Industrial Organizational Psychology - University of Tulsa

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Department of Psychology

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Graduate Programs

Industrial-organizational psychology focuses on mastering key knowledge and skills needed to help organizations succeed, and the doctoral program expands those skills, targeting creation and dissemination of new knowledge in the field of I-O psychology through scientific research. The program is designed for those seeking to develop the applied skills necessary for basic consulting projects in business and government. Graduates of our master’s program typically find jobs involving analysis of jobs and people as a basis for improving the fit between them.

We emphasize that the best foundation for good practice is good science. Our curriculum offers a balance of I-O content, methods and applications in a culture stressing professionalism, respect for individual differences and the importance of evidence-based practice. Our students learn to think critically and to communicate clearly in solving real-world problems in work settings.

Courses are offered in a broad array, including but not limited to job analysis, employee selection, training, leadership, work motivation, organizational development and a variety of methods topics, such as psychological measurement and statistics.

Application deadline: Jan. 15

  • Program Learning Outcomes

    Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology

    1. Describe and apply theory and related methods suited to helping organizations solve people-related problems.

    2. Describe and evaluate the aims, practices, and strategies of organizations, workgroups, and individual workers to achieve fit.

    3. Identify, describe, and execute methods suited to testing the qualities of specific HR-related practices and interventions serving organizational aims through research design, assessment, and statistical methods.

    4. Communicate with technical proficiency in terms understandable by lay professionals.

    5. Describe, explain, and engage the standards of academic, research, and business professionalism.

    Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial-Organizational Psychology

    1. Describe, apply, and integrate theory and related methods suited to helping organizations solve people-related problems.

    2. Describe and evaluate the aims, practices, and strategies of organizations, workgroups, and individual workers to achieve fit.

    3. Identify, describe, and execute methods suited to testing the qualities of specific HR-related practices and interventions serving organizational aims through research design, assessment, and advanced statistical methods.

    4. Communicate with technical proficiency in terms understandable by lay professionals.

    5. Describe, explain, and engage the standards of academic, research, and business professionalism.

    6. Design and execute research studies independently, addressing questions relevant to organizational interventions involving people.

  • Degree Options

    Industrial-Organizational Psychology, M.A.

    Suitable for those seeking to develop the applied skills necessary for basic consulting projects in business and government.

    Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Ph.D.

    For those seeking deeper understanding of the principles and methods of fitting people and jobs; follows the scientist-practitioner model of psychological training, incorporating a synergy of theory, research and practice.

  • Application Checklist

     I-O Psychology Graduate Program Handbook

    1. A completed Graduate School application: Including payment of the $60 application fee.
    2. Statement of Purpose: A 500- to 1,000-word explanation for why you are seeking a degree in I-O psychology and any relevant research experience (especially for doctoral applicants). We do not need to hear your whole life story, but it is a good opportunity to explain any anomalies on your transcript or GRE record. Your statement can be uploaded online after you submit your application.
    3. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can comment on your academic potential: At least two should be from professors who know you well. Letters from family friends and work supervisors are given less weight. The online application system allows you to have requests for these sent to your letter writers electronically after you submit your application.
    4. Official or unofficial transcripts from all universities attended: Unofficial versions* can be uploaded to the online system after you submit your application.
    5. GRE General Test scores: (Verbal, Quantitative, Analytic; we do not require the subject test). Our program focuses mostly on percentiles, which are included in your GRE report. Unofficial versions* can be uploaded to the online system after you submit your application.
    6. Curriculum Vitae/Resume: Required if you want to be considered for any graduate assistantship funding. Your resume/vita can be uploaded online after you submit your application.
    7. TOEFL/IELTS Scores: Required of all international applicants who have not previously earned a college degree from a U.S. institution. Unofficial versions* can be uploaded to the online system after you submit your application.

    *The Graduate School carefully screens all documents and reserves the right to request official versions for any reason as a condition of admittance.

  • I-O Faculty Research Labs

    Teams, Attitudes & Climates Lab (TACL)

    Recent work conducted by the Teams, Attitudes & Climates Lab (TACL) includes various projects. Dr. Anupama Narayan and members of the TACL lab organized a climate assessment with a nonprofit organization in Tulsa to assess the reward and recognition climate, employee effectiveness, attitudes and organizational citizenship behavior. In order to develop a diversity program that stresses both the instrumental and terminal values of diversity, Narayan and members of the TACL lab have partnered with a local university. With the same organization, the TACL lab conducted a training needs analysis for a global community staff development project.

    Meet the director of TACL, Anupama Narayan.

    TAPS (Training, Attitudes and Personality Studies) Lab

    Recent work conducted by the Training, Attitudes and Personality Studies (TAPS) Lab includes projects on the topics of coaching, behavioral cyber security, weekend recovery, measures of demographic categories and personality-based team training.

    Meet the director of TAPS, Bradley Brummel.

    Tett Lab

    Recent work conducted by the Tett Lab includes various projects focusing on personality in the workplace. Current projects include (1) a personality-workplace outcome meta-analysis focusing on the importance of confirmatory versus exploratory designs; (2) a second-order aggregation of meta-analyses conducted in I-O, focusing on sources of cross-study variance in predictor-outcome linkages; and (3) a study of personality correlates of goal setting preferences and goals.

    Meet the director of the Tett Lab, Dr. Robert P. Tett.