ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

Industrial/Organizational Psychology (MA, PhD)

SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY
MARSTON/WATSON HALL
206-281-2987
GRADADMISSIONS@SPU.EDU

The Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (IO) programs seek to develop scholars, professional practitioners, and leaders who will actively engage the community and businesses around them, improving organizations and developing people as part of their jobs.

Graduates of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology programs become scholars possessing the necessary tools, theoretical knowledge, and analytical skills to launch their academic or consulting careers. They are practitioners managing change, applying scientific methodologies, and improving the organizations around them; and they are leaders guiding organizations, motivating and building teams, and developing future leaders.

PROGRAM DISTINCTIVES

Both programs are designed with a focus on the science and rigor associated with quality degrees in this field along with an equal emphasis on the practice of industrial-organizational psychology.

• The program curriculum provides you with a strong theoretical foundation for meeting real-world challenges.
• Field practicum experiences allow you to design and deliver interventions, conduct research, and develop leaders.
• A wide variety of electives encourages you to tailor your coursework to meet your individual vocational and professional goals.

The curricula for the Master's and Doctoral programs have been structured according to the guidelines for graduate training in industrial/organizational psychology published by the , a division of the .

The curriculum in each of SPU's Industrial-Organizational Psychology programs satisfies the suggested areas of competence for graduates in industrial-organizational psychology, ensuring that you are fulfilling not only the expectations for master's- and doctoral-level education, but also fulfill the expectations of experts working in the field.

THE MASTER OF ARTS (MA) IN INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

The Master of Arts degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology provides a theoretical foundation for addressing a broad range of behavioral issues in the workplace. It develops professionals within human resources, organizational development, and training fields, and provides organizational leaders with a graduate education that relates directly to their practice as leaders.

MA Program Curriculum
The MA is a 65-credit program (56 credits required, plus 9 elective credits) and is designed to be taken over a two-year/seven-quarter or three-year/11-quarter sequence.

You may take any of the approved graduate courses to fulfill your elective requirements. As a full-time student, you will typically take 8 credits a quarter (two classes) in the first year and 8-11 credits in the second year.

In your final year of the program, you will complete a master's project and a portfolio.

General Admissions Information
The program begins in Autumn Quarter and admits students once a year. The deadline is February 15.

Below is a brief outline of University and program requirements for admission to the Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology program.

For detailed information on admission, visit . You may .

And if you have additional questions, email gradadmissions@spu.edu, or call 206-281-2091 or 800-601-0603.

• Applicants must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Candidates must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in all undergraduate work. Preference is for applicants to have completed a major or minor in Psychology, and possibly a major or minor in Business Administration. You must complete a minimum of one business or social science statistics course and two courses in psychology (at a regionally accredited institution) prior to admission to the program.
  
• must be taken, and the test must have been administered within five years of the deadline date for application to the program. A combined score of 950 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE is preferred.
  
• A typed personal statement that demonstrates your writing and grammatical skills; addresses career objectives; the rationale for seeking the degree and choosing to attend Seattle Pacific; and indicates personal qualifications, experience, and other insights as deemed appropriate by you.
  
• You must submit three letters of recommendation: (1) one from a person who has experienced you in a professional setting (i.e., a current or former employer); (2) one academic reference from a former professor or instructor, and (3) one personal recommendation (not a family member). Note: Recommendations must be submitted on the forms provided in the application. Recommendation forms should be sent to the applicant in a sealed envelope, signed across the flap, and included with the application package.
  
• If English is not your first language, you must take the and present a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based test.
• Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must provide an official confidential statement of financial support covering each year of intended enrollment. This is necessary in order to issue the paperwork for an I-20 immigration form.

Admissions Process
The Admissions Committee of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program will conduct a preliminary screening process.

• Finalists will be invited to come to campus for personal interviews.
• Admission to the master's program depends upon recommendation by the IO faculty and approval from the IO chair.
• The entire process is usually completed within eight weeks after the final deadline date for applications.

Transfer of Credit
If you have taken graduate coursework at a regionally accredited institution, you may be allowed to transfer up to 12 quarter credits.

You must provide applicable transcripts and/or syllabi. Each course must be at least 3 graduate quarter credits, equivalent to courses taught in the Organizational Psychology programs at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and completed within seven years of admission. A minimum grade of B will be needed for transferred work. Any transfer-credit petitions should be submitted only after formal admission to the master's program.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD) IN INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology provides you with the training to occupy the same position as master's graduates. The distinctiveness of the doctoral program is in its additional emphasis on theory, methodology, and research.

The doctorate in industrial-organizational psychology prepares you to take on higher-level academic, consulting, and leadership positions.

PhD Program Curriculum
The doctoral program is a 168-unit program (138 credits of required coursework and 30 credits of electives) and is designed to be taken over four years/16 quarters, with an integrated research and dissertation sequence. As a full-time doctoral student, you will take 8–14 credits each quarter.

Outside of the required coursework, you may complete electives from a variety of disciplines (Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Psychology, Business Administration, and Education).

The doctoral program begins in autumn. You will complete a master's level project in the second year and be awarded a master's degree upon completion of the equivalent MA requirements.

By the summer of year three, as a doctoral student, you are working full time on your dissertation. The fourth year in the program includes full-time dissertation work and professional placement credits. A sample four-year course sequence for the program.

GENERAL ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

The program begins during Autumn Quarter and admits students once a year. The deadline is January 15.

Listed below is a brief outline of University and program requirements for admission to the doctor of philosophy in industrial-organizational psychology program. , and if you have additional questions, email gradadmissions@spu.edu or call 206-281-2091 or 800-601-0603 (toll free). For detailed information on admission, visit .

• Applicants must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Candidates must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in all undergraduate work. Preference is for applicants to have completed a major or minor in Psychology, and possibly a major or minor in Business Administration. A minimum of one business or social science statistics course and three courses in psychology must be completed (at a regionally accredited institution) prior to admission to the program. Those who have already been granted the MA in organizational psychology at Seattle Pacific University and wish to pursue their PhD must apply to the organizational psychology doctoral program.
• must be taken, and the test must have been administered within five years of the deadline date for application to the program. A combined score of 1100 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE is preferred. NOTE: If you have significant qualifications and exceptional recommendations but fail to meet the GPA or GRE minimum scores, you may still be considered for admission to the doctoral program.
• A typed personal statement that demonstrates your writing and grammatical skills; addresses career objectives and the rationale for seeking the degree and choosing to attend SPU; and indicates your personal qualifications, experience, and other insights as deemed appropriate by you.
• You must submit three letters of recommendation: (1) one from a person who has experienced you in a professional setting, i.e., a current or former employer; (2) one academic reference from a former professor or instructor, and (3) one personal recommendation (not a family member). NOTE: Recommendations must be submitted on the forms provided in the online application. Recommendation forms should be sent to the applicant in a sealed envelope, signed across the flap, and included with the application package.
• If you are not a native speaker of English, you must take the and present a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based test or 250 on the computer-based test.
• If you are not a U.S. citizens or permanent resident, you must provide an official confidential statement of financial support covering each year of intended enrollment. This is necessary in order to issue the paperwork for an I-20 immigration form.

Admissions Process
The Admissions Committee of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program will conduct a preliminary screening process. Finalists will be invited to come to campus for personal interviews in March.

Admission to the doctoral program depends upon recommendation by the IO faculty and approval from the IO program director. The entire process is usually completed within eight weeks after the final deadline date for applications.

Transfer of Credit
Students who have taken graduate work at a regionally accredited institution may be allowed to transfer up to 12 quarter credits, and students who have been granted a master's degree from a regionally accredited university in Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, or a related field may be allowed to transfer up to 30 credits. A maximum of 20 credits may be transferred toward the elective requirement.

You must provide applicable transcripts and/or syllabi for any course you wish to transfer. Each course must be at least 3 graduate quarter credits, equivalent to courses taught in the organizational psychology programs at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, and completed within seven years of admission. A minimum grade of B will be needed for transfer work. Any transfer-credit petitions should be submitted only after formal admission to the doctoral program.

If you have already been granted the MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and wish to pursue a PhD, you must apply to the Industrial-Organizational Psychology doctoral program.

<< Back to 2013-14 Graduate Catalog Home

2013-14 Graduate Time Schedule | Academic Calendar | Graduate Homepage


Older Editions of the Graduate Catalog
2006-2007 | 2005-2006 | 2004-2005 | 2003-2004 | 2002-2003