Frequently Asked Questions

In Ecological-Community, Dr. Aldo Barrita and Dr. Jennifer Renick are accepting graduate students for Fall 2027.

There are many great Community Psychology graduate programs around the country, but there are a few things that we think really sets our program apart:

• We are the oldest continuously operating community psychology program in the country, with a long-standing commitment to our community partners.
• Our faculty have won many awards, and are routinely recognized as among the best in community psychology and in their respective specialty areas.
• Our students get involved in the community early, through the first year Practicum Experience.
• Our alumni have had an excellent track record securing employment in both academic and practice settings.

All students begin the program with a temporary advisor. During the first year, students select a more permanent advisor from the core Ecological-Community faculty, usually based on intellectual and personal fit. In some cases the same person will advise a student through the whole program, while in other cases a student may change advisors when transitioning from one project or program milestone to the next.

Incoming PhD students usually follow a standard course sequence:

• Year 1, Fall: Community psychology theory (PSY871), Practicum (PSY873), Statistics (PSY815)
• Year 1, Spring: Field research design (PSY870), Practicum (PSY874), Elective/Thesis
• Year 2, Fall: Qualitative methods (PSY872), Elective/Thesis, Elective/Thesis
• Year 2, Spring: Psychometrics (PSY818), Elective/Thesis, Elective/Thesis
• Year 3+ students select additional courses in consultation with their faculty advisor(s)

All students complete the same basic program milestones:

• MA Thesis – An original piece of scholarly research completed under the guidance of a faculty advisor, evaluated by a three-person committee. This must be completed by the end of Spring semester of Year 2. Applicants who have completed an MA in a related field can apply for a waiver, which will be evaluated by the faculty to assess whether the thesis meets the requirements and expectations of our program.
• Comprehensive Exam – Students can take a written exam or write a review paper.
• PhD Dissertation – An independent research project, evaluated by a four-person committee.

Along the way, our students participate in a wide range of other experiences:

• Teaching – Many students serve as a TA in a course led by a faculty instructor, and some students teach their own course, often in the summer.
• Research – In addition to their MA and PhD projects, all of our students work in close collaboration on faculty-led research projects.
• Community Engagement – Starting with the Practicum Experience, and continuing throughout their time in the program, our students are directly engaged in the communities they aim to serve through their research.
• Conferences & Publications – Students regularly attend regional, national, and international conferences to present their own work and work conducted in collaboration with faculty. Students also regularly publish their work in top-tier research journals.

The admissions committee, in consultation with the full faculty of the program, consider a wide range of factors when making admissions decisions, including:

• Commitment to research, particularly community-based research
• Commitment to advancing a diverse, inclusive, & intellectually engaging environment
• Intellectual fit with the program and current faculty research interests
• Program's ability to provide funding
• Recent GPA and, if provided, GRE scores

Graduate students at MSU typically are awarded funding at the time of acceptance. Funding is typically granted via a fellowship or an assistantship. Most students will receive this funding including tuition coverage and health insurance. A fellowship is an award you are given to support you as you take classes and do research. An assistantship is employment (typically as a teaching assistant or research assistant). Some of our students have also secured funding from external sources including the National Institutes of Health. 

Application to the Ecological / Community Psychology graduate program requires an online application to Michigan State University. You can find a link to the online applications here.

It depends on a lot of factors. Students entering without an MA should plan to complete their MA by the end of year 2, their comphrehensive exam by the end of year 3, and their PhD by the end of year 5.