To become an industrial organizational psychologist in the United States, you must have a doctoral degree (Doctor of Philosophy or Ph.D., also known as a research doctorate) and meet other state requirements. Your degree must be in industrial organizational psychology or possibly a related area, depending on state requirements. Depending on your state of residence, you may need a license to officially use the title of industrial-organizational psychologist. This blog provides a general overview of how to become an industrial-organizational psychologist. Those interested in pursuing this profession should consult with their relevant state psychology boards. Degree-granting academic institutions in this field can also provide up-to-date guidance.
First Steps to Become an Industrial Organizational Psychologist
Becoming an industrial organizational psychologist takes many years. It begins with earning one or more academic degrees in this field. If you have not completed an undergraduate degree yet, earning that degree will likely be your first step. It may not be necessary to major in industrial organizational psychology as an undergraduate to earn a doctoral degree in the field. However, a bachelor’s degree in psychology would prepare you for your future studies.
After obtaining your undergraduate or bachelor’s degree, you would obtain a master’s degree or go straight into a doctoral program. I am aware of some industrial organizational psychologists entering the field with doctoral degrees in other areas of psychology. However, having a doctorate directly in industrial organizational psychology will best prepare you to become an industrial organizational psychologist. The coursework you complete in a doctoral program specifically in industrial organizational psychology will fully focus on applying psychological research and principles to workplace and organizational settings. It will provide you with the best possible foundation for being an industrial organizational psychologist.
A doctorate in industrial organizational psychology typically takes fives or more years if entering a doctoral program with a bachelor’s. Alternatively, if you start your doctoral program with a master’s, the timeline would decrease by two years in most cases. Sometimes, it can take longer to complete your doctoral degree in industrial organizational psychology, depending on whether you attend to your studies full-time or part-time and on the extensiveness of your dissertation study (your final capstone, research study).
Next Steps in Becoming an Industrial Organizational Psychologist
After obtaining your doctoral degree, you may need to meet other requirements to become an industrial organizational psychologist. It is important to consult with your state licensing board to determine whether you need to obtain a license to practice industrial organizational psychology in your state. In this article, I will share what I know about this process. Ultimately, you need to consult with your psychology board to determine your requirements.
Industrial Organizational Psychology and Licensure
In my experience, most professionals with doctoral degrees in industrial organizational psychology do not require or pursue state licensure. The reasons for this vary. The most common reason is that most states simply do not require a license to do the things we do. Much of the work of industrial-organizational psychology professionals does not involve working with vulnerable people or engaging in activities that would put the public at risk. Many of our tasks are quite similar in nature to what others in business environments do on a daily basis. When reviewing job advertisements for positions in industrial-organizational psychology, you will likely notice that few require or even mention licensure. Without the external pressures to obtain licensure, most industrial-organizational psychology professionals have no incentive to undergo the rigorous process of obtaining state licensure.
Title Law
However, state laws may require licensure in order to use the title of “psychologist.” This part can be confusing. Two individuals with the same training in industrial organizational psychology but who live in different states may have different permissions regarding the use of the title “Industrial-Organizational Psychologist.” You may be able to use the title without a license, depending on the specific work you do. Whereas, your colleague living in another state may require a state license to use the title. Thus, the question of how to become an industrial-organizational psychologist really depends on several factors, including state law requirements.
Licensure for Industrial Organizational Psychologists
Many areas of psychology require a license or certification to practice. In the United States, individual states grant licensure. It typically requires the professional to complete various requirements, such as education, supervised practice, and an examination. For example, in the state of California, to become a licensed clinical psychologist, you would need to complete a degree, 1500 hours of supervised practice, the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), a form, and other requirements. The specific licensure requirements for psychologists vary state-to-state, but the general requirements are quite similar. Licensure often comes with annual or regular professional development or continuing education requirements. You can find more information about the general licensure process for psychologists through the American Psychological Association’s and The Association of State and Provincial Boards.
It can be challenging for industrial organizational psychology professionals to complete the licensure requirements for many states. For example, the EPPP examine covers much content that simply is not a focus in master’s or doctoral degree programs in industrial organizational psychology. A recent graduate who excelled in their industrial-organizational psychology doctoral program courses may not be prepared for the EPPP. They simply have not studied topics such as drug abuse or psychotherapeutic interventions. It may also seem unfair to the graduate when the EPPP assesses little of what they studied in their specialization courses.
National Certifications
In many fields of psychology, there are national professional societies and/or certification organizations that provide options for professional certifications. These certifications are typically recognized across states. If you become certified while living in Alabama and move to New York after certification, your certification travels with you. For example, psychology professionals with applicable doctoral degrees who specialize in the field of applied behavioral analysis and meet certain requirements can be granted the Board Certified Behavior Analyst – Doctoral (BCBA-D) certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. The BCBA-D is recognized across states. The BCBA-D professional can demonstrate competencies to work in the field whereever they may go.
A nationally-recognized certification can be advantageous to both the professional and employers in the field. Psychology professionals work hard to establish their expertise and credentials. A certification gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their competencies beyond having a diploma. Certifications also provide a sense of quality assurance to employers hiring psychology professionals. Certifications fulfill a quality assurance function to stakeholders, such as clients, protecting them. Universities hold different standards for teaching and assessment. Different doctoral program standards is just one reason one cannot assume that all graduates of doctoral programs in industrial-organizational psychology have equal levels of professional competency. In the United States, there currently is no nationally recognized certification that directly corresponds to industrial-organizational psychology. In my view, this is unfortunate.
Is it Worth it?
When determining whether becoming an industrial organizational psychologist is worth it for you, you should explore your state licensure and title laws, as well as the job requirements for roles that interest you. Your state may allow you to use the title industrial organizational psychologist without licensure if working in particular roles. On the other hand, perhaps obtaining a license would be beneficial for you if you work as a coach or some other capacity where having a license would strengthen your credibility.
Exploring your state requirements with consideration of your career goals will help you determine what you will need to do to become an industrial organizational psychologist. Then, you can decide whether it is worth the costs, time, and resources, if any are required, for you to pursue the title. Regardless, you can typically find work in the field of industrial organizational psychology with a doctorate or master’s degree in the field without having the title “Industrial-Organizational Psychologist” or a state psychology license. Many professionals in the field work under different titles while identifying with the field and their expertise in industrial-organizational psychology.