Graduate Program

Social Psychology

The Social Psychology Program at the University of Delaware is a research-based training program leading to the Ph.D. degree.  We believe that the training students receive prepares them well for a variety of careers, principally in academic institutions, business settings, and other settings where strong skills in research methodology and statistical analysis are desirable.  We have a good track record in placing our graduates into academic departments as well as in a variety of business, organizational and research settings.

If you have questions about the Social Psychology gradauate program not answered on this site, you can contact the director:

Sam Gaertner

Email: gaertner@udel.edu

Other program areas: Behavioral Neuroscience   Clinical   Cognitive  

About the graduate program

Nature and Goals of the Graduate Program

Overview of the Program

First year project

Second year project

Social Psychology Qualifying Exam

Social Program Courses

Recent Graduates (valuable sources of information about the program)

Nature and Goals of the Graduate Program

The Social Psychology Program operates on an apprenticeship model by which students work closely with a faculty member on theory-driven research.  This model, though, strongly encourages students to work with more than one faculty member during their training.  Active research experience leading to published research is a key element of our program.  Depending on a student’s interests, the majority of research may be conducted in laboratory settings or in such applied settings as schools, private organizations, and national parks.  We collect data in many different countries around the world.  Click on the box in the upper right-hand corner to find out about the Social Psychology faculty’s research interests.

Overview of the Program

The Social Psychology Program is designed to provide focused coursework in social psychology the first two years, complemented with a two-year sequence eof courses in statistics.  While undertaking these courses, we require substantive research experience in the form of  first year and second year projects. Once these requirements have been met, a qualifying exam in the form of one or more theoretical or literature review papers provides an entrée to candidacy for the doctoral degree. A description of each of these requirements, including an overall sequence of the coursework is provided below.

First Year Project:

The first year project must be empirical, and completed by the end of the first year. A written proposal in the form of a memorandum summarizes the intended project/research idea to be submitted to faculty Advisor by the end of December of the first year. A presentation at Brown Bag of these initial ideas occurs in the first semester. A presentation of the final project takes place at the end of the spring semester of first or early in the fall semester of second year. A final written paper completed before the beginning of the second year.

Second Year Project:

Before fall semester of second year begins, students will obtain agreement of a minimum of two social faculty to be sponsors of their second year project. By the end of the fall semester second year (but preferably earlier) there will be a meeting in which the student meets with committee members to discuss proposal ideas.  Following the meeting a 2-5 page abstract of the proposal/ideas discussed at the meeting is prepared.  The Second year project is presented at a Brown Bag at the end of the second year. A final written paper in APA style is written prior to the beginning of the third year. [note: If a student elects to obtain a Masters degree, this paper will be formatted according to Graduate School requirements and submitted as a Master’s thesis]

Social Psychology Qualifying Exam

Philosophy:

The Qualifying Exam (Quals) is conceived as a scholarly exercise, completed in the student's third year that accomplishes the primary goal of qualifying a student for independent research and scholarship required to conduct a doctoral dissertation. Moreover, this exercise is meant to demonstrate that the student has an excellent chance of becoming a contributing independent scholar and scientist in the general area of social psychology and its many applications.  We believe that the Quals should further the student’s work leading to a successful dissertation, while allowing for a fair assessment of the student’s knowledge in the broad area of research interest, as well as his or her scholarly, methodological, conceptual and writing abilities.  To be regarded as a student in good standing, the qualifying exam should be completed before the beginning of the 6th semester.

Structure and Processes of Exam:

Option A: The Qualifying Exam will consist of one or more Review/Integration paper(s) in a format comparable to Psychological Bulletin or Psychological Review. 

Option B: The Qualifying Exam will consist of a grant proposal detailing the plans for the student's dissertation work. This proposal should be of a suitable quality to be submitted to a major granting agency. Whether this proposal is actually submitted will be determined by the student with the advice of his or her advisors.

The content of the exam is determined in the following manner:

1. Student writes a statement of research interests and indicates who in addition to his or her advisor would be an appropriate member of the exam committee. 
2. In consultation with the advisor, a three-person committee, chaired by the advisor, is formed consisting of at least two faculty in the Social Program.
3. The student then defines the area(s) of the exam by a) listing three or more topics about which it would be appropriate to write, and b) proposes a reading list of at least 20 articles/books that define the important works in the general area of interest. 
4. In consultation with the Committee, the student then finalizes the reading list and the exam project by writing a 2-5 page overview of the goal and value of the proposed work.  Once this is reviewed, discussed and approved by the Committee, the student is free to work on the paper(s) to completion.

Social Program Courses

		Classes
1st year
1st semester		Statistics - PSYC860 *Social Core Course (e.g. Personality) Research - 6 credits of PSYC866: 1st year project
2nd semester		Statistics - SEM ^Social Specialty Course (e.g. Intergroup) Research - 6 credits of PSYC866: 1st year project
2nd year
3rd semester		Statistics - Regression ^Social Specialty Course (e.g. Cultural) Research - 6 credits of PSYC866: 2nd year project
4th semester		Statistics - HLM *Social Core Course (e.g. Social Cognition) Research - 6 credits of PSYC866: 2nd year project
3rd year
5th semester		^Social Specialty Course (e.g. Social Interdependence) Research - 9 credits
6th semester		^Social Specialty Course (e.g. Employee Motivation) Research - 9 credits
4th year
7th semester		*Social Core Course (e.g. Groups) Research - 9 credits of Dissertation Research PSYC869
8th semester		^Social Specialty Course (e.g. Black Culture) Research - 9 credits of Dissertation Research PSYC869

*	Core Courses -- offered every 3rd semester PSYC 806--Social Cognition PSYC 807--Groups and Interpersonal Relations PSYC 808--Personality in Social Psycholog
^	Specialty Courses PSYC 813--Intergroup PSYC 867--Cultural & Cross-Cultural Psychology PSYC 867--Employee Motivation PSYC 867--Social Interdependence PSYC 867--Psychology of Temporality