Political Psychology, MA
Attitudes, Behavior, Cognition, Decision Making, Mobilization, Persuasion, Political, Psychology, Voters, marketing
Learn to understand how people think about politics, develop political attitudes, process political information and make decisions about political matters.
Developed as an interdisciplinary program crossing political science and psychology, the MA in political psychology was created to aid in the professional advancement of electoral and issue advocacy campaign professionals, government and private sector careers, and careers in nonprofit organizations. Students learn the skills they need to mobilize voters and social movements; advance governmental programs; design successful political communication strategies; and effectively market political candidates for local, state and federal offices.
The program's mission is to educate students in the most recent insights from evidence-based research, prepare students with innovative tools and with knowledge that gives them an advantage over their peers, and to encourage hands-on training that ensures they can apply their classroom learning. Students have regular interactions with world-class teachers and researchers who help students learn how to shape the world in a meaningful and positive way.
The School of Politics and Global Studies is host to the Future Security Initiative, the Center for Latina/os and American Politics Research, and the SPGS Experimental Laboratory. The Department of Psychology hosts 10 doctoral, master's degree and graduate certificate programs that investigate issues such as social influence and persuasion, prejudices and discrimination, and neuroscience and clinical pathology. Faculty members are active in collaborative interdisciplinary research at ASU and with scholars at other universities, and have won many major grants and awards.
- College/school:
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Location: Online
Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
30 credit hours including the required capstone course (PPS 550)
Required Core (3 credit hours) Other Requirement (6 credit hours) Electives (18 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information Other requirement coursework may be substituted with approval from the program director. Substitutions are based on student interest in narrowing their specialization with guidance. This program does not seek to replicate existing communications or marketing degrees, but rather harness the political psychology perspective as applied to a variety of potential student interests and careers.
PPS 501 Fundamentals of Political Psychology (3)
PPS 504 Attitudes and Persuasion (3)
PPS 506 Experimental Design (3)
PPS 550 Capstone (3)
Students should see the academic unit for a list of approved elective courses.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
Applicants are required to submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- letter of intent or written statement
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
A letter of recommendation is strongly encouraged but not required. The preferred type of letter of recommendation is an academic recommendation, but a letter from an employer or other supervisor is also permitted. The letter should address topics such as the applicant's analytical skills, ability to integrate information, level of motivation, ability to meet deadlines and work ethic. Once the application has been submitted, the listed recommender will receive an email with instructions for providing their recommendation.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 07/25 | Priority |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 12/11 | Priority |
The Master of Arts program in political psychology prepares students for a variety of careers in politics and related fields. An understanding of how voters make decisions and behave is crucial for jobs in political campaigns, grassroots organizations and political party organizations. The communication skills developed in this program could lead to careers in political marketing or political advertising. Graduates are also prepared for a variety of jobs in local, state or federal government.
Career examples include:
- campaign manager
- campaign strategist
- community organizer
- fundraising consultant
- issue advocacy consultant
- legislative aide
- lobbyist
- media strategist
- political analyst
- political marketing manager
School of Politics and Global Studies
|
COOR 6748
spgs@asu.edu
480-965-8563
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
