In the fall of 2011, the Political Science Department at Stony Brook University will admit the first cohort of students to an M.A. degree program with an emphasis on the psychology of public opinion, attitude change, and propaganda. This M.A. program will build on our successful PhD program in Political Psychology. The program will offer courses designed to help students understand stability and change in public attitudes and opinion, the processes and factors that influence attitude formation and change, and the common research approaches employed to understand opinion dynamics. The M.A. program is designed to benefit students with diverse interests and career goals. It will be useful to students who wish to enter a PhD program in political science, communications, or social psychology. It will also benefit students interested in the fields of political campaigns, public relations, media, polling, or who work for federal or local legislators or not-for-profit organizations. Overall, the program will shed light on how the public reacts to events, media campaigns, and public relations efforts. For example, the courses will illuminate the techniques that could be used to mobilize support for a specific political candidate, build support for a particular issue position, or alter public behavior such as electricity usage or the purchase of more energy efficient appliances. The Political Science M.A. program will introduce students to theories that help to make sense of public attitudes and behavior, familiarize them with core research on the dynamics of attitudes and opinions, and provide them with fist-hand experience on the major research methods used to study the dynamics of public opinion. Students will work closely with the core faculty in political psychology.
For more information contact the Graduate Coordinator, Alethia Stanley at: Alethia.Stanley@stonybrook.edu or see our web page at: http://www.stonybrook.edu/polsci/