Master of Science in Work and Organizational Psychology

• Master's of Science
• 30 credits / 21 months
• 5-week course structure ideal for adult learners
• $1,000 per credit hour
• Fully online
• Low student-faculty ratio
• Our focus is on hands-on learning, portfolio building projects, and learning directly from top experts in the field so you're ready to succeed in all workplaces.
• New cohorts start the third week of August each year. 

In our Work and Organizational master's program, our educational goals are clear. One objective is to ensure you have a deep understanding of people issues at work, strategies for problem solving, and industry best practices. This knowledge is essential for anyone looking to excel in the dynamic field of organizational psychology.

Our second objective is to prepare you for success in a range of master's-level positions across various professional settings. Our program is about skill building for real-world readiness and ability to thrive in diverse environments.

We achieve these two goals through coursework and the completion of four capstone skill-building projects. The projects focus on talent assessment and validation, employee learning and development, benchmarking organizational practices, and survey design, implementation and analysis. These projects are directly relevant to duties performed as an Industrial and Organizational Psychologist and provide you with a portfolio to demonstrate your expertise in these areas.

The MS program is structured around two innovative components.  First, rather than the typical academic model of semester long courses, each of our courses is five weeks in duration.  You will take only one course at a time so you can concentrate on the course materials and assignments. This innovative approach will allow you to take three 5-week classes within the traditional academic semester.  

Secondly, learning and application of knowledge and skills gained requires a team effort among the faculty and the students in the program.  Therefore, a foundation for our program is the creation of a cohort model where students enter and complete the program together as a learning team.  The cohort model also allows the program directors to coordinate the courses and monitor the progress of the cohort to aid in accelerating learning and development. A new cohort starts the third week of August each year.  For each cohort the time to completion is less than two years (22 months).

In addition, be assured that embedded into every aspect of our program are the values of collaboration, truth, integrity, and diversity. In this program, you can expect an education that goes beyond traditional academic boundaries. We aim to not only equip you with practical skills but also nurture your intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, and creativity. By embracing discovery and staying ahead of industry trends, we will prepare you for the challenges of tomorrow.

Based on the most recent employment and salary survey of the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology, those who recently received their master’s degree had a median salary of $65,000, which increased significantly as they accumulated more work experiences (e.g., $87,500 for those 2-4 years after degree completion, and $99,174 for those 5-9 years after degree completion). Clearly, individuals with a master’s degree in work and organizational psychology have skillsets that are highly desirable in the labor market.

Job titles for recent graduates of those with a master’s degree may include specialist, consultant, and senior consultant. As individuals accumulate experience in this field, they may move into positions with titles such as Human Resources Manager, Director, Vice President in Human Resources, and Senior Vice President in Human Resources.

The program has been approved and is eligible for federal student loans. In addition, private loans and MSU scholarships are available to qualified graduate students. For more information, please see the Office of Financial Aid at MSU.

All students must complete 30 credits with a 3.0 minimum cumulative grade-point average.

Required Courses

All students must complete the following nine courses (18 credits total):

• PSY 806 Consulting Roles and Professional Development  (2 credits)
• PSY 807 Quantitative Analysis I  (2 credits)
• PSY 808 Quantitative Analysis II  (2 credits)
• PSY 816 Current Topics in Work and Organizational Psychology (2 credits)
• PSY 819 Test and Measurement Development  (2 credits)
• PSY 821 Staffing Organizations  (2 credits)
• PSY 822 Performance Management  (2 credits)
• PSY 823 Workplace Learning and Development  (2 credits)
• PSY 824 Employee Attitudes and Engagement  (2 credits)

Required Practicum Experiences

All students must complete four practicum courses (8 credits total)

• PSY 856 Practicum I: Making the Business Case  (2 credits)
• PSY 857 Practicum 2: Applied Skills in Data Analysis and Interpretation  (2 credits)
• PSY 858 Practicum 3: Developing a Training and Onboarding Program  (2 credits)
• PSY 859 Practicum 4: Attitude Survey Development and Analysis  (2 credits)

Special Students complete 2 Special Topics seminars to meet the minimum requirement of 30 credits (4 credits total)

• PSY 830 Special Topics (2 courses – two credits each)

To get a sense of workload and expectations, here are a set of syllabi from a previous year:

• PSY 806: Consulting Roles and Professional Development
• PSY 807: Quantitative Analysis I
• PSY 808: Quantitative Analysis II
• PSY 816: Current Topics in Work and Organizational Psychology
• PSY 819: Test and Measurement Development
• PSY 821: Staffing Organizations
• PSY 856: Practicum 1 - Making the Business Case
• PSY 857: Practicum 2 - Applied Skills in Data Analysis and Interpretation

Meet Dr. Kevin Ford

I am a professor of Psychology at Michigan State University whose major focus is on workplace learning and development and organizational change.  My consulting work includes working with various private and public sectors on training, leadership, strategic planning and organizational development issues.  

As a researcher, I have published over 100 articles and chapters and six books including my recent textbook on “Learning in Organization: An Evidence-Based Approach”.  My contribution to the field has been recognized by my election as Fellow of the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and I recently received the Scientist-Practitioner Award from SIOP.

My BS in psychology is from the University of Maryland and my MA and Ph.D. in psychology is from The Ohio State University.

Learn more about Dr. Ford here.

Meet Dr. Daisy Chang

In my research, I strive to improve employee health, well-being, and safety by enhancing our understanding of the socio-cognitive and motivational processes that influence behaviors in organizational settings. I am particularly interested in identifying psychological processes that not only account for behavioral criteria that have been the traditional focus of industrial and organizational psychology, but also criteria related to occupational health and safety.

Learn more about Dr. Chang here.