed courses in research methods and statistics prior to admission (minimum of 3 units in each). The General GRE Exam is recommended, but not required; no GRE Subject Tests are required. Details on application components and deadlines can be found on the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Program website.
 

I. Program Requirements

The curriculum of the Program extends over a minimum of 4 years. Time to completion for most students is between 4 and 6 years.

Program requirements include:

• First year core curriculum of prescribed courses in theory, methods and statistics
• Written qualifying examination at the end of the first year
• A second-year research project
• Advanced seminars in social psychological content areas, methods, statistics
• Written and oral comprehensive examination prior to candidacy
• Dissertation

Students may apply for the optional Masters of Arts in Social Psychology en route to the Ph.D., which requires 30 units. (All 30 units also apply toward the Ph.D. if all 30 were completed at UNR. Up to 24 units may apply if those units include transfer units, provided transfer units are an exact match on courses taught within the program.) Courses are chosen with guidance from the student’s advisor and the Program Director.

General doctoral program requirements:

1. Minimum of 60 graduate credits;
2. Minimum of 40 graduate credits of coursework;
3. Maximum of 9 graduate credits of S/U grading (including transfer credits);
4. At least 18 credits of 700-level graduate credits (exclusive of dissertation credits) are required: as many as 18 of these credits may be used from a master’s degree program;
5. Must enroll in a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 30 dissertation credits for degree completion (see program requirement). With the program director’s approval, internship/externship experiences can count for dissertation credits, if applicable;
6. Fulfill residency requirement by completing two consecutive semesters (including summer sessions) consisting of six (6) graduate credits each;
7. All requirements for the doctoral program, excluding prerequisite graduate course work or master’s degrees, must be completed within a period of eight (8) years immediately preceding the granting of the degree;
8. Continuous enrollment;
9. Minimum enrollment of 3 graduate credits each fall and spring semester;
10. Every graduate course must be completed with a grade of “C “or better.

II. Total Units

The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 60 units beyond the B.A. or B.S. degree.

This total includes

• 41 units of coursework (including up to 9 units of graduate research),
• 1 unit of written qualifying examination,
• 1 unit of a written and oral comprehensive examination, and
• a minimum of 12 units of dissertation.

Students with deficits or completing the M.A. en route will earn more than the minimum 60 units. They select these courses upon consultation with their advisor and the Program Director.

Notes

Graduate Research and Teaching Assistantships

Graduate research and teaching assistantships are available. Most students obtain financial support from one of these sources. A limited number of summer research assistantship positions are also available. Students are also encouraged to seek support through pre-doctoral fellowship applications.

Graduate Handbook

* Curriculum requirements in the catalog supersede the Graduate handbook.