Several universities in the US offer a degree in Organizational Psychology. For instance, Harvard, MIT, UCLA, Stanford, Yale, University of Houston, University of Texas Austin, and George Mason University offer an Organizational Psychology degree at various levels. For example, Harvard University, George Mason University, and the University of Texas Austin all offer a master’s degree in this subject. Whereas, UCLA, Stanford University, and the University of Houston offer a Ph.D. degree in this field.
What Can You Do with an Organizational Psychology Degree?
A degree in Organizational Psychology opens doors to various careers. However, your career will depend on the level of education you complete. According to the data reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, if you obtain a bachelor’s degree, you may get an entry level job at a company as a Training and Development Specialist. On the other hand, to have an advanced career as an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist or as a Postsecondary Teacher of Psychology, you must earn a master’s or a doctoral degree.
What Is Organizational Psychology?
Organizational psychology is also known as Industrial Psychology. It is a branch of psychology that uses psychological theories and principles and applies them to organizations. Commonly it is referred to as I-O Psychology. This particular branch studies workplace productivity and focuses on enhancing the productivity of individuals and organizations as a whole.
What Can You Do with an Organizational Psychology Program?
As mentioned earlier, with the right amount of education, you can get various jobs that pay well. The salary data of the following careers was reported by the BLS in 2019.
Psychologists- Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
To work in this field, you must complete at least a master’s degree. These psychologists usually work for organizations and industries. They use the principles of psychology to solve human resource management and administration problems. In addition to that, they may have to analyze organizational development and improve the productivity of employees.
| Annual Median Salary, 2019 | $92,880 | |
| Job Outlook, 2018-2028 | 14% (Psychologists) | |
| Annual Mean Salary, 2019 | $111,150 | |
| State with the Highest Employment Level, 2019 | Virginia | 90 |
| State with the Highest Salary, 2019 | California | $145,410 |
Postsecondary Teachers – Postsecondary Psychology Teachers
A Postsecondary Psychology teacher must earn a doctoral degree to work in this field. Postsecondary Organizational Psychology teachers usually teach courses and carry out research in this field. They may collaborate with people from different disciplines to investigate untouched areas of Organizational Psychology.
| Annual Median Salary, 2019 | $76,620 | |
| Job Outlook, 2018-2028 | 11% (Postsecondary Teachers) | |
| Annual Mean Salary, 2019 | $87,530 | |
| State with the Highest Employment Level, 2019 | California | 4,980 |
| State with the Highest Salary, 2019 | California | $116,330 |
Training and Development Specialists
You may get started in this career with only a bachelor’s degree. Training and Development Specialists are supposed to design and carry out programs related to the training and development of employees. Their job requires them to devise ways to improve performance at the individual and organizational levels.
| Annual Median Salary, 2019 | $61,210 | |
| Job Outlook, 2018-2028 | 9% | |
| Annual Mean Salary, 2019 | $65,640 | |
| State with the Highest Employment Level, 2019 | California | 29,600 |
| State with the Highest Salary, 2019 | District of Columbia | $80,570 |
What to Expect from an Organizational Psychology Program?
Let’s take a look at the curriculum of the Ph.D. degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology offered by the University of Houston which includes courses like,
- Foundations of Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- Foundations of Social Psychology
- Experimental Design
- Cognitive Neuroscience and so on.
For details on the curriculum of a particular degree or university, kindly visit their official website.
How to Choose an Organizational Psychology Program?
It is important that you do your research and check out the following features of your chosen program and university before deciding on enrollment.
- The ranking of the institution
- The accreditation of the desired program
- The capability of the faculty
- The compatibility of the curriculum with your chosen career path
- The duration of program completion
- The requirements of admission and graduation etc.
Organizational Psychology Program Admission Requirements
Each department or college sets its own requirements for admission to a particular degree level. For example, if you want to apply for the Ph.D. degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of Houston, you need to submit;
- An online application with a complete set of the following documents,
- Official transcripts of previous degrees
- Official GRE test scores
- 3 letters of recommendation
- A career statement
For further details, please check out the official website of your selected institution.