Our department has six graduate programs: Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience, Ecological/Community, Organizational, and Social/Personality. Our graduate students are financially supported (including summers) with either teaching assistantships or research assistantships, and they compete very well for university-level fellowships; we have been awarded more of these fellowships than any other university dept over the past decade. Graduate students are actively engaged in publishing the results of their work in peer-reviewed journals and presenting these results at scientific conferences; MSU also offers many opportunities for students to conduct international research.

Behavioral Neuroscience

• Takes an integrative approach to studying the neural control of behavior, with an emphasis in many cases on the hormonal regulation of both the structure and function of the brain and spinal cord. • We use diverse model systems (including reptiles, birds and mammals) and multiple levels of analysis (molecular, anatomical, biochemical/physiological and behavioral). • Our multidisciplinary approach is facilitated by close contacts in the Department of Zoology and the university’s Neuroscience Program. more »

Clinical Psychology

• Continuously accredited by APA since 1948, our program is designed to educate and train students to be active researchers as well as competent practitioners. • We provide a lifespan, developmental perspective, so that students engage in clinical and coursework experiences that expose them to issues in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and later life. • The program draws on many university and community resources, including state of the art research facilities and laboratories. Interdisciplinary research training is available through collaborations with two medical schools and numerous programs and departments. more »

Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience

• The Cognitive Psychology faculty are core members of a larger Cognitive Science program at MSU that includes faculty from five other colleges: Computer Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, Telecommunication, and Zoology. • The graduate program is research oriented. Close faculty supervision of research in the first-year project yields to greater independence as the student progresses through the program. A first year research project, second year research project, comprehensive examinations, and a doctoral dissertation are required. more »

Ecological-Community Psychology

• Designed to bring scientific theory and research to the understanding and solution of critical social problems. • Our training approach emphasizes the importance of examining human behavior within the larger social context. • Research topics are broad, and are designed to ameliorate social problems and promote community well-being. • Students receive extensive but individualized training in research methodology, community-based research, and community psychology theory. more »

Organizational Psychology

• The aim of this graduate program is to provide Ph.D. level training to students who intend to obtain faculty positions in universities or research-oriented positions in major corporations, government, or other organizations. • The program provides a strong background in psychology and quantitative methods, as well as the content of I/O psychology. • While maintaining a research focus, the program itself is very flexible. Programs of study are shaped to fit each student's needs and interests. more »

Social/Personality Psychology

• This program is research intensive and provides students with expertise in theoretical and methodological aspects of both social and personality psychology. • The lab space and equipment are ideal for conducting a variety of types of research. Several of the rooms are wired with DVD/VHS audio/video equipment that can be operated from a control room. Additionally, laboratory space houses dozens of computers with experimental software (e.g., MediaLab and DirectRT), a large number of Palm Pilots, and two video projectors. The laboratory space is surrounded by a wireless internet network, making web access especially flexible. more »

Department Initiatives

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