Since the late 1940's, the Ph.D. Program in Social Psychology at the University of Michigan has consistently been ranked among the top programs in the world and many of the leading contributors to the field graduated from Michigan [Selected Alumni]. We strive to continue this tradition through cutting-edge research training that prepares students for a research career in academic or non-academic settings. Several features distinguish the Michigan program from many others:

With 18 core faculty in social psychology and more than 10 emeriti and affiliated faculty, the social psychology program spans a large and diverse range of research topics and methodologies.

An average of 30 graduate students, at different stages of their graduate careers, provides an equally rich and stimulating peer environment, while maintaining a student to core faculty ratio of less than 2:1.

The social psychology program is located in one of the top-ranked psychology departments. We encourage students to work with faculty across area boundaries and the flexible program requirements allow them to do so.

The University of Michigan is widely considered the leading center for social and behavioral science research in the world and its top-ranked departments and research centers provide an unusually rich interdisciplinary intellectual environment for social psychologists. We encourage students to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Building on this interdisciplinary strength, Michigan offers several interdisciplinary training programs in which social psychology students can participate. These include, among others, a Culture & Cognition Program in collaboration with the department of anthropology, a Decision Program that cuts across many departments and professional schools, an Evolution and Human Adaptation Program, a program in Organization Studies, a program in Social Work and Psychology, and a program in Women Studies and Psychology.


In addition, students have the opportunity to work with researchers at Michigan's numerous research centers, including the Institute for Social Research and its units, the Research Center for Group Dynamics, Survey Research Center, Center for Political Studies, and Population Studies Center; the Center for Human Growth and Development; the International Institute; the Institute for Policy Studies; the Mental Health Research Center; and many others [see research centers page].


Many research centers offer their own training opportunities, which enrich the departmental offerings. These opportunities include summer schools in survey research techniques, statistical analyses, and new developments in psychological methodology.


As befits such a rich environment, students have access to well- equipped laboratories, a departmental participant pool for experiments, computing facilities and data archives. In addition, there are many area, departmental, and university sources of funding for student research.


All students admitted to the program receive full financial support, as described by the department.