Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Degree Overview

This Master of Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology (MAIOP) degree program studies the behavior of individuals in businesses and organizations to determine how to improve performance and productivity for that organization. Learn how to use research and measurement skills to solve practical workplace issues and to apply the principles of psychology to human resources and leadership challenges within an organization. This degree is practitioner-oriented, providing practical knowledge and skills focusing on research and consulting.

Through this program you will learn how to:

• Recruit, select, and retain high quality employees.
• Identify training and development needs.
• Create, implement, and manage employee and leadership development programs.
• Address complex issues such as workplace diversity and anti-discrimination policies.
• Design and manage employee opinion and job satisfaction surveys.
• Analyze the effectiveness of workplace programs.
• Assess employee performance.
• Research and improve the quality of work environments.

The Master of Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology is considered a terminal degree in this field.

Download the MAIOP brochure (PDF) for program highlights.

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Industrial/Organizational Psychology - A Quick Introduction (:44)

Find out more about our online Master of Applied Industrial/Organizational Psychology degree that will prepare you for a career field with growing opportunities. [Transcript]

Requirements and Curriculum

This program requires completion of 38 credit hours in courses covering topics including organizational psychology, measurement theory, succession planning, and competency modeling. It has a strong quantitative emphasis with two statistics, one research design, and one measurement course. Learn more about degree requirements and curriculum »

Faculty

In this MAIOP program, you learn from internationally-recognized industrial/organizational psychology faculty who have, on average, 15 years of teaching and consulting experience in the field. Learn more about the faculty »

Career Opportunities

With the well-rounded skill set acquired through this MAIOP program and the strong job market in this field, you have many career options available. Learn more about career opportunities »

Admission and Application

At a minimum, admission to this degree program requires a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited institution, a 3.0 GPA on all undergraduate course work (including a course in I/O psychology or HR/organizational behavior, and a statistics course) and GRE test scores. Learn complete admission and application requirements »

Learning Experience

The MAIOP program is structured around an active learning model with real and embedded simulations to provide critical core industrial/organizational psychology knowledge and skills development.

You and your fellow students are grouped into virtual consulting teams and, with the support of course facilitators, complete a series of projects each semester. For example, your team may design a leadership development program or conduct an organizational diagnosis. The applied projects, assignments, and courses are uniquely designed to prepare you for a career in industrial/organizational psychology.

Although the online format of this degree offers flexibility, it still requires the same amount of work and time as an on-campus program. Depending on your learning and studying style, expect to spend at least nine to twelve hours per week on a three credit course. More information about online learning »

Degree Benefits

This applied master's degree, offered through the Department of Psychology in the College of Natural Sciences, is one of only a handful of online MAIOP programs. In addition to gaining a regionally accredited Colorado State University degree, you will:

• Network with other professionals in your industry.
• Learn in a supportive environment with a 10:1 ratio of students to instructors.
• Obtain research experience in consultation with Industrial/Organizational Psychology faculty.
• Have access to numerous University resources, including email, advising, and library services.
• Have the option to participate in the on-campus graduation ceremony or view a live, online streaming video of graduation ceremonies.