I-O Program Description
Overview
The UTC I-O program leads to a comprehensive and balanced terminal MSIO degree in the science and practice of I-O Psychology. Most of our graduates go directly into practice-oriented jobs. However, our program also provides a solid foundation for students seeking an eventual doctoral level education in I-O or a related field. Apart from the few graduates every year who pursue further training at a doctoral level, our graduates pursue a variety of careers. Many enter human resources (HR) departments as HR generalists or training/development specialists. Other graduates become specialists in job analysis, compensation, testing and measurement, organization development/effectiveness, and selection. Still others have used their training in computer technology and statistics to launch careers in data analytics and applied research contexts. 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 UTC I-O curriculum is comprehensive and current. As a STEM-designated graduate program in I-O psychology, we focus heavily on using behavioral and social science theory, methods, and findings to improve the way work is done. A degree from the UTC I-O psychology program is evidence that you know how to guide the scientific management of organizations and their talent.
We regularly update and refresh our course offerings to ensure the strongest possible emphasis on all of the core competencies for graduate education outlined by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP, 2016). Specifically, the UTC I-O curriculum is designed to address the core SIOP competencies by emphasizing the following four domains that we have found to be essential for success as a MSIO professional (the numbered competencies in the following list are from the SIOP guidelines):
- Psychology of work
2. Fields of Psychology
3. History and Systems of Psychology
11. Human Performance
20. Organization Theory
24. Work Motivation- Professional practice
1. Ethical, Legal, Diversity, and International Issues
4. Professional Skills
5. Research Methods
6. Statistical Methods/Data Analysis
9. Criterion Theory and Development- Talent management
7. Attitude Theory, Measurement, and Change
8. Career Development
12. Individual Assessment
13. Individual Differences
14. Job Evaluation and Compensation
15. Job/Task/Work Analysis, Competency Modeling
16. Judgment and Decision-Making
21. Performance Appraisal/Management
22. Personnel Recruitment, Selection, and Placement
23. Training- Work design
10. Groups and Teams
17. Leadership and Management
18. Occupational Health and Safety
19. Organization Development
25. Consumer Behavior
26. Human Factors
The UTC I-O program curriculum is delivered in combination with a variety of additional learning experiences that together provide our students with an incredible competency development experience. Check out these various elements in the following summary table:
- Competency-focused core courses
Our required core courses have been designed to conform to SIOP's competency-based graduate education guidelines. These courses address multiple core content areas, as outlined in the current Graduate Catalog.
- At least 300 hours of applied experience
Students receive course credit for the 300 hours of required time they spend on practicum or working on special approved applied projects. This applied experience may be gained by working with local organizations or organizations in other locations more convenient for students. All students are required to enroll in and complete the first of these applied experiences (for at least 150 hours and 3 credit hours) during the summer between the first and second year. Tuition and fees apply, as per the university Bursar's fee schedule. The second half of these hours can be earned with the same organization or a different organization, typically sometime in the second year of the program.
- Targeted elective courses
We strive to give students as much flexibility as possible in choosing their electives. They may be taken from courses offered in the Psychology Department, the UTC School of Business, or from other departments on campus when relevant. The placement of electives in students' schedules may vary. Some choose to take their electives at different times, based on what is offered and/or on what the student's schedule will allow in a given semester. As an example, for students choosing to complete a thesis, the PSY 5999 - Thesis course will be used to fill two elective slots. Students often decide to take a portion of their elective coursework outside the department. We strongly encourage this cross-disciplinary study, and we try to advise students to the highest quality course offerings within other departments on campus when these interests arise.
- Real consulting opportunities
UTC I-O faculty and community partners regularly bring real-world consulting and evaluation projects into our learning domain either as applied class projects or separate consulting engagements that are met with faculty and student teams.
- Comprehensive exam or thesis
In addition to completing a minimum of 45 hours of coursework, students must either pass a comprehensive exam (spring semester of the final year) or complete a master's level thesis under the guidance of I-O program faculty (by the spring semester of the final year).
- The comprehensive exam consists of several integrative questions requiring the student to bring together material from the core courses. In the past, to facilitate in-depth study and preparation, a list of potential exam questions has been distributed about five weeks prior to the exam.
- We strongly encourage students considering additional training at the doctoral level to opt for the thesis instead of the comprehensive exam. Thesis topics are chosen in conjunction with the thesis supervisor, who then supervises the topic and research plan development, data gathering and analysis, and final write-up and reporting of findings. A committee of additional faculty members is also involved in evaluating the quality of the proposed and completed project. It is common for theses to be accepted for paper/poster presentations at regional, national, or international conferences. Many student-faculty thesis research teams have also successfully published work associated with these thesis projects. If you are interested in seeing what recent students and faculty have been doing as thesis research, check out the following collection of UTC I-O thesis manuscripts archived and available through the UTC Scholar system.
- Student-focused professional development
Our student-led and faculty supported professional development Chattanooga I-O Psychology (CHAIOP) group provides students with multiple personal and social development opportunities each semester. These include panel discussions with alumni and other working professionals, as well as special workshops, service opportunities, and "business spotlight" events that connect our students with regional employers.
- Meaningful mentoring
In addition to a truly comprehensive I-O curriculum, we know that competence as an I-O professionals requires experiences that come from outside of the classroom. To help our students succeed, we have a peer-to-peer mentoring program that matches all incoming students with a second-year student. We also have an excellent alumni mentoring program to pair interested second-year students with program alumni who have been working for at least three years. These alumni are truly excellent I-O professionals and their continued engagement with the program is a testament to this program's value and culture.
More than 99% of UTC I-O students within the last 10 years have finished the program in two years. We are able to offer a more flexible degree completion plan (typically spread over a three-year period) for students who need to attend part-time. Details about this degree progression are determined on a case-by-case basis; speak with the Graduate Program Director if you have questions about how this might work for you and your situation. In general, we do our best to accommodate life schedules by offering most core courses from 5:30 - 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday, and electives typically one or two days per week in the afternoons. We have a strong presence in the Chattanooga region, and most local employers of our students and graduates have been willing to accommodate these class schedules with flexible work hours as needed. Full details about our current UTC I-O courses and program of study can be found in our university's current Graduate Catalog.
Program History
In 1973, the UTC Chancellor asked the Department of Psychology to conduct a study to determine whether advanced degrees should be offered by the university. Upon completion of the study, a proposal was made to the university for a master of science degree program. With the approval of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the UTC I-O terminal master's degree program was initiated as one of four graduate offerings at UTC (three of which continue to this day, along with many new offerings over recent decades).
The I-O program initially served as a vehicle for individuals already employed in what were then called “personnel" departments, to further their educations and to compete for increased salaries by having an advanced degree. The program maintained that focus through the 1980s and into the early 1990s. This focus was particularly evident in the offering of the program to both on-campus students and to managers at companies in neighboring Cleveland, TN beginning in 1985. For the next several years, there were two parallel I-O degree tracks – one for students attending on campus at UTC and the other for students attending off-campus in Cleveland. To accommodate working students, all required courses and virtually all elective courses in the program were initially offered in the evening. This tradition of offering core courses in the evenings has continued. The off-campus track was continued through the 1991-1992 academic year, but discontinued around 1993 when the majority of new students in each cohort were full-time.
The I-O program began with just one full-time faculty member's support: Dr. Lynn Ourth. The remaining courses were taught by adjunct faculty. In 1982-1983, a second I-O faculty member was added. Soon after that, Dr. Mike Biderman began teaching half-time in the I-O program after taking courses in I-O and research methods appropriate for I-O at The University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In 1992, a fourth faculty member was added. And in 1996, another faculty member was added to the I-O program while at the same time, Dr. Ourth’s teaching responsibilities were moved to other courses within the department.
In the 1970s and 1980s admission to the I-O program required just an interest in the discipline and a bachelor’s degree. Around 1990 it was decided to require that prospective students have taken the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). A formula based on a combination of Undergraduate GPA and GRE scores was created and began to be used in the early 1990s. Soon after that the department began publication the formula used for admissions in our recruiting information. In the early 2000s a web page was developed to inform prospective students of features of the program. In Summer 2022, the UTC I-O psychology program was reclassified as a MSIO degree program and designated as a STEM field of study at UTC. This reclassification highlights the strong scientific core to our curriculum and has enabled our I-O program to become its own degree program at UTC (versus continuing as a concentration within a broader MS degree in psychology). In addition, because this designation is based on decisions made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, international graduates of this program are able to work in the U.S. for up to three years post-graduation without a H1-B visa (compared to a one-year work option for graduates of non-STEM master's programs). This additional time makes it possible for international students to gain additional valuable work experience and potentially take strides toward citizenship.
From its inception, the selectivity and reputation of the UTC I-O program has grown and remained strong, building on the strong foundation highlighted above. If you are a prospective student, we hope you will seriously consider becoming a part of our "UTC I-O Nation."