The Chicago School offers the nation's first and only Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) graduate program in Business Psychology.
The business world is one of today's most exciting and rapidly growing arenas for the application of professional psychology. Business leaders are increasingly turning to psychologists to help organizations and individuals perform more effectively, solve problems, and grow professionally in today's global, multicultural work environment.
This pioneering Doctor of Psychology degree — focused on training consultants — is particularly relevant for today's business challenges and provides a dynamic alternative to the Doctor of Philosophy degree focused on research.
Graduates of The Chicago School's Business Psy.D. program work in human resources, consulting, organizational development, and management positions. Graduates also are qualified to provide individual assessment and professional coaching.
Program Highlights
- Program offers research and analysis opportunities through advanced coursework and the dissertation
- Comprehensive exam and dissertation process are conducted through small group seminars in order to provide our students with the highest level of support and structure
- Faculty are practitioners in the field
- Classes held in the evening
- Allows students to not only learn how to design and implement assessment centers and 360-degree feedback tools, but also to benefit professionally by participating in these practices to identify strengths and areas of development
- Emphasis on practitioner-focused learning in real-world settings
- Excellent theoretical classroom training coupled with unrivaled out-of-classroom learning opportunities in a dynamic urban environment
- High value placed on the ability to work with and understand diverse and often underserved populations; successful students demonstrate an appreciation for and competency in diversity and multicultural psychology
Program Objectives
- Students will gain a foundation in Industrial/Organizational theory and research, allowing them to take the lead in personnel selection, organizational assessment, development, and interventions.
- Students will gain a mastery in research and statistical methods, enabling them to approach problems critically in an applied setting and draw upon research methodologies in designing interventions.
- Students will gain the ability to develop and implement surveys, selection systems, and performance management systems.
- Students will learn the personal and interpersonal skills necessary for the business environment, such as effective communication, conflict negotiation, training and development, strategies, networking skills, business savvy, and cross-cultural awareness.
Program Requirements/Expectations
The Business Psychology doctorate requires 97 credit hours of coursework. Intensive coursework balances theory, practice, and two supervised internships. The program’s last three years require part-time class work to allow students the opportunity to work full time. A comprehensive examination (based on the assessment center model of evaluation) and applied dissertation are also required.
Qualifications to Apply
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Generally, an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required.
- A minimum of 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours of course work in psychology is required, including courses in statistics or quantitative psychology and research methods or experimental psychology.
- GRE General Test is required—scores should be sent directly to The Chicago School (School GRE Code: 1119).
Additional Application Requirements for International Students
If English is not your primary language, you must submit official scores from TOEFL (www.toefl.org) (School Code: 7161) or from IELTS (www.ielts.org) with your application. If you attend or have attended a university that is not in the United States, you must submit a “course-by-course” evaluation of your transcripts. You can arrange for an evaluation through several organizations: World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc. Students must have a U.S. equivalent bachelor's degree. You also must submit to The Chicago School all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts in addition to the agency evaluation. Visit the Office of International Student Services website for more information about additional requirements once you have been admitted.
International students must have a completed application by the general consideration deadline. This will allow sufficient time to obtain the additional documentation required to study in the United States. Upon acceptance, international students must supply documentation of financial support showing the ability to finance their education. An I-20 visa will not be issued without this documentation.
For more information about the Business Psychology doctoral program contact:
Office of Admission
Phone: 312.329.6666
Toll Free: 800.721.8072, ext. 6666
Email: admissions@thechicagoschool.edu
Additional Program Information
Applied Behavior Analysis
Clinical Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Industrial Organizational and Business Psychology
School Psychology
Continuing Professional Development
