Master of Science in Industrial - Organizational Psychology

Northern Kentucky University

Industrial/Organizational (IO) psychology is the behavioral science that applies the principles, methods, and findings of psychology to work settings. Industrial psychology underlies human resources practices such as selection and staffing, training and development, testing and measurement, job analysis and performance evaluation, compensation and reward systems, promotion, transfer, and termination. Organizational psychology focuses on group behavior and addresses broader topics from social psychology and organizational behavior such as leadership, work motivation, organizational change and development, work teams, conflict management, and workplace abuse, work life quality and balance, job attitudes and work design, and organizational climate and culture. The content and methods of IO psychology overlap with career paths in psychological testing and measurement (psychometrics), engineering psychology (human factors), counseling psychology (occupational interests), individual differences psychology (roles of ability, attitudes, emotions, personality, skills, values), scientific survey research and consumer psychology (marketing analysis), occupational health psychology, and organizational data analytics.Graduates with master’s degrees in IO psychology pursue multiple career paths. In human resources management, IO psychology graduates are employed as personnel generalists or specialists in recruiting, selection, and staffing, job analysis, performance appraisal, organizational planning, employee relations, training and development, talent analysis, and compensation and benefits. Other IO graduates pursue careers in human factors and technology design, occupational safety and worker health and well-being, organizational development and consulting, testing and assessment, program evaluation, quality control and assurance, survey design and research, strategic planning and analysis, and marketing analysis/consumer research.

College of Arts and Sciences