Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology

The principal objective of the Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology program is to provide students with the skills to apply the principles and methods of psychology to organizations, public and private, and to settings where people are engaged in work. To be successful, the graduate must have developed knowledge and appreciation of psychological theory and research as they apply to organizations and people at work, and mastery of the measurement and research technologies which are commonly used in the discipline. 

Admission to the Program

In addition to the general requirements of the university, specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are:

  1. A minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.5;
  2. A minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average in the major of 3.0 ("B");
  3. A baccalaureate degree in psychology;
    or
    one of the following:
    1. A baccalaureate degree in a major other than psychology and score at or above the 50th percentile on the Graduate Record Examination (advanced test in psychology);
    2. A baccalaureate degree in a major other than psychology, including a course of study, judged, by the Psychology Department graduate admissions committee, to be satisfactory preparation for graduate study in psychology;
  4. Submission to the department graduate admissions committee of a brief statement (one or two typewritten pages) of the student's preparation for graduate study, goals in a graduate training program, and professional aspirations following receipt of the master's degree;
  5. Submission of three letters of recommendation from people who are in a position to make relevant comments on the student's likely success in a graduate psychology program. At least two of these letters should be from former professors who are familiar with the student's scholarly activities.

Completion of the following prerequisite courses or their equivalent:

                Introduction to Psychology

                Psychological Statistics  

                Introduction to Experimental Psychology

The following courses (or equivalent) are recommended:

                Organizational Psychology or Organizational Behavior

                Industrial Psychology

                Tests and Measurements

Students who meet the general requirements of the university for admission to graduate study, but who do not meet the Psychology Department's specific requirements for admission to classified status or who wish to take course work before spring semester consideration of their application for classified status, may be admitted to the university in the unclassified postbaccalaureate status. Unclassified postbaccalaureate students may enroll, when space is available, in selected graduate courses, with the instructor's approval.

Advancement to Candidacy

To be advanced to candidacy, a student must have:

  1. Achieved classified status;
  2. Secured a graduate advisor to supervise the course of study;
  3. Completed, with the approval of the student's advisor, at least 12 semester units of graduate course work at this university, and achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.0 ("B") in those courses;
  4. Satisfied the Writing Requirement for Graduate Candidacy (WRGC).
  5. Filed an approved Advancement to Candidacy form which must have the approval of the student's advisor, the department chair or chair of the graduate program committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Requirements for Graduation

  1. Completed a minimum of 45 semester units of approved graduate level work with at least 32 units completed in residence at this university with a grade point average of a least 3.0 ("B") and grades of "C" (2.0) or better in all courses in the program.
  2. Completed and defended an original master's thesis (a three-course sequence, PSYC 6951 twice in a sequence, and PSYC 6974.
  3. The Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement is met through successful completion of PSYC 6974.

Classified graduate students in the Master of Science Industrial and Organizational Psychology program must complete their degree requirements within seven years of admission to the program. Students with classified status who fail to register for at least one course in the Psychology M.S. program each semester will automatically be declassified.

Degree Requirements (45 units)

(Program code: IOPY)

PSYC 5581Current Professional Issues in Industrial-Organizational Psychology1
PSYC 6601Job Analysis, Performance Management, & Compensation3
PSYC 6602Organizational Development, Training, and Work Groups 3
PSYC 6603Talent Acquisition and Legal Issues3
PSYC 6604Motivation and Leadership3
PSYC 6640Advanced Methods in Psychological Research3
PSYC 6641Analysis of Variance4
PSYC 6642Regression and Nonparametric Statistics4
PSYC 6644Applied Psychological Measurement3
PSYC 6675Practicum in Applied Psychology3
PSYC 6893Externship in Applied Psychology3
Three units chosen from:3
Diversity, Work, and Family
Occupational Health Psychology
Work Across the Lifespan
Three units chosen from:3
Multivariate Methods
Advanced Cognitive Psychology
Advanced Learning and Motivation
Advanced Life-Span Developmental Psychology
Advanced Biological Psychology
Advanced Social Psychology
Culminating Experience (6)6
Total Units45

Culminating Experience (6 units)

The culminating experience for the program is a research thesis, completed under the supervision of a faculty member, and consists of the following courses:

PSYC 6951Advanced Independent Study (taken twice for a total of 2 units)2
PSYC 6974Thesis4
Total Units6