Prospective PhD Students

Michael will not be accepting students in Fall 2026.

Most years, Michael reviews applications for our graduate program in social psychology and is open to be a research mentor for new students. Please keep in mind that, although it is totally fine to contact Michael about graduate applications, this contact is not a necessary or sufficient step for being admitted into the PhD program.

Successful applications to work as part of the CSI lab are usually based on a loose understanding of fit between the research interests of the prospective PhD student and the lab’s ongoing research. To write a successful application, Michael recommends that students clearly articulate the research ideas they are passionate about in the application. While it can be useful to take a look at the lab’s values and mission (https://www.csinequality.com/values) as well as ongoing projects (https://www.csinequality.com/projects), successful applications need not mention these materials in the application.

Northwestern Psychology has strong norms that value student voice, diversity, and belonging. We hope you will consider NU and the CSI lab for your PhD journey!

Undergraduate Students

The CSI lab works with undergraduate students on psychology research projects supported by laboratory postdocs and phd students. These appointments tend to be volunteer in exchange for course credit, with some having a chance to work for a summer stipend. Appointments are project based and involve matching students with ongoing lab projects. To learn more about undergraduate research opportunities contact Michael through his department contact information.