Master's in Industrial and Organizational Psychology

JumpStart

Second-year graduate students (Amy Ha, Calla Zane, Rachel Hopp) and faculty member (Dr. Yera Jeong) from the Industrial Organizational Psychology Master’s program at Radford University had the amazing opportunity as a panelist to speak with undergraduate students about the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. This event was sponsored by the Center for Career and Talent Development at Radford University. The panel discussion was titled “Using a Diverse Lens to Evaluate Company Culture”.

Note: We will begin accepting applications for our graduate program in October, 2023 for Fall 2023 admission.

Completed applications will be due Febuary 15, 2023

 

For an overview of our program and a brief discussion of what we look for in our applicants please check out our program video here

Brief videos highlighting our alumni and their experiences are linked on the bottom of this page or under alumni experiences

Our Program

Mission

The Radford I/O Psychology program trains our graduate students to attain employment in a variety of internal and external consulting roles across the country. Graduates readily attain positions as consultants, directors, managers, human resource specialists, human resource generalists, test developers, risk analysts, trainers, and organization development specialists, often progressing to upper management and executive levels. I/O Psychology is the application of basic psychological principles to the workplace. It improves both the effectiveness of organizations and the quality of work life of employees. 

Radford University’s Industrial Organizational Psychology Program offers a two-year terminal master’s degree using a “practitioner-scholar model” that prepares students for a variety of career paths.   Alternatively, students may choose to conduct a thesis (the MA option) in addition to the required courses to pursue further graduate study. Our program focuses on both learning and applying I/O principles to ensure our graduates are prepared for success in the workforce.

We require students who choose to apply to our program to want to learn in a collegial and team-based atmosphere.  As such, it is a traditional day program and you progress through it with a cohort of approximately 10-12 peers.  Although the university offers merit-based partial assistantships to a majority of students, the work required to succeed academically amounts to holding a full-time job.  Class sizes are small and you will enjoy a non-competitive and highly collaborative experience with your peers and professors both in and out of class.  Further, RU is nestled in the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia and offers an abundance of outdoor activities. 

Science

The I/O program focuses our classes in two areas to ensure our graduates have both the substantive and technical knowledge to be successful.

1.     I/O related coursework

2.     Methodological coursework

Given our emphasis on the scientist-practitioner model, we combine content knowledge across the entire I/O domain with a heavy methodological focus. We focus on keeping our students up to date on best practices and research while developing skills in the emerging data science domain. Our distinctive emphasis on training applied I/O psychologists is seen in our 37-credit hour program. Our I/O related coursework and much of our methodological coursework is taught by 4 full-time I/O Ph.D. faculty who have extensive experience both conducting research and consulting with organizations. Students who wish to pursue more advanced graduate study also have the option to complete a Master’s thesis under the direction of an I/O faculty member.

Our program follows the best practices and guidelines outlined by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

For more information on courses please see the curriculum section of this website.

For more information on our faculty and their expertise please see the faculty section of this website.

Practice

Radford University is home to The Work Place, an I/O run center on campus whose mission is to provide students with a variety of consulting opportunities.

Student consulting experiences and internships are a fundamental part of our program. Students will take part in applied projects through their coursework and will also complete a summer internship to prepare them for success on the job market and in their careers.

By graduation, students will have had a variety of experiences in which they apply their knowledge to professional situations. These experiences, in turn, help shape our graduates’ interests and career opportunities.

For more information on these experiences and what they offer to students and our business partners please see The Work Place section of this website.

Please see the Employers section for examples of current and former employers of our graduates.

Alumni Snapshots

Please check out these short videos highlighting our recent alumni as they discuss their experiences in our program and their current roles as I/O psychologists. 

Kasey Warren (2020 alumna)

Michaela Setzer (2019 alumna)

Sertrice Grice (2017 alumna)

Gregory Krause (2015 alumnus)

Caleb Keener (2013 alumnus)

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