Industrial/Organizational Psychology, M.S.

Program Description

The Industrial/Organizational Psychology program at Springfield College blends course work from the fields of human resource management, organizational psychology, and counseling psychology in applying the science of psychology to the solution of a wide array of human and organizational problems ranging from employee selection to team building and organizational development. The I/O Psychology program allows for flexibility in designing a course of study and fieldwork options for individual students.

Objectives:

The I/O Psychology program provides students with a variety of learning opportunities. Graduates of the program can expect to learn how to:

Design, conduct, and evaluate organizational research projects.
Conduct and translate psychological information into non-technical terms.
Design and evaluate training programs.
Assess the impact of motivation, job stress, leadership and other constructs of work behavior.
Build effective work groups through job analysis, group development and worker participation.
Analyze and design organizational change strategies.
Effectively develop employee selection and job placement criteria.
Effectively manage employee and organizational conflict.

Career Opportunities: Upon completion of graduate training in I/O Psychology, students will be prepared for careers in a wide variety of occupations. Graduates of the program have acquired positions within the areas of human resources management, training & development, consumer research, recruitment, organizational development, and management consulting, within business, non-profit and public settings.

The plan of study requires a minimum of 38 semester hours. Students are encouraged to work closely with the I/O Psychology Program Director while developing their overall plan of study. The I/O program at Springfield College follows a competency-based approach. The focus is on the outcomes of training, and on the knowledge, skills, behavior, and capabilities necessary to function as a master’s level I-O practitioner. The competency-based approach is advantageous for several reasons. It maintains a focus on what is to be taught and learned, provides desirable flexibility, and recognizes the multiple paths to developing most important skills. The student’s plan of study is intended to meet their personal and professional goals and culminate in a Master’s of Science degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Undergraduate Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for the program