Department of Political Science, 1414 Social Sciences Building, 267 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0410 (612-626-7489; fax: 612-626-7599)

Note: This minor is available to doctoral students only. Political psychology is a rapidly advancing field of scientific inquiry concerned with psychological aspects of political behavior. It encompasses a variety of interdisciplinary research perspectives, drawing on the theories and methods of core disciplines such as psychology, political science, law, and sociology, as well as interdisciplinary fields such as mass communication and decision sciences. The minor's structured curriculum provides a foundation in basic areas of political psychology: social attitudes and cognition, judgment and decision making, group relations, personality and leadership, mass communication, public opinion, mass political behavior, and political socialization. In addition to providing a background in political psychology, the program trains students in the theory and methods useful to this field, such as content analysis, survey analysis, and experimental design. The faculty is drawn from across the University.

Applicants to the minor must be enrolled in a University doctoral program and be in good academic standing. Admission is limited only by permission of the director of graduate studies (DGS) in political psychology. To receive a minor in political psychology, a student must satisfy the following five requirements: 1) Enrollment in and completion of a minimum of two semesters of the political psychology proseminar (POL 8307/8308 or PSY 8211/8212). Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar beyond this requirement. 2) Completion of the Political Science Department's graduate class on Political Psychology (POL 8311). 3) Completion of the Psychology Department's graduate class on Social Cognition (PSY 8201). 4) Completion of two or more methodology courses. Examples include EPSY 5621, 5262; POL 8106, 8123; PSY 8814, 8815; STAT 5021, 5302. Courses from political science or other departments may be acceptable; students should consult with the DGS prior to enrolling in a course to confirm it satisfied this requirement. (Note that it is acceptable to use these courses to fulfill other requirements in one's degree program, if allowed by the student's department.) 5) Completion of two or more elective courses (equal to 6 credits) in a department other than one's own. The classes may be from the same department (e.g. two electives from the mass communication department for a psychology student).