What is an Industrial Organizational Psychology Degree?

A degree in industrial organizational psychology refers to academic credentials that reflect one’s training and study of the field. There are many types of degrees in industrial organizational psychology, based on the type of academic program, length and number of courses in the academic program, and type of educational institution. A degree in industrial organizational psychology typically refers to some form of post-secondary education. In this blog, I review common types of degrees in industrial-organizational psychology. 

Bachelor Degrees in Industrial Organizational Psychology

A bachelor’s degree is often referred to as a “four-year” degree. It is the first step in the academic pathway to industrial organizational psychology for many in this profession. This post focuses on bachelor degrees obtained from universities and colleges located in the United States of America. I have seen both bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees offered in industrial-organizational psychology. Degrees in this major area are becoming increasingly available in various forms across university types.

Bachelor’s Degrees Directly in Industrial Organizational Psychology

You may be surprised to learn that you can earn a bachelor’s degree directly in industrial organizational psychology. For example, Washington University in Saint Louis offers of Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Students complete general psychology courses in area such as introduction to psychology, cognitive psychology, and statistics. They complete four courses specifically focused on industrial organizational psychology. Two of the four courses are about the field of industrial organizational psychology. The other two focused on training and group dynamics. Other universities provide options for students to earn of bachelor’s degree in psychology while choosing a concentration area.

Bachelor’s Degrees with Concentration in Industrial Organizational Psychology

Some universities offer the industrial organizational concentration area. For example, Wright State University in Ohio has an option for a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree with a concentration in industrial and organizational psychology. The industrial-organizational psychology courses that form this concentration include an undergraduate course focusing on industrial-organizational psychology in general, plus three other courses chosen from a list of options, such as a course on human factors, tests and measures, and health behavior. When comparing across undergraduate-level programs that allow either a degree or concentration in industrial-organizational psychology, the courses in each curriculum vary, as shown in these two examples.

Whether you pursue bachelor of arts or science, directly in industrial-organizational psychology or through a choice of concentration areas, you will learn important foundational knowledge about the field through your specialized coursework. To take your studies further, consider pursuing further education in this field, beginning with a master’s degree.

Master’s Degrees in Industrial-Organizational Psychology

A master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology would build on your foundational knowledge gained from the bachelor’s degree. It is not necessary to have a bachelor’s in industrial organizational psychology to pursue a master’s in this field though. Although, you would want to be careful to choose a master’s degree program that will meet you where you are. If you focus on your studies full-time, a master’s typically takes two years to complete. Pursuing a master’s degree in this field is worthwhile. Many industrial organizational psychology practitioners have master’s degrees.

What Does a Master’s Degree Program Look Like?

A master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology will expand on coursework covered in undergraduate courses. It will expand upon the content areas covered, presenting more detailed and specialized information. The degree program will require students to demonstrate a higher level of mastery over the material. Master degrees in psychology can be master of arts or master of science degrees. Typically, your degree would be a master of arts or science in psychology, with some designation that your focus in psychology was on industrial and organizational psychology. For example, your degree may be entitled Master of Arts in Psychology: Industrial and Organizational.

Many universities offer master degrees in industrial organizational psychology. For example, Rice University in Huston, TX offers a two-year Master of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Their degree plan consists of completing at least 44 credit hours, with each course being worth 3 – 4 credit hours. Students complete at least 12 graduate-level courses in the degree program. The program has a good statistics focus. All students complete two courses in advanced statistics and options to elect more advanced statistics courses. Students may also take courses across the range of industrial organizational psychology content, such as work motivation, leadership, training, social psychology, and other areas.

Master’s Degree Capstone

A master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology will likely culminate in some capstone assignment. At the end, students demonstrate what they learned during their degree program. For example, at California State University Long Beach, students enrolled in the Master of Science in Psychology, Option in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, students must choose either to do practicum and portfolio or research and a thesis project to conclude their degree. Each master’s degree program differs in the nature of their capstone requirements, typically offering exams, practicums, and/or research opportunities.

Capstone assignments provide students with an opportunity to showcase what they have learned. They may lead to outputs students can share with others to show what they learned and/or can do.  Those interested in working in practice settings, such as consulting, human resource management, or industry (i.e., within companies or organizations) often end their academic training with a master’s degree. Doctoral degrees in industrial-organizational psychology are available for those who want to teach, conduct research, or to develop stronger expertise in this area. While many job opportunities are available for those with master’s degrees in industrial-organizational psychology, some positions, such as teaching positions in graduate-level programs, require a doctorate.

Doctoral Degrees in Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Doctoral programs in industrial organizational psychology are available in universities throughout the United States, although they are less common than master degree programs in this area. They typically results in an Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. For example, your degree title may be Doctor in Philosophy in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Doctor in Psychology (PSYD) degrees are uncommon in industrial-organizational psychology.

What’s Involved?

Doctoral programs in industrial-organizational psychology typically involve a mixture of coursework and research, with students conducting research independently as they move through the program. Once you begin the doctoral program, the timing of completion will vary depending on the program and your research activities. Depending on the academic program, you may enter a doctoral program straight from an undergraduate program. Or, you may be able to enter the doctoral degree program after earning a master’s degree.

If a doctoral program takes you from the undergraduate degree to a Ph.D., it would typically include much coursework (perhaps even three years of full-time coursework). You would likely complete similar coursework to what you would in the master’s degree program, with additional, related courses above and beyond the master degree requirements. Your course load may include independent research credits, allowing you to receive mentorship from a faculty member as you develop research skills related to industrial-organizational psychology. Most doctoral programs will culminate with a dissertation study for which you will conduct a study from beginning to end. You would typically work with a committee of faculty members to complete your study. Students will often publish their dissertation studies in academic journals.

Earn Your Master’s on the Way

If you were to enter a doctoral program straight from an undergraduate degree, I would recommend trying to satisfy degree requirements and earning your master’s degree along the way. Even if you continue in the same doctoral program without a break, it would beneficial to actually earn the master’s degree during that process. Having a master’s degree would give you a backup option should something interrupt your doctoral studies and prevent you from earning the degree.

What’s Your Experience?

Are you enrolling in a degree program in industrial organizational psychology? I would love to hear from you in the comments. What has your experience been like so far? Do you have any questions or advise to offer others?