Psychology Graduate Student Organizations
Asian/Asian American Psychology Student Association (APSA)
The Asian/Asian American Psychological Student Association is a graduate student organization at the University of Michigan that is geared toward creating a community of Asian/Asian American scholars in the Psychology Department as well enhancing the graduate training and professional development of all graduate students . APSA is involved in recruitment events meant to increase the number of Asian/Asian American graduate students in psychology. APSA also organizes guest speakers, graduate student forums, career development workshops, and social events for its members and other interested graduate students.
Black Student Psychological Association (BSPA)
The Black Student Psychological Association (BSPA) is an organization of Black students seeking to enhance the development of Black psychologists, create valid methods and techniques in the investigation of Black people, and in general to promote skills in the application and utilization of psychological principles as they relate to Blacks. The University of Michigan chapter was formed in 1969 to deal mainly with the recruitment and support of Black graduate students and faculty.
Latino/a Student Psychological Association (LSPA)
The Latino Student Psychological Association (LSPA) is a graduate student organization at the University of Michigan that strives to increase the recruitment and retention of Latino students in the fields of psychology. LSPA is committed to providing a supportive and diverse learning environment for its graduate student members, to serving as advocates for the Latino community, and to educating the greater academic community on issues that affect Latino and other ethnic minority groups.
Psych OUT
Psych OUT at The University of Michigan was founded in 2016 by a group of graduate students who were interested in creating an inclusive space for queer graduate students in The Department of Psychology. Our mission is to create and foster a community for LGBTQ+ individuals in the department, create relationships with other LGBTQ+ groups across campus, foster a community of academics that promote queer scholarship in our sub-fields, support students who may not be “out”, raise awareness of issues facing queer students within the department, and engage and educate our straight/cis-gender allies. Psych OUT also explicitly welcomes and supports queer students of color.
UM Graduate Student Organizations
Edward A. Bouchet Honor Society
Named for the first African American doctoral recipient in the United States (Physics, Yale University, 1876), the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (Bouchet Society) recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. The Bouchet Society is a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy. In the spirit of Bouchet's commitment to these ideals, inductees into the honor society must demonstrate significant achievement in these five areas.
Students of Color of Rackham (SCOR)
The Students of Color of Rackham (SCOR) graduate organization is a network for Rackham graduate and professional students at the University of Michigan. SCOR is dedicated to the social, cultural, political, and academic well-being of students of color representing diverse cultures, ethnicities, and international origins. We work to improve the quality of students’ academic, professional, and social lives respectful of differences in culture, ability, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.
UM Resources and Programs
DACA Resources
The Office of Public Affairs and Internal Communications has compiled a list of on-campus and off-campus resources which may be relevant for those who are affected by potential changes to the DACA program.
Graduate Certificate Programs
A Rackham certificate of graduate studies is a non-degree credential for study and participation in a scholarly community around a focused topic of special academic interest. A certificate requires a specified set of courses and activities that supplement and enrich a student’s primary program of study.
Graduate Certificate in African Studies
Graduate Certificate in Latin American & Caribbean Studies
Professional Development
Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP): aims to significantly increase the number of underrepresented minorities obtaining graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and enhance the preparation of underrepresented minorities for faculty positions in academia.
Rackham Merit Fellowship (RMF) Connection: designed for newly admitted doctoral students who are recipients of a Rackham Merit Fellowship (RMF), this program introduces students to resources in Rackham and across the university, provides professional, academic and personal development experiences to assist with the first-year transition, and cultivates community among the RMF cohort.
Research-Based Programs
California Alliance Research Exchange Program: ensures that underrepresented minority (URM) Ph.D. graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from alliance institutions aspire to and populate the ranks of the postdoctoral population, the faculty at competitive research and teaching institutions, the federally funded national laboratories, and scientific think tanks.
International Institute: stimulates research and teaching on critical areas of the world and on international issues that cut across world regions and disciplines and fosters cooperation among the university’s departments, schools, and colleges.
The Life Course: Evolutionary and Ontogenetic Dynamics (LIFE): offers students unique training in the dynamics of human behavior on different time scales and will include opportunities for research abroad at a cooperating institution.
Program for Research on Black Americans (PRBA): seeks to collect, analyze, and interpret empirical data on African Americans as well as international data on people of African descent.
RacismLab: brings together student and faculty scholars to develop innovative theoretical frameworks and empirical approaches to better understand the impact of racism on health.
UM Units Dedicated to Diversity
The following units are dedicated to supporting UM's diverse communities by hosting events, creating initiatives, and providing resources.
Detroit Center: seeks to mutually enrich University and Detroit communities through service, education, research and the exchange of culture.
Expect Respect: encourages all to create and maintain a respectful and inclusive environment that provides the support and opportunity necessary for each member of our community to prosper and achieve.
First Generation Students: this website seeks to provide first-generation students at the University of Michigan with resources, insight and inspiration that can help you thrive and succeed on campus as you pursue your degree.
International Center: advises international students on immigration and VISA issues including but not limited to employment, health insurance, and travel, also advises students on study, travel, and work abroad.
Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA): using the lens of race and ethnicity, MESA engages and transforms students to build inclusive spaces and equitable opportunities. Their focus is on community engagement, leadership development, and social justice education.
National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID): aims to create a more equitable and inclusive society by producing, catalyzing, and elevating diversity research and scholarship. In this pursuit, we also build intergenerational communities of scholars and leaders to integrate these evidence-based approaches in addressing contemporary issues in a diverse society.
Office for Institutional Equity: fields all reports of discrimination, harassment, and bias and also provides legal and policy intrepretation as well as education and training.
Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI): creates seamless pathways to academic success by providing enrichment programming connecting student engagement, leadership development, and networking opportunities.
Office of the Ombuds: student concerns, complaints, and questions about the functioning of the university can be discussed here in a safe environment.
Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR): blends theory and experiential learning to facilitate students' learning about social group identity, social inequality, and intergroup relations.
Services for Students with Disabilities: provides services to students with visual impairments, learning disabilities, mobility impairments, hearing impairments, chronic health problems and psychological disabilities, so they may enjoy a complete range of academic and non-academic opportunities. Services are free of charge.
Spectrum Center: humbly works toward enhancing the campus climate and support services for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty at the University through education, advocacy, and community building.
Student Life Dean of Students: is available to assist with multiple student related concerns and can also help students to navigate and access other appropriate resources.
Students with Children: Website dedicated to the needs of student caregivers at U-M who juggle parenting, other family care, work, and study.
Transfer Students: applying to U–M, information on academics, cost and financial aid and student life especially for those students transferring to U–M.
