Interested in graduate study?  Great!

First step is to consider the Asper MSc/PhD programs’ admission requirements.  The GPA and GMAT or GRE scores in particular are important requirements in the eyes of the school’s admissions committee.  Funded studentships are assigned in part due to fit and interest with an advisor, and in part through a competitive process based on GPA and GMAT.

Secondly, drop me a line.  Send me your CV, an unofficial copy or screengrab of your transcript, and a brief (~1 page) summary of your research interests and career plans.

I am seeking students who:

  • Have a specific, focused interest in mistreatment, conflict resolution (including negotiations), or forgiveness in the workplace.  I’m not well-suited to providing supervision in strategy, human resource management, organizational theory, entrepreneurship, economics, etc.  I have a strong preference for students with research interests closely aligned with my own, so that I can be helpful to you as an advisor.
  • Have a background in social or I/O psychology (e.g., psychology degree or minor,  coursework in psychology, or coursework in management fields with a strong psychological focus such as OB or CB).  A business degree is a good thing, but not always strictly necessary from my perspective.  I’m looking for students with an interest in applied social psychology — that is, how psychological forces operate in the workplace, among employees and teams.  Having a background (even a minor or some good coursework) in the social sciences will be helpful.
  • Have some introductory training in statistics and experimental or survey design.  My research approach is pretty open.  I like lab experiments, surveys, field experiments, interviews, etc.  But in any case, you should arrive with at least some basic familiarity with stats and research design.  When you send your research interests, I’ll be thinking about whether you show an ability to think about an interesting research question and how you would go about answering it with a research design.
  • Can write well.  I really value students who can write clearly and effectively.  This goes beyond simply scoring well on the IELTS or TOEFL; you need to show with your one-pager that you have the ability to clearly and succinctly communicate research ideas. 
  • Can work well independently. Students working with me should feel supported but independent.  Because of my own working style, I need students who are self-starting, who can work independently but know when to seek advice, who are conscientious and organized, who take feedback well, etc.
  • Have an appropriate career path in mind — usually interest in a doctoral program for M.Sc. students, and interest in an academic (research and teaching) career for Ph.D. students.  I’m not narrow about this, but the programs are best suited to these outcomes.  Students interested in consulting, general management, management of a family firm, etc., are generally less well-served by these programs.  I’m open to hearing about your intended path, but I want you to find yourself in a program that is useful to you.
  • Bonus stuff:   Have you volunteered or worked in a psych or OB lab?  Written an independent research project or thesis?  Presented at an undergrad research symposium?  Written a literature review?  Designed an experiment?  Published a paper?  Do you have experience with stats software?  The more that you understand how research works and have experience in conducting research, the easier the transition to grad school will be.