UBC Psychology of Social Groups Mini School

This mini school is part of the UBC Future Global Leaders on-campus program for high school students ages 15–18. With 45 hours of class time, FGL mini schools provide a comprehensive introduction to a program area and include information on learning pathways and career opportunities.

This mini school is linked to current research at UBC on the psychology of social groups and includes a lab component where students attend research lab meetings and shadow researchers to learn how psychology studies are conducted.

We often see ourselves as a part of a social group that defines who we are and how we view others. In this mini school, we turn to theories in social psychology and experiments to better understand how social inequalities are created by biases that exist at many levels, including interpersonal, organizational and societal. We examine the origins and consequences of social stereotypes, including how biases are acquired and change, how people are affected by different social identities (e.g., gender, race, and social class) and how interventions can foster greater inclusion.

This mini school is an ideal choice if you’re thinking about majoring in psychology or plan to take a social psychology course at university. It is also an excellent choice for students interested in social inequality and social change, as well as for those interested in university based research and careers in psychology both at and beyond university.

CARMELLE BAREKET-SHAVIT, M.A., is a PhD student in the Department of Psychology at UBC. Her research at the Social Identity Lab focuses on how people think about their own biases and how they respond to other’s biases.

JESSICA LEE, M.A., is a PhD student in the Department of Psychology at UBC. Her research at the Social Cognitive Development Lab investigates how social identities and diversity shape children’s representation of social status and leadership.

Course format

This mini-school is held on the UBC Vancouver campus. You attend class in-person 9am–12noon and 1:30-3pm, Monday through Friday.

Choose to live in a student residence on campus or commute daily to UBC Vancouver:

Commuter Option: includes lunch in residence dining hall, Monday through Friday, and UBC Recreation Card.

Residence Option: includes private room and full board, airport pick-up and drop-off, local medical insurance for all international students (and custodianship if required for visa), weeknight and weekend social activities (e.g., trips to Grouse Mountain, Granville Island and Robson Street) and UBC Recreation Card.

Cost details

*All fees are subject to change

To register

A Family Account in UBC’s Lifelong Learning registration system is required to register for UBC Future Global Leaders on-campus.

After you add the course to your cart and go to check out, you’re asked to create a new Family Account or log in if you already have a Family Account.

A parent or guardian needs to set up the Family Account with their primary email address. After the account is created, the parent/guardian adds the student as a family member to their Family Account using the student’s primary email address (the student’s email address cannot be the same as the parent/guardian email address).

Add the student to the course session in your cart and complete the checkout process.

After completing the checkout process, and while logged into your Family Account, select New Application to access the FGL information package. Your registration is not final until the information package has been completed and submitted. You may partially complete the information package and return to it at any time within your Family Account.

If you are located in China or Russia, you will need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to create a Family Account, register for a course, fill out the information package and complete payment. If you do not have a VPN or need assistance, please contact us.