The five-year program in applied social psychology allows students to earn both the BS in Psychology and the MA in Applied Social Psychology degrees in five years. Completing both degrees in five years saves students approximately one year of study.

 

Graduates of the program obtain skills in basic and applied research methodology, advanced training in statistics and a strong knowledge base for theory and research in social psychology. Upon graduation, students from this program are well prepared for research careers in a variety of settings, including marketing, advertising, education, criminal justice, community intervention and health care, or for further graduate study.

 

The five-year degree in applied social psychology requires the completion of 120 hours of undergraduate coursework toward the BS in Psychology and the completion of 30 hours of graduate coursework toward the MA in Applied Social Psychology. Twelve hours of the graduate coursework also fulfill requirements for the undergraduate degree. The total number of required hours is 138. Successful completion of the MA degree also requires an empirical thesis.

 

Students must complete a majority of the requirements for the BS in Psychology and the University Core Curriculum before applying to the five-year program. Recommended undergraduate courses include:

 

Students begin taking graduate courses in their senior year and complete the program in their 5th year. 

 

Learning Outcomes:

• Explain how classic and contemporary social psychological theory and research applies to human behavior in social settings
• Learn to conduct a literature review
• Evaluate the scientific rigor of research presented in social psychological journals and books
• Synthesize principles of basic and advanced research methods to produce independent, scholarly work
• Understand how to derive novel, previously untested hypotheses.
• Design and conduct basic and applied social psychology research
• Understand how to statistically analyze and interpret data collected in social psychology research
• Understand how to write up an academic research article
• Understand how to give a high quality professional presentation
• Apply ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice
• Apply knowledge of social psychology to scholarly and/or professional activities to promote positive social change
• Apply psychological content and skills to career goals
• Acquisition of research and publication skills that will allow students to pursue an applied job after completing the program

 

Students who have completed the five-year degree in applied social psychology have found employment with the following Chicago-area organizations:

 

Note: These agencies do not necessarily have open positions currently.

 

If you have additional questions about the program please contact Dr. Tracy DeHart (Graduate Program Director).