INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (MA/PHD)
Make an impact on the world’s workplaces
DePaul’s Industrial-Organizational Psychology MA/PhD program will provide you with a solid grounding in psychological theory and essential training in methodology. As an Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology graduate student, you’ll collaborate with a faculty expert to develop and implement new research ideas while contributing to developments in the field.
You’ll study
- motivation
- leadership
- training
- performance appraisal
- organizational theory
- consultation
You have the option to add a secondary specialization with coursework in communication, management, marketing, or women’s and gender studies.
The Industrial-Organizational Psychology MA/PhD is a combined degree program. The MA is non-terminal and the program admits only students intending to earn the PhD. Classes are offered during the day on the Lincoln Park Campus. This program can be completed in four years.
Get a closer look at what it’s like to be in the program by viewing our Frequently Asked Questions and Internship & Career Info.
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Put theory into practice and gain career, teaching and research experience
DePaul’s connections with the Chicago business community provide you with a wide variety of internship and career opportunities. Industrial-Organizational Psychology PhD students have interned with Advocate Health Care, MICA Consulting Partners, McDonald’s Corp. and United Airlines. Students publish their research in major journals and present at I-O conferences. They also have gained experience teaching a variety of classes and have moved on to academic careers at colleges and university across the country.
Application Deadlines
The deadline for fall admission is December 15.
Admission Requirements
Submit an online application, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement, transcripts and course history.
Required Courses
For the MA portion, you’ll take 18 courses and complete a thesis. For the PhD portion, you’ll complete six courses and a dissertation.
98%
of Industrial-Organizational Psychology graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.
$61k
The reported median salary for Industrial-Organizational Psychology alumni was $61,000.
Work on forward-thinking research
Professor Suzanne Bell specializes on the strategic staffing of organizations, training and employee development, and maximizing team effectiveness. She directs the DePaul Teams Lab, which is conducting NASA-funded research on team composition for long-duration space exploration, such as a mission to Mars.
“My clients are C-suite leaders and board members, and because of my DePaul experience I am competent in serving them via executive assessment, coaching, organizational restructuring, and team development. I was able to garner valuable internship experience every year via connections the program has with Chicago-based DePaul alums, and my cohort was incredibly supportive, collegial, and collaborative. We got to be great friends and I maintain those deep connections 15 years later.”
Rebecca (PhD ’04)
Founder and Owner, Department 732c
Alumni Network
Our Industrial-Organizational Psychology PhD graduates advance to corporate, consulting and academic careers. DePaul graduates have pursued jobs in both applied and academic settings at organizations such as Advocate Health Care, Deloitte Consulting, Cisco, Motorola, I-O Solutions, Inc., Wayne State University, Louisiana State University and Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In addition, you’ll be connected to a network of more than 201,000 DePaul alumni working in a variety of industries.
Scholarships
Graduate school is an investment in your future. Learn more about the financial aid and scholarship opportunities available to you.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology Admission Requirements
???The Industrial/Organizational Psychology program typically admits three students per year, based on a combination of grades, GRE scores??, letters of recommendation, and faculty–student fit. Applications are due no later than December 15.
Please read through the general instructions before filling out the online application. When filling out the online application select the Psychology Graduate Programs application, not the College of Science and Health application.?
Industrial/Organizational faculty review all application materials carefully and evaluate applications with emphasis on the following criteria:
1. Completeness of Credentials: Faculty will only review complete applications submitted before the December 15th deadline. The review process begins shortly after this date. Applicants will be notified if they qualify for an interview. In-person interviews are strongly preferred; however, phone/Skype interviews can be arranged if necessary.
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores and Grade Point Average (GPA): The general GRE is required for all applicants. ?A GPA of 3.5 or higher is advised. If an applicant is particularly strong in one area, but not another, these criteria will not be followed rigidly.
3. Three letters of Recommendation: Faculty carefully review letters of recommendation. Selected recommenders are encouraged to address the applicant’s academic background and achievements. An additional letter from an employer, university administrator, or other source may be submitted, but is not required.
4. Personal Statement: No specific prompt is provided in order to allow applicants the freedom to express themselves as they deem appropriate. Applicants are encouraged to highlight their research interests and name faculty with whom they would like to work. A guideline of two to three pages is advised.
5. Minority Status: Industrial/Organizational faculty encourage applications from students of minority background.
6. Students with Disabilities: Industrial/Organizational faculty encourage applications from students with disabilities.
Download and fill out the Course History List form.
Degree Requirements
MA/PhD Degree Requirements
The Industrial-Organizational (I-O) MA/PhD is a combined degree. The MA is non-terminal and, therefore, only students intending to confer the PhD are admitted.
MA Course Requirements
The MA portion of the combined degree requires a minimum of 72 quarter hours beyond the completion of a bachelor’s degree, including four quarter hours of thesis research.
Statistics and Methodology Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 410 | ADVANCED STATISTICS I | 4 |
| PSY 411 | ADVANCED STATISTICS II | 4 |
| PSY 419 | FACTOR ANALYSIS AND STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING (Can be taken during the MA or PhD portion of Program) | 4 |
| PSY 420 | QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN | 4 |
Psychology Core Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
|
PSY 404 |
PERCEPTION AND COGNITION | |
|
PSY 426 |
LANGUAGE AND COGNITION | |
|
PSY 473 |
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF JUDGMENT AND DECISION- MAKING | |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
|
PSY 430 |
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF THE SELF | |
|
PSY 435 |
SPECIAL SEMINAR IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE | |
|
PSY 556 |
PREJUDICE AND INTERGROUP RELATIONS | |
|
PSY 560 |
SOCIAL COGNITION | |
I-O Psychology Core Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 559 | SEMINAR IN INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (Can be taken during the MA or PhD portion of Program) | 4 |
| PSY 587 | PRACTICUM IN ADVANCED RESEARCH IN INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (Can be taken during the MA or PhD portion of Program) | 4 |
| Select six of the following: | 24 | |
|
PSY 440 |
PSYCHOLOGY OF WORK AND MOTIVATION | |
|
PSY 441 |
PSYCHOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP | |
|
PSY 442 |
PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY | |
|
PSY 444 |
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL | |
|
PSY 445 |
ADVANCED TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANIZATIONS | |
|
PSY 446 |
PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF ORGANIZATIONS | |
|
PSY 447 |
ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTATION | |
|
PSY 448 |
CONCEPTS, METHODS, AND ETHICS FOR INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY | |
|
PSY 449 |
ADVANCED SEMINAR IN WORK TEAMS AND COLLABORATION | |
Research Course
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 597 | MASTER'S THESIS RESEARCH | 1-4 |
Electives
Additional coursework of at least 16 quarter hours are required to attain the minimum of 72 quarter hours. These courses may include the I-O Psychology Core courses listed above or any graduate-level course. The courses must be taken with the consent of the student’s faculty advisor.
Master’s Thesis Research
Complete a thesis on a topic approved by the department.
Master’s Thesis Examination
Either written or oral, the examination may be, but is not necessarily limited to, a defense of the student’s thesis.
PhD Course Requirements
The PhD portion of the combined degree requires a minimum of 24 quarter hours beyond the completion of the master’s degree, including four quarter hours of dissertation research. The following requirements must be completed in order to confer the PhD.
Statistics Course
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 450 | PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT | 4 |
| PSY 419 | FACTOR ANALYSIS AND STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING (Can be taken during the MA or PhD portion of Program) | 4 |
I-O Psychology Core Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 559 | SEMINAR IN INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (Can be taken during the MA or PhD portion of Program) | 4 |
| PSY 587 | PRACTICUM IN ADVANCED RESEARCH IN INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (Can be taken during the MA or PhD portion of Program) | 4 |
| Select three additional courses from the following list which were not taken during the MA program: | ||
|
PSY 440 |
PSYCHOLOGY OF WORK AND MOTIVATION | |
|
PSY 441 |
PSYCHOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP | |
|
PSY 442 |
PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY | |
|
PSY 444 |
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT | |
|
PSY 445 |
ADVANCED TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANIZATIONS | |
|
PSY 446 |
PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF ORGANIZATIONS | |
|
PSY 447 |
ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTATION | |
|
PSY 448 |
CONCEPTS, METHODS, AND ETHICS FOR INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY | |
|
PSY 449 |
ADVANCED SEMINAR IN WORK TEAMS AND COLLABORATION | |
Electives
The electives can be any graduate-level psychology course, or any graduate-level non-psychology course, with permission from the faculty advisor or program director. A total of 16 elective credit hours is required for the entire I-O MA/PhD program. ??
Research Course
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PSY 599 | DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH | 1-4 |
?Doctoral Candidacy Examination (Comprehensive Examinations)
Designed to assess the student’s knowledge of psychology and the student’s area of specialization. The examination is given in two sections. The first section consists of a written examination related to I-O psychology. The second section is an oral examination in the area of I-O psychology.
Admission to Doctoral Candidacy
Formally given to the student with satisfactory coursework performance who has successfully completed the master’s thesis and passed the Doctoral Candidacy Examination; the candidate has no more than five years from the date of admission to doctoral candidacy to complete the PhD requirements or dismissal from the program will ensue.
Students denied candidacy will be required to withdraw from the program or withdraw after completion of the MA.
Dissertation
Departmental committee approval and acceptance of topic and outline of dissertation given only after admission to candidacy. Dissertation research should be completed during the student's fourth year in the program.
Oral Examination
Student to defend his or her dissertation and to show competence in the general field of psychology and in the area of specialization.
Time Limitation
- No more than four years between admission to the MA/PhD program and admission to doctoral candidacy.
- No less than eight months and no more than five years between admission to doctoral candidacy and the final doctoral oral examination; or dismissal from the program will ensue.
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