What Is Industrial and Organizational Psychology?
I/O Psychology students study the psychology of the workplace and of workers. They study human behavior in the workplace, exploring how the mental health of employees affects workplace productivity.
They explore how to best match people with jobs. They also learn how to help train employees and measure job performance. They also learn to look at the structure of an organization and how it affects the individual’s psychology, which can lead to changes in the way an organization is run.
Industrial Organizational Psychology can be a certificate program, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree.
Is Industrial Organizational Psychology a Good Major / Degree for Me?
Does psychology interest you? Would you like to apply psychological principles to real world situations? Would you like to work toward improving work environments? Do you like to teach people new things? Do you like to work with people in general? Are you a problem solver? Then you might want to explore I/O Psychology further!
High School Classes Needed for an Industrial and Organizational Psychology Degree in College:
- 4 English Credits
- 3 Math Credits
- 3 Science Credits
- 3 Social Studies Credits
- At Least 2 Foreign Language Credits (Spanish is a good option)
- If your high school offers AP Psychology, take advantage.
Common Industrial Organizational Psychology Courses in College:
- Applied Cross-Cultural I/O Psychology
- Applied Measurement Theory
- Competency Modeling and Criterion Development
- Industrial Psychology
- Organizational Psychology
- Psychological Research Design
- Psychological Research Methods
- Succession Planning and Leadership Development
- Workforce Training and Development
Similar Degree Programs You Might Want to Explore:
- Business Administration / Management: the study of how to plan, organize, and control a company in order to earn a profit
- Communications: an exploration of the many ways people share information
- Human Resources Management: the study of employment-related issues
- Organizational Leadership: a study of management and leadership and how to best manage groups of people
- Organizational Management: a study of how to best manage an organization
- Psychology: the study of the human mind and human behavior
Organizational Industrial Psychology Careers:
Many Organizational Industrial Psychology graduates find work in the human resources departments of organizations and companies of all sizes. Some also go into research. Some go into product design. They may go into management or administration. Some may even go into policy planning.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities in this field are good and are expected to grow over the next several years.
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