Program Description
The Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology program focuses on the application of psychological principles to organizations and emphasizes the major areas of selection and training of employees, applied theories of organizational behavior including models of motivation, job satisfaction, and productivity; test theory and construction; assessment center technology; statistics and experimental design and a variety of current topics. Industrial and Organizational Psychology graduates are involved in many issues of critical importance to society including fairness in the selection and treatment of employees, the creation of work environments that maximize the satisfaction and productivity of employees, and the study of technological influences on human performance.
Curriculum
The MS degree program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology is a four-semester program for full-time students. Both thesis and nonthesis options are offered and both consist of a minimum of 38 semester hours of work.
The MS degree is conferred when students have fulfilled the requirements of either the thesis or nonthesis option. No graduate credit will be given for any grade lower than a B- (2.75), but the grade will be counted toward the GPA. Courses may be retaken to achieve a better grade; however, the unsatisfactory grade will remain on the transcript since there is no grade forgiveness at the graduate level. In order to stay in good academic standing, students must maintain a minimum Graduate Status GPA of 3.0 in all coursework taken since entering graduate status and a 3.0 in their program of study.
Total Credit Hours Required: 38 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor’s Degree
Required Courses: 26 Credit Hours
- INP 6005 - Overview of Research in Industrial and Organizational Psychology 3 Credit Hours
- INP 6058 - Job Analysis and Performance Appraisal 3 Credit Hours
- INP 6080 - Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Industrial and Organizational Psychology 3 Credit Hours
- INP 6317 - Work Motivation and Job Attitudes 3 Credit Hours
- INP 6318 - Recruitment, Placement and Selection 3 Credit Hours
- PSY 6216C - Research Methodology 4 Credit Hours
- PSY 6308C - Psychological Testing 4 Credit Hours
- INP 6072 - Survey Research Methods and Program Evaluation in Indust. and Org. Psychology 3 Credit Hours
Electives: Take two of the following (6 Credit Hours)
- INP 6215 - Assessment Centers and Leadership 3 Credit Hours
- INP 6605 - Training and Team Performance 3 Credit Hours
- SOP 5059 - Advanced Social Psychology 3 Credit Hours
Thesis Option: 6 Credit Hours
Nonthesis Option: 6 Credit Hours
Restricted Electives: 6 Credit Hours
Students will consult with their adviser to choose two of the three courses from the following list.
- INP 6933 - Seminar in Industrial and Organizational Psychology 3 Credit Hours
- INP 6945C - Industrial Psychology Practicum 3 Credit Hours
- INP 6091 - Industrial and Organizational Psychology Consulting Practice 3 Credit Hours
Professional Requirement
Students electing the nonthesis option are required to produce a professional LinkedIn profile to showcase both their research and applied project work. A minimum of 3 applied projects must be included and can be generated from work completed in the Practicum, Consulting Practice, Seminar, or other applied practice classes (e.g., Assessment Centers and Leadership). Students are expected to document work from settings in private industry, federal, state, or local government, educational institutions, or consulting firms. The LinkedIn profile will be evaluated jointly by the faculty adviser and the program director.
Independent Learning
Students electing the non-thesis option are required to materially participate in the conduct of applied research. Students have 2 options: (1) participate in UCF Performance Solutions projects or (2) work one-on-one or in a group with a faculty member on a research project.
The first option is to participate in applied research and consulting activities through UCF Performance Solutions (http://psychology.cos.ucf.edu/performancesolutions/), under the supervision of the faculty member leading the project(s) and/or the director of Performance Solutions. Students will be expected to contribute meaningfully to their work on infrastructure teams and their work on paid projects, if applicable. Example activities students may perform include conducting literature reviews, writing white papers, data collection and analysis, preparing proposals for prospective clients, presenting results, and assisting with marketing and business development activities for Performance Solutions. The aim of these activities is to facilitate development of the top 10 competencies for “individual contributor” suggested by Zelin et al. (2015) and published by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Division 14 of the American Psychological Association) important for the application of research to the practice of I/O psychology. Students must comply with the progress system determined by the director of Performance Solutions, which may include self-reported progress towards individual and team goals using work diaries. These and other tracking methods the director requests, such as faculty evaluations for paid projects, must be submitted to the director of Performance Solutions before finals week. Students will receive feedback on their progress from the director of Performance Solutions at the end of each semester. Only students who have been determined to make meaningful contributions to their infrastructure teams and paid client projects will pass the research requirement.
Students who elect to work one-on-one or in a group under the supervision of a faculty adviser will conduct library research, collect and analyze data, and prepare of a research report of sufficient quality to submit for publication or presentation at a professional conference. Students must provide their manuscript and documentation of submission to a journal, conference, or book editor via Webcourses@UCF. Students must also receive approval of the work from their adviser and the Program Director.
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended
- Official, competitive GRE score taken within the last five years
- A bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology or allied area, or a baccalaureate degree with the completion of undergraduate courses in statistics and research methods, and preference of four additional upper-division psychology courses (12 credit hours)
- Résumé
- A 1-2 page Goal Statement that includes the applicant’s reasons for choosing I/O as a career, reasons for choosing this UCF program specifically, and any relevant knowledge, skills, abilities and other experiences the applicant has that might make him/her a good I/O student, practitioner, and/or researcher
- Three letters of recommendation, preferably with at least two furnished by college or university professors who are acquainted with the applicant
Meeting minimum UCF admission criteria does not guarantee program admission. Final admission is based on evaluation of the applicant’s abilities, past performance, recommendations, match of this program and faculty expertise to the applicant’s career/academic goals, and the applicant’s potential for completing the degree.
Acceptance decisions are made only in the spring semester for admission in the fall of each year.
Application Deadlines
| Industrial and Organizational Psychology MS | *Fall Priority | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| Domestic Applicants | Jan 15 | Feb 1 |
| International Applicants | Jan 15 | Jan 15 |
| *Applicants who plan to enroll full time in a degree program and who wish to be considered for university fellowships or assistantships should apply by the Fall Priority date. |
Financials
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowships
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student’s graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
