Business is one of the fastest-growing areas for the application of professional psychology as organizations increasingly recognize the impact that human factors can have on overall organizational effectiveness. Industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologists and business psychologists apply the principles of both psychology and business to effectively guide organizations and individuals to success.

Sometimes described as part scientist, part consultant, and part teacher, I/O and business psychology professionals provide a range of services. They conduct technical job analyses to identify the specific knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal characteristics necessary for success in particular jobs. They administer psychometric tests to better understand employees’ unique attributes and build optimal workforces. And they design performance appraisal and staff training models and provide coaching to managers and executive leadership, to ensure fairness, maximize motivation, and advance organizational priorities.

I/O and business psychology professionals work at organizations large and small, both nonprofit and for-profit. They work in human resources, organizational development, management, and consulting, creating more positive work climates and fostering individual and organizational success.

Psy.D in Business Psychology

• Offered in Chicago.
• Five years full time. (Offered in a unique and flexible format suitable for busy working professionals. Students meet on campus just four times each semester, while completing additional assignments and projects online throughout the term.)
• The Business Psychology Department has developed partnerships with more than 50 organizations (a number that continues to grow) to assist students in finding their two required placements. As a result, 100% of students secure internships at sites ranging from large international marketing research companies to small boutique consulting firms and nonprofit social service agencies.
• Students benefit from an innovative and uniquely supportive dissertation model, ensuring students reach key milestones in a timely fashion. Students take three courses (spread over three semesters and entirely one-on-one with their faculty supervisors) during which they complete a dissertation proposal, dissertation draft, and then the final dissertation and oral defense.
• Curriculum integrates industrial and organizational psychology, clinical psychology, and business courses, preparing graduates to assume high-level responsibilities in the professional world and help organizations and individuals solve problems and perform more effectively in today’s global, multicultural business environment.
• Students benefit from exceptional theoretical classroom training coupled with a broad range of real-world learning opportunities, including two supervised internships and an applied dissertation.
• Students gain advanced knowledge of theory and application to prepare them for practice in rightsizings, mergers and acquisitions, strategic repositioning, project management, change consultation, and executive succession planning.

M.A. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology

• Offered in Chicago and Los Angeles
  
• Two years full time or three years part time (Los Angeles program is offered in a flexible format that is convenient for working professionals)
• The I/O and Business Psychology department has developed partnerships with more than 50 organizations (a number that continues to grow) to assist students in finding their two required placements.  As a result, 100% of students secure internships at sites ranging from large international marketing research companies to small boutique consulting firms and nonprofit social service agencies.
• Students benefit from exceptional theoretical classroom training coupled with a broad range of real-world learning opportunities, including two supervised internships.
• Students gain a foundation in research and statistical methods, enabling them to approach problems critically in an applied setting, develop and implement surveys, design interventions, and create selection and performance management systems.
• Through a unique educational alliance with Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, Chicago Campus graduates may also earn an M.B.A. in an accelerated time frame.

M.A. in Applied Industrial & Organizational Psychology

• Offered Online
• Complete in as little as 20 months (offered in a flexible format convenient for working professionals)
• Designed for students working in fields such as human resources, training and development, consulting, professional administration, or marketing, who wish to advance their current careers by learning strategies for improving individual and group performance.
• Students learn techniques for improving personnel selection and development processes, assessing organizational weaknesses and designing appropriate interventions, resolving conflict, and understanding cross-cultural intelligence.

Certificate in Applied Industrial & Organizational Psychology

• Offered online
• Completed in as little as five months. (Offered in a flexible format convenient for working professionals)
• Appropriate for professionals working in virtually any field, who wish to gain practical knowledge about industrial and organizational psychology and learn to apply that knowledge to their current professional challenges.
• Students may apply their certificate credits toward earning a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology.