UTC I-O Program Description
Overview
Our program at UTC leads to a terminal MS degree in I-O Psychology. Most of our graduates go directly into the job market. However, the program is flexible enough to provide a solid foundation for students seeking an eventual doctoral level education in I-O or a related field. Every year at least a few of our graduates continue their studies at a the doctoral level.
The remainder of our graduates find jobs in several areas. Many enter human resources departments as HR generalists or training/development specialists. Other graduates have become specialists in job analysis, compensation, testing and measurement, organization development, and selection. Still others have used their training in computer technology and statistics to become data analysts and survey research analysts. There are also always a couple students who find non-traditional ways of leveraging their I-O education along with their other unique skills and interests. Whatever your occupational goal may be, we can help you work towards it while gaining a firm footing in the science and practice principles of I-O psychology.
The Details
The MS degree requires you to successfully complete 48 semester hours of graduate-level work. Approximately 90% of our students over the last 10 years have finished the program in two years, beginning in a fall semester. A few students have been allowed to begin their studies in a spring semester and we have arranged their schedules to align their core courses with students beginning in the fall semester.
The program curriculum is composed of the following four components.
1) Eight required core courses. All courses have been designed to conform as closely as possible to the curriculum recommended by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). They cover the following three general content areas: statistics/research methods, industrial psychology, and organizational psychology. The actual required courses are listed in the typical schedule below.
2) 300-450 hours of applied experience. Students receive credit for the hours they spend on internship or working on other forms of approved applied projects. Internships may be with local organizations or organizations in other locations more convenient for students. The first of these applied experiences (for 150 hours) is required during the summer between students' first and second year.
3) Six elective courses. We strive to give students as much flexibility as possible in the choice of electives. They may be taken from courses offered in the Psychology Department, the UTC School of Business, or from other departments on campus. We have recently added several elective offerings taught by the faculty in the I-O program. These offerings have been designed to reflect the changing needs and interests of our students and potential employers and they include:
- Qualitative Methods for Research and Evaluation
- Occupational and Organizational Health: A Psychology Perspective
- Core Skills for I-O Psychologists: Understanding BusinessPractical Business Skills for I-Os
- Compensation and Benefits
4) Comprehensive exam or completion of a thesis. In addition to the 48 hours of coursework, students must either pass comprehensive exams given in the spring semester of the second year or complete a master's level thesis under the guidance of the program faculty.
The Typical Program of Study
A typical program of study, with all required courses listed, is as follows.
Fall of 1st year
- PSY 511 - Research Methods in I/O Psychology
- PSY 506 - Organizational Psychology
- Elective
Spring of 1st Year
- PSY 513 - Advanced Research Techniques
- PSY 516 - Training
- PSY 512 - Job Analysis and Performance Measurement
- Elective
Summer between 1st and 2nd Year
- PSY 536 - Practicum
Fall of 2nd Year
- PSY 520 - Uses of Groups in Work Organizations
- PSY 527 - Selection
- PSY 536 - Practicum
- Elective or thesis course
Spring of 2nd year
- PSY 526 - Organization Development
- Elective or thesis course
- Elective
- Elective
Electives
The placement of electives in the above typical schedule may not apply to all students. Some take two electives in the first fall semester rather than three in the spring of the 2nd year. Others take an elective in the summer. For students choosing to complete a thesis, PSY 599 - Thesis may be used to replace up to two elective courses.
Students often decide to take a portion of their elective coursework outside the department. We strongly encourage this cross-disciplinary study, and many courses from the School of Business, for example, may serve as elective courses in the program.
Comprehensive Exams
All I/O students who do not complete a thesis are required to take comprehensive exams. These are typically given in March of the spring semester of the 2nd year. The exam contains integrative questions requiring the student to bring together material from the core courses. In the past, a question list has been distributed about five weeks prior to the exam. The questions included on the exam are taken from that list. A link to the list used last year is available on the I/O Home page.
Thesis
Students may elect to complete a thesis. The thesis involves an extensive collaboration with a faculty member who serves as the thesis supervisor. The thesis topic is chosen in conjunction with the thesis supervisor, and the topic is developed, data gathered and analyzed, and the thesis is written under the direction of the supervisor. It is not uncommon for theses to be accepted for paper presentations at regional or national conferences.
