Industrial/Organizational Psychology Master’s Program

Overview

The University of Detroit Mercy offers a Master’s of Arts program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology that prepares students to perform quality professional human resources services and consultation in a variety of work settings. The program provides career advancement opportunities for human resource professionals in private and public sector organizations. In addition, it offers course work for those in entry-level positions or those embarking upon human resource careers. As a “terminal masters” degree program, this highly specialized and competitive educational experience in Industrial/Organizational Psychology is distinct from business education and from doctoral training in I/O Psychology. Graduates are typically employed as external or internal consultants. A small number of graduates continue their education in I/O doctoral programs.

The Psychology Department faculty is dedicated to implementing an Applied Industrial/ Organizational Psychology program that focuses intensively on psychological theories, principles, research, and their application to human behavior in the workplace. The curriculum covers:

• Leadership and organizational development
• Multicultural, race, nationality, and gender issues in the workplace
• Employee selection and placement
• Training and development
• Job design
• Employee satisfaction and motivation
• Statistics and research
• Human resource assessment and testing
• Performance evaluation
• Workplace ethics

The program includes a comprehensive examination and a 250-hour internship experience. The internship consists of supervised practice of Industrial/Organizational Psychology in a private and/or public-sector organization. A unique feature of the UDM program is the two-semester Capstone Course that accompanies the internship experience and provides the integration of theory and practice. Students network and receive professional support from additional faculty, colleagues and student peers, while obtaining direct, supervised mentoring in the field.

Tailored to the working student, the applied Industrial/Organizational program offers evening and optional weekend classes. Full-time students can complete the program in a year and a half, (4 classes in fall term, 4 classes in winter term and 2 classes in summer term during the first year and the internship, capstone experience and one course during the final two semesters of the second year). Part-time students can complete the program in two and half years, including summer terms.

Related Links

Master's Degree Program Components
Admissions Requirements
Faculty
FAQs
Online Application

Graduate Student Handbook (pdf)

Student Perspectives

“The courses, internship, and thesis option offered by this program have been most beneficial to all professional goals in my life. UDM has an outstanding program for those with career aspirations in human resources (HR), consulting, academia or practicing psychology. Within two months of graduation, I started working in HR consulting at AON Consulting. Then, I moved into a very challenging and rewarding HR career with Flint Ink Corporation as a Senior Human Resources Representative. I have been with Flint Ink for the past six years. Just this past year, in addition to my full time job, I joined the faculty at UDM as an adjunct instructor for this program. Opportunities with this master’s degree are unique and endless!
-Janette Jelinek ‘96

“The curriculum and teaching were excellent. The program challenged me to think ‘outside the box,’ which has proved invaluable in the work force. But the most notable characteristic of the program is the personalized attention. I know that I can still contact any of my professors for questions and advice. I always feel welcome.”
-Rula Satar ‘00

“I found UDM’s I/O program to be an excellent graduate program that truly met my needs. At the time I went through the program, I was finishing my career with the Detroit Police Department. My goal was to be an I/O consultant for law enforcement. My professors helped me focus many of my classroom assignments on law enforcement-related projects. I was able to apply what I learned on the job the next day. I have since retired from law enforcement and am now employed as an external consultant. I have recently designed three computer-based training programs. UDM’s program blended theory and practical skills beautifully and I would highly recommend the program to those interested in a master’s degree in I/O Psychology.”
-Brenda MacDonald ‘99