Prerequisites for Admission

In addition to successfully completing a baccalaureate degree, the following background is prerequisite to admission to the UTC I-O program:

1. Successful completion of a college-level statistics course and research methods course, preferably within the behavioral and/or social sciences.

Pertinent courses offered by a department of psychology, sociology, mathematics, or business will likely satisfy this prerequisite. Singular courses that combine statistics and methods training will be considered equivalent as long as they cover sufficient depth and breadth of core topics in these areas. Applicants who take more than one undergraduate statistics and methods course will typically be better prepared for success in the UTC I-O program and the broader I-O Psychology field than those who have not successfully mastered the material covered in these courses. It is worth noting that the graduate statistics courses in our program make extensive use of the statistical package SPSS, so some prior knowledge of it will be helpful. However, knowledge of SPSS is not a specific prerequisite for admission to the program.

2. Successful completion of an Introduction to/Survey of I-O psychology course or an equivalent course or combination of courses.

Many colleges and universities offer survey or overview courses about I-O psychology. Equivalent courses may be courses in organizational behavior, human resource management, or personnel psychology. Applicants who are unsure about whether they have met this prerequisite should contact the program coordinator. Please note that meeting this requirement may be temporarily delayed for otherwise strong applicants to the program. If and when such applicants are admitted, they will be required to successfully complete our PSY 5406 - Introduction to I-O Psychology course in their first semester in the program. This course will then count as one of the electives toward the students program of study.

3. Computer literacy, particularly familiarity with Microsoft Office programs Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Applicants must have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs (especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). This knowledge will be required to handle the written work, data analyses, and presentation requirements in all of your courses and internship experiences. Frequent use of these programs during your undergraduate program is likely enough preparation for your use in the I-O program. Applicants should also seek out situations in which Excel and PowerPoint are required so that they will have at least a basic familiarity with their functionality and utility.

4. Successful completion of at least one psychology course.

Although we prefer applicants with at least an undergraduate minor in psychology, applicants do not necessarily have to have a B.A. or B.S. in psychology to be admitted into our program. However, some familiarity with psychological concepts, such as that provided in an introductory psychology course (or equivalent) is required. Applicants who have taken absolutely no psychology courses in their undergraduate careers should contact the graduate program director for advice before applying.