Psychology is one of the most popular college majors, and for good reason. With training in this field, you can pursue jobs in virtually any sector of the economy. And with many specializations within psychology, you can get specific training to meet your career goals.
Industrial-organizational psychology is just one of many specializations. Its focus on using psychological principles in the workplace has a lot of value for businesses and organizations today. And as a Missouri college student, you can get that training at any number of colleges and universities throughout the state and the region.
Below, we’ve identified some of the popular industrial-organizational psychology programs you might consider. Some are bachelor’s degrees if you’re just starting your education. Others are master’s degrees if you need advanced training. Each represents a great opportunity to get your education online.
Industrial Organizational Psychology Programs in Missouri
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering industrial-organizational psychology programs in Missouri:
- Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Southeast Missouri State University
- Grand Canyon University
- Waldorf University
- Louisiana State University at Alexandria
- Arizona State University Online
- Purdue Global
- National University
- American Public University
- Southern New Hampshire University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
If you want to advance your education in this field with a graduate degree, the Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the Missouri University of Science and Technology is a great option. This degree requires you to complete 37 credits, which typically requires about two years to finish.
Over the course of your time in this program, you’ll learn how to employ psychological principles in the workplace. On the one hand, you’ll develop an understanding of human resources management and how to use psychology to improve the performance and job satisfaction of employees. On the other hand, you’ll learn how to use psychology to help organizations foster an improved work environment and get better results from employee recruitment and training.
The curriculum is divided into three parts: core coursework, methods courses, and electives. The core component includes 21 credits, starting with Introduction to Industrial-Organizational Psychology. In this class, you’ll learn about I/O theories, applied research, and leadership. You’ll also study organizational development, organizational culture, and performance appraisal.
Another important core course is Small Group Dynamics. Many businesses and organizations are composed of smaller teams, so understanding how people interact in small group situations is critical for your success in this field. You’ll study a variety of topics, including the following:
- Group perceptions
- Norms for groups
- Group roles
- Group decision-making
- Conflicts in groups
Furthermore, you’ll acquire the skills needed to recruit and train new employees by taking the Training and Development class. You’ll learn how to evaluate an organization’s onboarding process for new employees and implement changes as needed. You’ll also explore psychological theories of learning and validation methods for evaluating training programs.
Related to training and development is Personnel Selection. This course offers guidance on best practices for recruiting employees, assessing their skills, and classifying them for specific duties. A discussion of various assessments for physical abilities, personality, and cognition is also part of this class.
The remaining three core courses are as follows:
- Job Analysis and Performance Management
- Leadership, Motivation, and Culture
- Organizational Development and Employee Perspectives
The methods section of this degree includes four classes. The first class is Psychometrics, which explores the various statistical methods I/O psychologists use to measure human performance, personality, and aptitudes. You’ll learn important skills like factor analysis, reliability and validity, and data reduction, too.
The methods section includes studies in Advanced Research Methods as well. Along with a course in Applied Psychological Data Analysis, you’ll learn how to develop and implement psychological research and evaluate the data you college using tried-and-true data analysis techniques.
The final methods course is Ethics and Professional Responsibilities. You’ll use case studies to analyze ethical decision-making in I/O psychology. You’ll also explore legal issues that might result in your work as a practice I/O psychologist.
To complete this degree, you’ll need to take six credits of elective coursework. Alternatively, you can choose to complete a master’s thesis. Where the coursework option focuses more on new content and its application in your future work, the thesis option is more focused on applicable research and demonstrating your ability to collect and analyze data to draw conclusions.
You can apply to Missouri S&T online at any time. You must meet the following criteria to apply:
- Have a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Have a GRE score of 300 combined on the Verbal and Quantitative subtests.
- International applicants must also provide TOEFL or IELTS scores showing proficiency in English.
Southeast Missouri State University
Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Southeast Missouri State’s Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology is another prime option to consider for your advanced degree in this field. The 42-credit curriculum requires five semesters to complete.
Throughout the program, your focus will be on building a skill set that enables you to help organizations improve their overall functioning. You’ll gain these skills by:
- Exploring topics like performance appraisal, organizational development, and work motivation.
- Learning essential research topics like validity, reliability, and generalizability.
- Examining the differences between descriptive and inferential statistics and learning how to use each to explain critical data.
With skills like these, you can pursue many different career opportunities. For example, you might seek employment in an organization’s human resources department. Likewise, you could qualify for a job in a research and development program. Other I/O graduates go on to work for private businesses, consulting firms, and government agencies.
This program includes three components: required courses, a thesis or internship, and a comprehensive exam or oral examination. As you might expect, the bulk of the credits needed to graduate come from the required coursework.
The core coursework explores common topics in I/O psychology. For example, you’ll take Personnel Psychology, Organizational Psychology, and Job Analysis and Compensation. These classes are common for all I/O graduate programs. But there are also some unique courses that will give you an interesting perspective on working in this field.
For example, you’re required to take a course in Motivation and Incentive. While many topics are studied in this class, you’ll primarily explore methods for increasing motivation among employees. Specifically, you’ll examine the use of incentives (e.g., added pay or additional time off) as a means of motivating employees to increase productivity or to enhance the workplace culture.
As another example, you’ll take Theories of Leadership, which informs you of common practices that high-quality leaders use to move businesses and organizations in a positive direction. You might discuss topics as varied as what makes a good leader, various leadership strategies, and situational factors specific to individual businesses that make effective leadership more likely. Additional required coursework includes the following:
- Psychometrics
- Advanced Social Psychology
- Introductory Behavioral Statistics
- Psychology of Stereotyping and Prejudice
- Legal and Ethical Considerations in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Next, you must choose between completing a master’s thesis or participating in an internship. Both options offer distinct advantages. The thesis requires extensive research and the application of your learning in a relevant research project. The internship, meanwhile, offers the chance to directly apply your learning in a supervised work environment. Typically, students who wish to continue their education in a Ph.D. program choose the thesis option, while students who wish to enter the workforce opt for the internship.
Lastly, you’ll wrap up the program by choosing either a final comprehensive exam or an oral exam. Though these exams differ in their delivery, the purpose of both is to provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate the competencies you’ve mastered over the course of the program. Ultimately, you’ll need to show the program’s faculty that you can solve real-world problems in business settings using evidence-based procedures.
The admissions requirements are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Submit three letters of recommendation from references who can speak to your academic and professional competencies.
- Provide a letter of intent in which you discuss your preparation for graduate work, your ability to succeed in this program, and your goals and objectives for the future.
Southeast Missouri State might consider you for admission, even if you don’t meet all of the criteria above. The university reviews such instances on a case-by-case basis.
Grand Canyon University
Online Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology
By enrolling in the online Master of Science in Psychology with an Emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Grand Canyon University (GCU), you’ll take a crucial step toward becoming a professional in I-O psychology. This program is developed in accordance with the American Psychological Association’s (APA) guidelines, ensuring that your education is both relevant and of high quality.
Offered through GCU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, this degree equips you with key knowledge in scientific methods, research strategies, and consulting practices. You’ll learn to apply psychological insights to workplace environments, helping improve productivity, efficiency, and overall organizational health.
This program requires 36 credits and is delivered entirely online, offering you the flexibility to manage your studies while balancing your personal and professional commitments. Taught by experienced professionals in psychology, business, and research, the courses will connect you with both faculty and peers for a collaborative and enriching learning experience.
The core courses you’ll take include:
- Introduction to Graduate Studies in the Liberal Arts: This course introduces you to the rigors of graduate study and teaches you essential skills for success in the program.
- Contemporary and Ethical Issues in Psychology: This course focuses on professional and ethical challenges that psychologists face, particularly in applied settings.
- Social and Cultural Psychology: You’ll study how social, cultural, and group factors influence individual behavior, providing insight into human interactions in diverse workplaces.
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology: This course applies psychological principles to real-world business and industrial environments, focusing on employee behavior and organizational effectiveness.
- Organizational Behavior and Development: You’ll explore how organizations function, focusing on theoretical models that explain organizational change and development.
- Strategies for Effective Leadership and Consultation: This course provides you with methods to effectively lead and consult within organizational settings to achieve key business objectives.
- Principles of Personnel and Human Resource Management: This course covers the psychological aspects of human resource management, including recruitment, performance evaluation, and employee retention.
This program focuses on understanding and improving workplace behavior through the application of psychological research and management techniques. It also addresses ethical challenges in psychology, helping prepare you for leadership roles in this field.
Throughout the program, you’ll engage in coursework designed to give you a thorough understanding of management strategies, organizational development, and the social psychology of the workplace.
The final requirement for this program is the Professional Capstone course. In this class, you’ll develop original research ideas, explore career opportunities in I/O psychology, and prepare for your future by applying the knowledge you have gained throughout the program. You’ll also present your research findings, demonstrating your expertise in the field.
Graduating from this program will prepare you for various career opportunities, including positions in:
- Private corporations
- Government agencies
- Universities
- Research facilities
As an I/O psychologist, you’ll play an essential role in helping organizations improve their management practices, employee interactions, and operational efficiency. Other potential employers include healthcare organizations, nonprofit entities, and community organizations.
To apply to GCU’s program, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or a program approved by GCU, along with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher.
Waldorf University
Online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Industrial Organizational Psychology
Though many of Missouri’s institutions of higher learning offer psychology bachelor’s degrees, none currently have an emphasis in I/O psychology. So, the online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Waldorf University in Iowa is the next best thing if you are looking for an undergraduate I/O psychology degree in Missouri.
The benefit of this degree is its comprehensive look at businesses and organizations through an administrative lens. You’ll study areas like human resources, management, and marketing alongside your work in industrial-organizational psychology. The result is that you’ll graduate from this program with a broad range of skills you can use to increase worker productivity, enhance the work environment, and help organizations meet their goals.
This four-year program is offered as either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts. In either case, you must complete at least 120 credits to graduate and do so with a grade of C or higher in all major coursework and concentration classes.
The curriculum is divided into three parts: core requirements, major courses, and concentration courses. The core requirements are the essential undergraduate classes that all students in all majors have to take. Classes in basic science, math, social studies, and English fall into this category. You may also be required to take courses in communications, physical education, and the arts.
In fact, the breadth of the core studies gives you insights into many different academic disciplines. You are required to take at least one class in each of the following areas:
- First Year Seminar
- Humanities
- History
- English Composition
- Fine Arts
- Natural Sciences
- Math
- Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Religion and Philosophy
All undergraduate students at Waldorf must also complete a Life, Meaning, and Vocation Capstone. This capstone gives you the opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learned in the program and apply that learning in an active exercise. For example, you’ll discuss how you would describe yourself as unique, how your values align with the American dream, and how you intend to use your convictions to fulfill your career goals.
You’ll also complete 45 courses within the major. These classes focus on business concepts and topics in related areas. As noted earlier, you’ll explore business administration, marketing, management, and other critical areas of this field.
The concentration requirements are where you’ll acquire I/O psychology-related skills. This five-course sequence includes Social Psychology, which is the study of how society influences individual behavior. Having an understanding of these processes is important for I/O work, given the social nature of most businesses and organizations.
Another required course is Psychological Assessment. This class explores many different psychological tests, including achievement tests, intelligence tests, and personality tests. You’ll learn about the differences between objective and subjective testing as well as the types of tests used to gauge neuropsychological functioning. Other concentration courses include the following:
- Industrial-Organizational Psychology
- General Psychology
- Attitudes and Persuasion
The application for admission to Waldorf University is available online. Ensure you complete each of the following tasks when applying:
- Complete the application for admission linked above.
- Submit official high school transcripts.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university from which you’ve earned credit.
Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Online Bachelor of Science in Psychology – Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Another out-of-state online undergraduate option you might consider is the Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Louisiana State University at Alexandria. Like the program described above, this one requires 120 or more credits to graduate and takes about four years of full-time studies to complete.
As is the case with any undergraduate degree, you must complete general education coursework. This degree requires 39 credits of general classes that will help you become a well-rounded student. These courses run the gamut from English Composition to College Algebra to General Education Biology. Likewise, you must also take at least one class from each of the following areas:
- Social Science
- Natural Sciences
- Communication Studies
- Humanities
- History
- Fine Arts
The core major courses focus on psychology topics. For example, you’ll take Introduction to Psychology, which offers a broad overview of this field. You’ll learn about the development of psychology as a science, explore seminal research in psychology, and discover applications of psychology in many different aspects of life, such as home, school, and work.
This program requires you to take a course on Abnormal Psychology, too. The purpose of this course is to highlight common mental illnesses. You’ll learn about the causes of psychological problems, their common symptoms, and effective treatments as well.
Research is another significant component of this program. On the one hand, you’ll take classes like Research Methodology and Advanced Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences to get a solid foundation of the techniques used to gather psychological data. On the other hand, you’ll also take Statistics for Behavioral and Social Sciences, in which you learn how to analyze the data you collect and make informed assumptions about what the data says.
The core coursework further includes a class on Cultural Diversity, in which you discuss how culture influences our perceptions of the world. You’ll also explore the cultural influences on mental health, including how people from different cultures share and address their concerns about mental illness. The core sequence of courses includes general electives of your choosing. The electives give you the freedom to tailor your degree to address areas that are of interest to you.
You’re required to complete 18 credits of industrial-organizational coursework as part of this program. You’ll take classes focusing on business and management, such as the following:
- Human Resource Management
- Human Behavior in Organizations
- Employee Selection and Placement
- Principles of Management
But you’ll also take psychology-focused courses. For example, Personality Psychology introduces you to the mechanisms of personality development. You’ll explore major theories of personality, common personality disorders, and the individual and unique differences in people’s personalities.
Likewise, you’ll take Tests and Measurements, which focuses on psychological testing. In an industrial-organizational setting, you might use personality, achievement, or intelligence tests as part of your duties to identify employees’ strengths and weaknesses. That information could then be used to assign them roles that are most appropriate for their skills, abilities, and interests.
LSU-Alexandria accepts applications for admission year-round. The following requirements must be met to be considered for admission
- Have a high school diploma that indicates you’ve completed a high school college readiness curriculum.
- Have a high school GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Have an ACT composite score of 20 or higher or have a GPA of 2.0 or higher in your high school core coursework.
Furthermore, you must not be required to take more than one developmental course at LSU-Alexandria.
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