The Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Ph.D. Program

Explore the depths of social dynamics

Dive into the legacy of our Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Ph.D. program, a fusion of psychology and sociology to shape the future of social interactions. Explore our unique approach and supportive academic community.

Doctoral Program Information

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The Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Ph.D. program

The Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Ph.D. program applies rigorous psychological and sociological scholarship to better understand the processes, structures and contexts that impact social interactions. Learn more about the Ph.D. program, the admissions process and resources for student support.

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About us

Learn more about our interdisciplinary partners and our mission to create an exceptional academic environment.

About us

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Meet our Ph.D. students

Learn more about current students, their advisors and the exciting projects they are collaborating on. Or, see what our alumni are doing now.

Current students

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Student resources

Program handbook, career information, and a list of student organizations and campus resources.

Student Resources

Learn about the work we do and people behind it

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Research areas

Our faculty contribute to four thematic areas. As a student in our program, you may choose research projects that utilize one or more of these themes, or engage in social psychological scholarship in other aspects of the discipline.

Research

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People of Social Psychology

From faculty to doctoral student and alumni, learn more about the people at the forefront of our impactful research.

Awards and Achievements

Winners announced for Founders' Best Paper Award

There are two Founders’ Awards. The Founders’ Best Paper Award recognizes the best research paper by a student in the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Ph.D. Program that was submitted for publication, or published during the 12 months prior to the submission deadline (April 1).

Best Paper ($750): "From Embezzlement to Antitrust: White Collar Crime Preferences of the Dark Triad" by Sampada Karandikar
Runner-up ($250): N/A

Winners announced for Founders' Best Research Proposal Award

The Founders’ Best Research Proposal Award seeks to support student research by funding the best research proposal submitted by a student in the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Ph.D. Program.

Best Research Proposal ($750): "Vanished in Plain Sight: Understanding Change Blindness and its Impact on Eyewitness Memory" by Demi Hart
Runner up ($250): N/A

Director wins the 2025 AP-LS mid-career award and the 2025 NSHE Nevada Regents’ Researcher Award

Director Monica Miller was awarded the 2025 American Psychology-Law Society mid-career award. Read more about AP-LS, which is a division 41 of the American Psychological Association.

Director Miller was also chosen as the 2025 NSHE Nevada Regents’ Researcher Award recipient. She was selected from a pool of nominees from all members of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Social psychology student wins the 2025 AP-LS student research award and the 2025-2026 Bilinski Fellowship

M. Katie Cunius has been awarded the 2025 American Psychology-Law Society student research award for her proposal, “Schemas About a White Nationalist Defendant on Trial." This grant is worth $1229.03. Read more about AP-LS, which is a division 41 of the American Psychological Association. This is a prestigious, nation-wide award.

Also congratulations to Katie for winning the 2025-2026 Bilinski Fellowship for her dissertation year! More information on this College of Liberal Arts award can be found here.

Social Psychology student wins the 2024 Graduate Student Association Research, Travel, and Materials Grant

Kylie Kulak was awarded a 2024 Graduate Student Association Research, Travel, and Materials Grant for her project titled "Serving Justice? Schadenfreude in Civil Trials"

Social Psychology student wins the 2024 Graduate Student Association Research, Travel, and Materials Grant

Megan Rupnik was awarded a 2024 Graduate Student Association Research, Travel, and Materials Grant for her project titled "Developing and Testing a Conceptual Model of Sexual Communication Discrepancies in Romantic Relationships."

Doctoral student awarded a 2024 Graduate Student Association Research, Travel, and Materials Grant

Teyah Giannetta was awarded a 2024 Graduate Student Association Research, Travel, and Materials Grant for her project titled "Lay Beliefs About Hate Crimes, Offenders, and Victims."

Doctoral student awarded the 2025-2026 Bilinski Fellowship

Congratulations to James Ragsdale, who was awarded the 2025-2026 Bilinski Fellowship for his dissertation year! More information on this College of Liberal Arts award can be found here.

Graduate student wins the 2024 Society for the Psychological Study Social Issues Grant-in-Aid Award

Laura Pazos was awarded the 2024 Society for the Psychological Study Social Issues Grant-in-Aid Award for her project "Perceptions of Gender Nonconforming Child Bearers and Abortion in the Wake of Overturning Roe v. Wade." Learn more about SPSSI and GIA awards.

Social psychology Ph.D. student wins GSA Scholarship

Doctoral student Sampada Karandikar just won the Graduate Student Association's Outstanding International Graduate Student Scholarship!

Well done, Sampada!

Our impact

News stories from social psychology and the departments that contribute to the program.

Dean Muge Akpinar-Elci standing with three students at the State Legislature. The students hold a sign that reads "We are Public Health" with the school's identifier on it.

School of Public Health celebrates National Public Health Week

The School visits the state legislature, holds open house at Edna S. Brigham Building

A pair of hands applying pink nail polish.

The toxic truth about acrylic nails

As acrylic nails continue to rise in popularity, many are asking: What risks do acrylic nails pose to our health and the environment?

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Grace Church congregation donates $500,000 to University to build mental health service capacity in Northern Nevada

Funding will support training for future mental health experts

Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice

Social psychology, as an academic and a scientific endeavor, seeks to describe, understand, and enable change of social behavior and social processes. Our goal is to improve lives through our teaching and research, advance opportunities for our students and faculty, and ultimately contribute to a more free, just, and equitable society for all. In so doing, social psychology is dependent on a diversity of perspectives and experiences. We are committed to including students and faculty of all different backgrounds, especially members of groups whose perspectives have been underrepresented and marginalized in the social sciences. We actively oppose racism, discrimination, and prejudice of all kinds on campus and society at large—these injustices threaten social psychology as an empirical science and are incompatible with our goals.

Learn more about what we're doing