Program Overview
Research activity is strongly emphasized with focus on the broad areas of:
- motivation and self-regulation
- emotion
- personality
- self
- social cognition and decision making
- teaching effectiveness
Ph.D. Requirements
Courses
- four core psychology courses (Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Biological Psychology)
- two statistics courses
- a methodology course
- courses in Social Cognition and Personality Science
- a number of topical seminars related to Social Psychology. Topics for these seminars rotate, and they often can be tailored to current students interests. Recent course offerings include Emotion and Self-Regulation.
Milestones
- a Master's thesis and dissertation on social psychology topics
- pass a qualifying exam, developed by the student in collaboration with his or her graduate committee
Research labs and events
Students are also expected to regularly attend weekly social psychology lab meetings, and to attend all departmental colloquia
Core Faculty
Jarrod Bock, Ph.D.
(Oklahoma State University, 2020)
Culture of Honor, Masculinity, Gender Issues, Mental Health
Dr. Bock is currently accepting graduate students for Fall 2025
Scott Freng
(U. Nebraska-Lincoln, 2001)
Prejudice and stereotyping, implicit social cognition
Dr. Freng is not accepting graduate students
Sean McCrea
(Indiana U. 2002)
Motivation, Self, Social Cognition, Judgment
Principal Investigator for the Motivation and Cognition Lab
Dr. McCrea is not accepting graduate students for Fall of 2025
Kasey Stanton
(U. Notre Dame, 2018)
Personality and mood assessment
Dr. Stanton will be reviewing applications for possible recruitment for Fall 2025
Ben Wilkowski
(North Dakota State, 2008)
Emotion; Self-Regulation; Personality; Anger
Principal Investigator for the ASPIRE Lab
Dr. Wilkowski is currently accepting graduate students for Fall 2025
Where SOME of our alumni are now:
Dana Binder, Trial Consultant, Dispute Dynamics, Inc.
Alexandra Bitter, Assistant Professor, Point Loma Nazarene University
Jessica Hatz, Associate Professor, Austin Peay State, TN.
Elizabeth (Ferguson) Leki, Statistical Analyst, Marketing Sciences, PSB, Denver CO
Joshua Reynolds, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Scranton
Nicholas Schwab, Associate Professor, University of Northern Iowa
Christine Shea Adams, Statistical Analyst, Colorado Division of Criminal Justice.
David Webber (B.A. and M.S. from UW), Assistant Professor, Department of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Trent Wondra, Nielsen Ratings
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.