Florida, sometimes dubbed the Sunlight State for its copious sunshine and warmer subtropical weather, is a state situated in the southeastern portion of the United States. Florida is the third most populous state in the US and is popularly known for its theme parks, beaches, natural sceneries, and orange orchards.
Florida’s economy, which has a gross state product (GSP) of $1.2 trillion, is the fourth largest in the nation. The core components of Florida’s economical development include construction, technollogy, tourism, international banking, healthcare research, aerospace and defense, and commercial space flight to name a few.
These fields of work often include productivity driven organizations which warrants employees’ physical and mental support protocols.
Industrial-organizational psychology is a sub-field of psychology that mainly deals with utilizing psychological concepts and theories for organizations. I-O psychology, as it is often known, concentrates on enhancing employee physical and mental health as well as other relevant workplace difficulties to generate productivity and overall organizational performance.
Industrial and organizational psychologists are focused on employee workplace behavior and attitudes. They are responsible for employing psychological theories, principles, and methods, to enhance an organization’s environment including communication, performance, professional satisfaction, and attitude.
If you are interested in a career in industrial-organizational psychology, the most appropriate and beneficial approach is to opt for a degree program that suits your career needs and interest.
An undergraduate degree in psychology can serve as the steppingstone towards your career goals while postgraduate degrees can assist you in specializing in industrial-organizational psychology. We are discussing some of the many reputed Industrial Organizational Psychology Programs in Florida.
Industrial Organizational Psychology Graduate Programs in Florida
Below is a list of Florida-based schools offering industrial organizational-psychology master’s degree programs that can help prepare you for a future career in Florida:
- University of Central Florida
- Carlos Albizu University – Miami
- Grand Canyon University
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Capella University
- University of West Flordia
- Purdue University
- Florida International University
University of Central Florida
This university offers a Master of Science program in Industrial Organizational Psychology. The program concentrates on the psychological concepts’ application to organizations.
It focuses on core aspects of employee recruitment and training, applied theories of organizational behavior including but not limited to models of productivity, job satisfaction, and motivation, assessment center technology, test theory and construction, and an array of contemporary topics.
The industrial-organizational psychology graduates are able to handle critical issues encountered in the organizational environment such as unbiased and fair selection of employees, fair treatment in the workplace, development of work environment to optimize productivity and job satisfaction, and the examination of technological impacts on performance.
This MS degree program of I-O psychology is a four-semester program for full time students with both thesis and non-thesis options.
In addition to the bachelor’s degree, the students are expected to complete a minimum of 38 semester hours of credit to graduate with the master’s degree.
The prerequisite includes have either a bachelor’s degree in psychology or allied areas or a baccalaureate degree with statistics and research methods as undergraduate courses, and preference of four additional upper division psychology course consisting of 12 credit hours.
Carlos Albizu University – Miami
The university offers a well-rounded and comprehensive Master’s in Science degree in industrial-organizational psychology. The Miami campus offers the program through two medium – on campus and online.
The students are prepared to be culturally proficient industrial-organizational practitioners who formulate and employ scientific knowledge to resolve issues and problems that happens in the current organizational setting.
The students are trained in the practical knowledge in the facets of recruitment, selection, and placement, training and development, performance evaluation, organizational development, and quality of work life.
The program is designed for a duration of two years and students are required to complete 48 credits hour successfully to graduate.
The classes are designed for small student-faculty ratio to help students participate in critical analysis and develop their skills to fulfill the requirements of diverse organizational environment upon graduation.
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology is a great option for students interested in a postgraduate degree in industrial organizational psychology. The graduate program offers meticulous training and environment that is encouraging to professional development and growth.
Furthermore, the university offers a novel team-based research approach, several consulting and research centers, and 300-hour practicum option introducing students to the field of industrial-organization psychology through applied experience.
Florida Tech’s industrial organizational program is ranked in the top ten industrial organizational programs in the country in student satisfaction for both masters and PhD degree.
Supported by an experience and knowledgeable faculty, the students in Florida Tech’s program, explore critical issues relevant to current businesses including, talent assessment and management, employee training and development, and work life balance to provide employers with an in-depth comprehension of assessment, selection, development, management, and retention of their valuable resource.
The master’s degree program is completed in two years while the PhD program with a bachelor’s degree should ideally be completed in 4 years.
The master’s program consists of successful completion of 45 credit while doctoral program consists of successful completion of 90 credit beyond bachelor’s degree.
The industrial-organizational courses include talent evaluation and selection, employee training, statistical research methods, work team dynamics, performance measurement and appraisal, employee motivation, regulation, testing, impact of emotion at workplace, and development of employee values and attitudes. These are all core courses in Florida Tech’s I-O curriculum.
I-O Psychology Work Opportunities and Salary in Florida
Florida’s economical development is influenced by fields such as construction industry, tourism, international banking, healthcare research, etc., hence these organizations offer ample work opportunities in Florida.
As mentioned above, I-O psychologists job requirement broadly focus on the management of employees’ behavior and attitudes in the workplace as well as their workplace related issues.
I-O psychologists employ psychological concepts, practices, and research method to elevate overall work environment including worker productivity, communication, development, evaluation, job satisfaction and human resources. Some I-O psychologists have academic or research posts.
In Florida industrial-organizational psychologists can find career opportunities in industry, consulting, academia, and research.
Sample job title include but not limited to Organizational Psychologist Consultant, Employee Retention Specialist, Talent Management Specialist, Research Analyst, Executive Coach, Director of Organizational Development, Consumer Psychologist, and Manager of Leadership Development Program.
The earning capacity varies according to the type of degree and type of employer. The average annual salary for industrial organizational psychologists in Florida is $125,582 as of March 2023. The range usually vary between $90,000 and $160,000.