Industrial-Organizational Psychology, M.A.

Learning Objectives

Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Students who complete the M.A. program will have (1) the ability to apply theory and methods to help organizations solve people-related problems, (2) knowledge of the aims, practices, and strategies of organizations, workgroups, and individual workers to achieve fit, (3) knowledge of methods suited to testing the qualities of specific HR-related practices and interventions serving organizational aims, (4) the ability to communicate with technical proficiency in terms understandable by lay professionals, and (5) standards of academic, research, and business professionalism.

Admission

Admission to the M.A. degree program in I-O psychology is selective, and because of high demand, not all qualified applicants can be admitted. Minimum requirements for admission include:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution;
• An undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale;
• Satisfactory letters of recommendation; 
• An adequate background in psychology; and
• Satisfactory test scores on the Graduate Record Examination.

Undergraduate course work in I-O psychology, statistics, and research methods is recommended for applicants to the I-O program.

Applications for admission to the M.A. degree program in I-O psychology are evaluated once a year for fall semester matriculation. The application deadline for the program is December 15.

Curriculum Requirements

The M.A. degree requires completion of 37 credit hours. Coursework meeting these requirements is designated by the Program Director. A thesis option is available but not required. Interested students are encouraged to participate in research projects under faculty supervision. Students must also complete a 200-hour internship (one credit hour), and pass a comprehensive exam consisting of written, quantitative, and oral components, covering all major aspects of I-O psychology as an applied discipline.

Thesis Option

Students may be admitted to the thesis option only after successfully completing at least 18 hours of degree-related coursework. Eligible candidates are expected to have earned (a) a minimum GPA of 3.66 from the first 18 hours of graduate-level coursework, (b) no grade below a B in those 18 hours, and (c) a grade of A in both PSY 7343  and PSY 7283 .  The student must also determine a working thesis title and identify the primary faculty advisor.  The application must be submitted to the I-O Program Committee no later than one year before the month in which the student plans to graduate. Notice of acceptance or rejection is provided by the I-O Program Director within 2 - 3 weeks.

Additional information regarding management of the thesis option following admission confirmation by the I-O Program Director may be found in the Graduate Student Handbook for the M.A. and Ph.D. Programs in Industrial-Organizational Psychology .

Comprehensive Examination

The M.A. Comprehensive Examination is typically offered once per year, on the Friday before the start of spring semester classes.  Offerings at other times during the year are at the discretion of the I-O Program Committee.  Students intending to take the exam must inform the I-O Program Director in writing (e-mail preferred) at least 8 weeks prior to the scheduled date of the exam (usually by late October).  Students must be enrolled in the semester in which they take the exam.

The exam has three parts: (1) written, (2) analytic, and (3) oral components.  All 3 components are completed within a one- to two-week period. Departmental procedures and policies relating to the M.A. Comprehensive Examination can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook for the M.A. and Ph.D. Programs in Industrial-Organizational Psychology .