Industrial/Organizational Psychology Program

The Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology program at Springfield College blends course work from the fields of management, counseling, and organizational 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/0 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 the opportunity to learn how to:

Design, conduct, and evaluate organizational research projects.
Translate psychological information into non-technical terms.
Design, implement, 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.
Develop and implement performance appraisal and compensation/ benefits systems.
Analyze and design organizational change strategies.
Effectively develop employee selection and job placement criteria.
Help individual employees develop to their full potential.
Design healthy and safe work environments.
Mediate employee and labor disputes.

Career Opportunities:

Upon completion of graduate training in I/0 Psychology, students are prepared for careers in human resources management, training and development, consumer research, recruitment, organizational development, management consulting within business, nonprofit and public settings.The plan of study requires a minimum of 48 semester hours and is developed with the major advisor. The plan of study is intended to meet the personal and professional goals of the students and culminate in a Masters of Science degree. A program of study leading to a Certificate of Advanced Study is also available to students who have completed a Masters degree in an appropriate field. The CAS requires a minimum of 32 semester hours beyond the Masters degree.

Contact Person:
Dr. Barbara Mandell
Telephone: (413) 748-3239
E-Mail: Barbara_Mandell@spfldcol.edu

There are no prerequisites for this program.

Psychology and Counseling

The psychology and counseling programs in the Psychology Department fully encompass the College’s humanics philosophy, serving as a vital bridge to the understanding of the full range of human behavior-both in practical, real-life situations or in theoretical and scholarly study. Founded more than fifty years ago to address the stresses of a dynamic postwar culture, the College’s Psychology Department prepares graduate students to assume leadership roles in a variety of careers, including athletic counseling, college administration, clinical, school guidance counseling, industrial or organizational psychology, `and marriage and family therapy.

Many exciting new career opportunities are available for counselors and psychologists holding advanced degrees, particularly in the fields of educational counseling, community mental health care, counseling for the aging, and the growing areas of consulting, training, and marketing research.

Contact Person:
Dr. Ann Moriarty
Chair, Department of Psychology
Telephone: (413) 748- 3322
E-Mail: Anna_Moriarty@spfldcol.edu

The Programs and Curricula

The Springfield College graduate programs in psychology and counseling strive to meet ever-changing community and organizational needs by producing highly trained counselors, administrators, and human resource professionals with a keen sense of self-awareness, effective counseling skills, and knowledge of a wide range of helping strategies. The College’s emphasis on humanics is especially well-suited to preparing compassionate and insightful graduates who understand the interconnectedness of spirit, mind, and body.

The graduate programs combine content mastery and exceptional field training to produce scientist-practioners uniquely prepared to apply their knowledge of the human mind and the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of human behavior to real-life situations- helping people live better and more productively.

In each psychology program, the curriculum is characterized by two parallel themes: a practical understanding of people and why they behave the way they do, and a scholarly appreciation of the problems encountered in the discipline of psychology.

Students in the psychology and counseling programs must complete forty-eight to sixty semester hours of graduate course work, depending on the concentration. The programs are designed to allow flexibility for both full- and part-time students. Courses are often scheduled in evening and summer sessions, and individual work sites may be used for fieldwork/internship experience and credit. Working professional can often complete the requirements for a part-time master’s program in two years. Sample curriculum sequences for part-time study are available upon request.

The Psychology Department is housed in Locklin Hall, which includes a counseling laboratory with two-way mirrors, a new research and computer laboratory with biofeedback equipment, as well as classrooms and offices. The programs are enhanced by the on-campus presence of the Springfield College Counseling Center, the Center for Performance Enhancement and Applied Research, an Employee Assistance Program, a career center, and many college services and offices where graduate students can pursue supervised fieldwork in a convenient professional setting. Services at the Counseling Center include a wide range of remedial and preventative mental health services. The College’s athletic facilities provide training and study opportunities for athletic counseling students. In addition to campus resources, a wide array of schools, businesses, other institutions of higher learning, human services and counseling agencies provide for a wealth of mentoring, internship and professional opportunities.