The mission of the M.S. degree program in Industrial and Organizational (I-O) Psychology is to provide students with the training necessary to pursue a wide variety of careers in I-O psychology. These include, but are not limited to, human resource and talent management positions in work organizations (e.g., job analyst, testing specialist, trainer, compensation and benefits analyst, organizational development specialist, generalist) and various forms of organizational consulting. In addition, the M.S. in I-O psychology program can be used as preparation for the pursuit of doctoral training in I-O or related fields of study.
The fundamental educational philosophy of the program is to train students to think in a logical and critical manner. This skill is useful to anybody in any endeavor. The curriculum is organized around specific core knowledge domains particular to I-O psychology. Two of these, the industrial domain and the organizational domain, are evident in the program label. The industrial domain includes content such as job analysis, selection, tests and measurements, and training. The organizational domain includes content such as work motivation, justice in the workplace, organizational development, culture, occupational health, and conflict management. The third domain, research methodology, includes content such as univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, experimental design, survey research, and scale construction. In summary, the Industrial-Organizational concentration promotes learning objectives that include critical reasoning, ability to apply and effectively share scientific knowledge in diverse situations, formal scientific methods and thinking, and advanced statistical analysis.
Students should consult the I-O program Web site, www.utc.edu/ioprog, for more information about the program.
Practicum
The integration of coursework and practice throughout the students’ graduate academic program makes possible the most effective learning to prepare them for applied professional careers in I-O Psychology. To achieve this end, I-O students become involved in a variety of real work organization activities through completion of an extensive practicum program. The practicum is carried out in private and public work organizations in which the students engage in a wide variety of projects under the guidance of field supervisors, coordinated by the I-O faculty. Enrollment in the practicum course in the summer between the first and second year is required.
Thesis
I-O students may, at their option, elect to complete a thesis. This option is particularly valuable for students who are considering the pursuit of a doctoral degree. However, all students are encouraged to seriously consider completing a thesis as this provides excellent experience in formulating and testing hypotheses, developing critical thinking skills, preparing a paper that reports the findings, and providing an in-depth exposure to research literature. These skills are valuable in any professional I-O psychology endeavor.
Prerequisites
Students must have had the following four undergraduate courses (or their equivalent) prior to the start of graduate coursework: Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics (preferably behavioral or social science focused), Introduction to Industrial-Organizational Psychology, one additional psychology course, and a computer literacy course. Computer literacy may be demonstrated by evidence of experience working with personal computers. Note that lack of these prerequisite courses does not preclude consideration of a student’s application. If accepted, however, students without the prerequisites may be required to complete them prior to beginning graduate coursework or may be allowed to take them in the first semester of the program.
Program Requirements
Completion of a minimum of 45 hours of graduate coursework is required for graduation. Thirty (30) of these hours are specific required course work, with the remaining 15 hours are met with approved elective courses. (See Graduate Program Regulations for the policy regarding transfer credit.) Students must also either successfully pass a written comprehensive exam or successfully defend a thesis.
Course Scheduling
A full-time student can complete the degree requirements in four semesters. Required courses each meet once per week and are offered in the evenings or afternoons, generally permitting working students to schedule accordingly with their employers. This class schedule also enables students to schedule practicum projects during normal business hours.
A typical program of study for a full-time student is outlined here. Students design their own program of study with guidance from the graduate program director. All elective courses must be approved by the graduate program director.
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