Political Psychology, MA
Apply the principles of psychology to predict and shape the political opinions and behaviors of citizens, groups and leaders. This program centers on the psychology behind how people engage with the political world.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
Political Psychology master's description
Developed as an interdisciplinary program that crosses political science and psychology, the Master of Arts program in political psychology was created to aid your professional advancement as a electoral and issue advocacy campaign professional, or your career in government, in the private sector or for a nonprofit organization. You learn the skills you need to mobilize voters and social movements; advance government programs; design successful political communication strategies; and effectively market political candidates for local, state and federal offices.
The program's mission is to educate you in the most recent insights from evidence-based research, prepare you with innovative tools and with knowledge that gives you an advantage over your peers, and encourage hands-on training that ensures you can apply your classroom learning. You have regular interactions with world-class teachers and researchers who'll help you 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 Lab. 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.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
30 credit hours including the required capstone course (PPS 550)
Required Core (3 credit hours) Other Requirements (6 credit hours) Electives (18 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information Other Requirements 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 to 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.
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Evaluate complex political issues using political psychology concepts and theories.
- Analyze psychological influences on politics using relevant quantitative and/or qualitative methods.
- Assess the impact of persuasive communication on political attitude formation and change.
Evaluate complex political issues using political psychology concepts and theories.Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants must 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: Additional Application Information A letter of recommendation is strongly encouraged but not required. An academic letter of recommendation is preferred, but a letter from an employer or other supervisor is also acceptable. 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 receives an email with instructions for providing their recommendation.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Application deadlines
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 07/25 | Priority* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 12/11 | Priority* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 04/18 | Priority* |
*A priority deadline means that applications submitted and completed before the priority deadline will receive priority consideration. Applications submitted after the priority deadlines will be reviewed in the order in which they were completed and on a space-available basis. An application is complete after all materials are received by Admission Services.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this political psychology master's degree prepares you for
Graduates are prepared for a variety of careers in politics and related fields. An understanding of how citizens process political information and make political decisions 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
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Politics and Global Studies
|
COOR 6748
spgs@asu.edu
480-965-8563
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
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. 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.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
