Majoring in industrial-organizational psychology doesn’t guarantee that you’ll find a job. Instead, you have to know where to look to find employment. Massachusetts is not just a great place to study this discipline; it’s also among the top states for employment as an industrial organizational psychologist.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Massachusetts has the third-highest employment level of industrial-organizational psychologists in the U.S. Massachusetts is also third in the nation in terms of the highest concentration of jobs in this field.
While you don’t have to study psychology in Massachusetts to get a job as a psychologist in the state, it’s worth considering as there are many excellent psychology programs available across the state.
Industrial Organizational Psychology Graduate Programs in Massachusetts
Below is a list of some of the popular schools offering industrial-organizational psychology graduate programs in Massachusetts:
- Salem State University
- Springfield College
- Grand Canyon University
- William James College
- Capella University
- Cambridge College
- Purdue Global
Salem State University
School Information
Salem State University got its start in 1854 when it was established as the Salem Normal School. Today, the school has grown into a four-year comprehensive university with over 7,000 students, of which approximately 1,500 are graduate students.
The University confers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as post-baccalaureate and post-graduate certificates. Some popular majors and programs include:
- Nursing
- Accounting
- Psychology
- Business Administration
- Early Childhood Education
Program Information
Unlike many industrial-organizational psychology graduate programs, this one from Salem State University is a Master of Science degree. The focus of the coursework prepares you for the practical application of psychological principles in human resources, leadership development, and change management.
The curriculum includes a set of core courses, psychology electives, and business electives. You can take courses that include:
- Psychometrics
- Social psychology
- Management theory and application
- Leadership studies
To graduate, you must complete 42 credit hours of study as well as an internship. You will undertake these courses as part of a cohort, which helps you develop collegiality and a network of other field experts after graduation.
Springfield College
School Information
Springfield College is a private, non-profit university located in Springfield, Massachusetts. It’s a small school with a total enrollment of just over 2,000 students, of which about 900 are graduate students.
The school was founded in 1885 and has a long history of academic excellence and a dedication to serving the community. In fact, Springfield students perform more than 120,000 hours of community service each year.
Since it’s a small school, you’ll enjoy small classes that average about 20 students. This ensures that you have plenty of one-on-one instruction from professors and the individual attention you need to succeed.
Program Information
This Master of Science program follows the scientist-practitioner model, which combines the study of data science and psychology. Doing so gives graduates a full toolkit upon which they can draw to resolve challenges in the workplace.
In addition to gaining insights into human behavior, your coursework in this program provides you with practice knowledge in business, management, and leadership, to name a few. Courses you’ll take include:
- Psychology in Organizations
- Talent Acquisition
- Organizational Conflict Management
- Qualitative Research Methodology
You must also take several elective courses in psychology, counseling, and business to meet the required 38 credits to graduate.
William James College
School Information
William James College is a specialist school in psychology. In addition to an organizational psychology master’s program, the school offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in various fields, including:
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Applied Behavioral Analysis
- Psychology
- School Psychology
The school is based in the Boston area, so studying on campus gives you the opportunity to experience one of the country’s oldest and most vibrant urban areas. The school also has partnerships with more than 350 field placement locations, so you can get hands-on experience related to your program of study.
Program Information
The Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology program from William James College is an accelerated program that takes just 11 months to complete if you study full-time (two years to complete if you study part-time). In that time, you’ll complete 30 credit hours of study in the areas of:
- Talent acquisition and management
- Organizational assessment
- Leadership
The program also includes a capstone project and multiple field placements. These experiences allow you to put your learning into practice to solve real-world problems in workplace settings.
This is a cohort-based program, so you’ll move through the curriculum with the same set of classmates in each course. Coursework can be done online or as a combination of online studies and intensive weekend classes on campus.
Cambridge College
School Information
Cambridge College is a four-year, private, non-profit school that was founded in 1971 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The college includes four schools:
- The School of Undergraduate Studies
- The School of Education
- The School of Management
- The School of Psychology and Counseling
Cambridge awards degrees ranging from associate’s to doctoral in a wide range of disciplines to students from around the state, the nation, and the world. In fact, the school has a diverse student population that speaks more than 50 languages and hails from more than 100 countries of origin.
The location of the school in Boston provides you with opportunities to learn off-campus as well. Practicum and internship placements throughout the city and region allow you to see how your classroom learning can be used in the real world.
Program Information
The organizational psychology concentration from Cambridge College can be added to any undergraduate degree of study. However, it is best suited to programs of study in psychology, business, management, and the like.
To complete the concentration area, you must take 18 credit hours of coursework in psychology and business. This includes:
- Systems Thinking in Psychology
- Theories of Personality
- Diversity in the Workplace
- Negotiation and Conflict Management
Focusing your undergraduate studies on organizational psychology helps you build a strong foundation for continuing your education at the graduate level. The courses required for this concentration only take one or two semesters to complete.
I-O Psychology Work Opportunities in Massachusetts
Whether you’re from Massachusetts or not, you might find that after getting your I-O psychology degree in the Bay State that you want to stick around.
As noted earlier, Massachusetts ranks among the top three states in the nation in terms of the level of employment and the number of jobs in industrial-organizational psychology. The bulk of these job opportunities are in the greater Boston area, but industrial organizational-psychology has its uses in less-populated areas, too.
For example, you might graduate with your master’s degree in organizational psychology and go to work for a small liberal arts college in rural Massachusetts as a professor. You might also pursue employment as a human resources manager of a mid-size manufacturing company on the outskirts of Boston. These are just two examples, of course.
The beauty of majoring in industrial-organizational psychology is that there are many career paths you might take. Businesses of all sizes and types and in all locations can benefit from your expertise in human behavior and organizational management.
With a proper education in industrial-organizational psychology from one of the programs discussed above, you’ll have the requisite knowledge to pursue your employment goals in Massachusetts and beyond.
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