United States Institute of Leadership & Diplomacy
A Division of Orpe Human Rights Advocates
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Total classes: 10
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Weeks per hours: 7.5
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Total classes: 30
How easy is it for political leaders to manipulate the masses? What causes political violence? Why are people inclined to accept political misinformation? In this political psychology master’s degree, you’ll explore the answers to these and other pressing political questions.
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A psychological approach to politics will help you understand the roots of political decision-making, behavior and public opinion. The majority of coursework focuses on how citizens form their political beliefs and what motivates them to take part in politics. You’ll take advanced courses exploring how the media, partisan polarization, social identity and other factors affect citizens’ political decisions and interactions with government. You’ll also analyze the psychological concepts behind elite decision-making, prejudice, political violence and more.
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Courses in this political psychology master’s program will also cover how to apply these insights to political campaigns and communications. You'll learn the necessary skills to mobilize voters, market a political candidate, craft campaign strategies and more. You’ll also learn how to design experiments and obtain the information you need to better understand voters’ opinions and motivations.
Political psychology is an interdisciplinary field that applies theories of cognition, emotion, biology, personality and intergroup relationships to politics. This field is similar to political science, but there are some key differences. Political scientists focus primarily on examining political institutions and systems of government. Political psychologists focus on understanding the forces shaping individuals’ political beliefs and actions.
A political psychology master’s degree will teach you how to interpret the science behind political decision-making. You will gain the knowledge and skills you need to understand voter behavior, public opinion, campaign strategy and more. These insights can help explain why elections and other important political events unfold as they do.
No, The United States Institute of Leadership and Diplomacy’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.” That’s because USILD Online students learn from the same faculty and receive the same course content as in-person students receive.
In the political psychology master’s program, you will take courses that will help you understand the minds of voters and citizens. You will explore the forces that impact voters’ political decision-making and learn many of the skills you need to understand and influence these decisions.
An introduction to the field of political psychology with an emphasis on the application of political psychology to political marketing, campaigns and policy advocacy.
Required Core
This course covers the concept of attitudes and their measurement before examining in-depth theoretical approaches that explain how people come to change their attitudes.
Required Core
Students are introduced to the logic of experimentation and learn how to design and evaluate experimental studies.
Required Core
Apply the theories, frameworks and evidence encountered during the program to explore a novel question or contribute to a contemporary research debate
Required
Examine the key issues in the field of media effects with an emphasis on the underlying psychological mechanisms through which the media can affect citizens’ attitudes.
Elective
Gain a foundational understanding of biological, evolutionary, genetic and neurobiological perspectives in political psychology.
Elective
Learn the key concepts in cognitive psychology and the scientific study of mental processes.
Elective
A political psychology perspective on campaigns exploring the effect of election rules, campaigns, social networks and the media on turnout and vote choice.
Elective
An introduction to paradigms for analyzing elites’ decisions that focus on the role of personality, leadership styles and prospect theory.
Elective
Gain insight into how these factors shape people’s evaluation of government and how individual-level opinions are aggregated to produce public opinion
Elective
An introduction to the concept of political polarization with an overview of recent trends in polarization.
Elective
Learn the theoretical approaches to intergroup conflict, why stereotypes and prejudice exist, the different forms these attitudes take and their implications for politics.
Elective
A political psychology online graduate program prepares you for a variety of careers in politics. An advanced understanding of how to influence voters is essential for jobs in political campaigns, grassroots organizations and political parties. The communication skills from this degree could also lead to careers in political marketing or advertising. Graduates from this program are also prepared for jobs in local, state or federal government. Career examples include but are not limited to: