Industrial-Organizational Psychology Concentration

MA in Psychology

Catalog Year: 2023-2024

Banner Code: LA-MA-PSYC-IO

The MA in psychology is distinguished by its emphasis on basic research and the application of research to solve practical problems in families, industry, government, and health care settings. Because of the program’s proximity to Washington D.C., students have access to many employment and continuing education opportunities in research, academia, and consulting within government, public, and private settings. 

The psychology MA offers the following concentrations:

  •     applied developmental psychology 
  •     clinical psychology
  •     cognitive and behavioral neuroscience 
  •     human factors/applied cognition 
  •     industrial/organizational psychology 

While the department does not offer a master's degree in clinical or counseling psychology, a master's degree in psychology with a concentration in clinical psychology is available for students who have been admitted to the doctoral program concentration in clinical psychology.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on program requirements and courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes. Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.

Degree Requirements

Total credits: 32

Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.

Choose one concentration and complete the requirements therein.

For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Concentration in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (IO)

The industrial/organizational psychology concentration trains students in the conduct and application of psychological research in work settings. Expertise can be developed in a variety of areas, including personnel selection, training, leadership, motivation, and human performance assessment.

Statistics

Select at least 11 credits of the following: 11
PSYC 642
 General Linear Modeling I  
PSYC 643
 General Linear Modeling II  
PSYC 557
 Psychometric Methods  
or PSYC 633
 Evaluative Research in Psychology
Total Credits 11

Survey of Content 

PSYC 636 Survey of Industrial-Organizational Psychology 3
Total Credits 3

 Specialized Content

Select at least four courses from the following: 12
PSYC 626
 Organizational Change and Development  
PSYC 631
 Industrial and Personnel Testing and Evaluation  
PSYC 638
 Training: Psychological Contributions to Theory, Design, and Evaluation  
PSYC 640
 Techniques in Industrial/Organizational Psychology  
PSYC 667
 Behavior in Small Groups and Teams  
PSYC 668
 Personality: Theoretical and Empirical Approaches  
PSYC 703
 Social Bases of Behavior  
PSYC 733
 Issues in Personnel Psychology  
PSYC 741
 Psychology of Work Motivation  
PSYC 742
 Careers  
PSYC 743
 Behavior and Performance at Work  
PSYC 738
 IO Psychology and Legal Issues in Employment Discrimination  
PSYC 739
 Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology  
Other graduate courses with permission of I/O faculty
  
Total Credits 12

Professional Development

Select at least 3 credits from the following: 3
PSYC 730
 Practicum in Applied Psychology  
PSYC 892
 Special Topics in Psychology 1  
Total Credits 3

Electives 

Students complete the 32 credits required for the degree through additional coursework, including courses not listed above, within or outside the department, with prior approval of the graduate advisor. These courses are typically within statistics or specialized content.

Optional Thesis

Students need the chair's approval to register for thesis. Students should be aware of the policies governing theses. They must follow the thesis enrollment policy of the university and once enrolled in PSYC 799 Master's Thesis, maintain continuous enrollment. See Academic Policies.

Select 6 credits from the following: 6
PSYC 798
 Thesis Proposal  
PSYC 799
 Master's Thesis  
Total Credits 6