Stony Brook University is launching a new Master of Arts (MA) program in Political Psychology, beginning in fall 2025. Offered through the Department of Political Science, the program allows students the chance to immerse themselves in the growing field of political psychology.
Through this program, students will work closely with researchers who specialize in both politics and psychology. They will learn from a diverse group of professors who hold doctoral degrees in political science and psychology, offering a rich approach to the subject.
“The Political Science Department at Stony Brook is really special,” Andrew Delton, the director of the MA in Political Psychology and an associate professor of statistics and research methods, said. “We are one of only a handful of departments in the world that specializes in political psychology. Our faculty are world-class experts in political psychology and we are well known for our outstanding program that trains PhDs in the field.”
Leonie Huddy, a distinguished professor and chair for the Department of Political Science at Stony Brook, emphasized the critical role of political psychology in understanding public opinion and voting behavior in Western democracies.
“It is difficult to understand public opinion and recent voting patterns in Western democracies without some understanding of political psychology,” Huddy said. “There is a widely upheld view that people vote based on their economic interests, but that assumption is not supported by decades of political psychology research. Understanding these psychological forces helps to explain partisan polarization, support for authoritarian leaders, anti-democratic tendencies, the spread of political misinformation and other aspects of political behavior.”
Huddy went on to explain that, to truly understand public opinion and recent voting trends in Western democracies, it is crucial to have some knowledge of political psychology.
“Without an understanding of psychology, some of this does not make a lot of sense. Our goal in political psychology is not to dictate how people should make political decisions, but how they actually make such decisions,” Huddy said.
The program is full-time and takes one full calendar year to complete, offering eight distinct courses.
Huddy, alongside Assistant Professor Stephanie DeMora, teaches POL 526 (Passionate Politics: Mobilization, Interest Groups, and Social Movements).
“The course focuses on understanding why people get involved and engage with politics. Students read articles and discuss the psychology behind protest activity, petition signing and involvement with social movement organizations more generally,” Huddy said. “We also focus on powerful motivating emotions such as enthusiasm and anger, and the degree to which politicians and social movement organizations attempt to arouse these emotions to enlist supporters.”
Other courses within the program consist of research methods, behavioral economics and public policy, dynamics of public opinion and more.
“I often teach our course on research methods,” Delton said. “This course trains students in the main methods that political psychologists use, things like surveys and experiments. But more importantly, it trains them to think like a researcher, a skill that I think transfers to a wide variety of careers.”
The program emphasizes hands-on research, where students will have the chance to develop original projects or draft policy proposals. They’ll design experiments, analyze data and engage in stimulating discussions.
The degree also requires a capstone project to be completed during the summer. Faculty suggests that students intending to pursue doctoral studies complete a master’s thesis as their capstone project. All other students are encouraged to complete an internship as the capstone experience.
With expert faculty and research opportunities, graduates are prepared for diverse careers in political psychology.
