About

Can you see yourself doing organizational research in a large human resource department in a Fortune-500 company? Are you ready to train for a secure inflation-proof career with national and international opportunities?

The master’s in psychology, with a concentration in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology, prepares students for jobs in both the public and private sector, in areas such as personnel research, wage and salary administration, human resource development, statistics, personnel management, job analysis, selection and placement, training and development, organizational development, performance evaluation, and entry-level management. Further education at the doctoral level is also an option. The skills required to be a successful I/O psychologist include intellectual ability, problem-solving skills, strong oral and written communication skills, high career motivation, and a high level of interpersonal skills.

Five I/O psychologists and two additional faculty members who are actively involved in the program provide instruction for the program. Class sizes range from eight to 10 students per year. A typical course of study includes a background in statistics and research skills, applied study in the area of I/O psychology, and elective courses.

Each student in the program must also complete an internship that provides practical experience in an organizational setting. An internship is an opportunity to do professional work under the supervision of another professional, and may entail either personnel research or applied activities, such as training, selection and appraisal, job analysis, or other similar functions.

ECU Advantage

In a student poll published in 2006, ECU’s psychology I/O program was nationally ranked as 8th overall in “Student Satisfaction, and 1st in “Program Culture” and “Program Resources.” Students in the program are treated as colleagues and the culture is supportive as well as challenging. Graduate training at ECU also provides an excellent cost-per-semester-hour investment when compared to other programs across the nation.

As an ECU student, you can research your future career in Steppingblocks. Explore real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with data-powered career exploration tools designed for doers like you.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinators by Concentration Area:

I. Research Skills - 3 s.h.
  • PSYC 6430 - Statistics and Research Design
II. Ethics and Professional Practice - 3 s.h.

(Select one of the following courses.)

  • PSYC 6404 - Ethics and Law in School Psychology
  • PSYC 6465 - Ethics and Professional Practice
III. Concentration Areas - 22-33 s.h.

(Select a concentration in consultation with the program coordinator.)

    A. Clinical Psychology Concentration - 33 s.h.

    (Admission to the clinical psychology concentration is contingent upon admission to the clinical health concentration in the health psychology doctoral program.)

      1. Clinical psychology core (15 s.h.)
      • PSYC 6450 - Advanced Psychopathology
      • PSYC 6466 - Psychotherapy Concepts and Techniques
      • PSYC 6468 - Psychotherapy: Theories, Research, and Practice
      • PSYC 6484 - Cognitive Assessment
      • PSYC 6485 - Clinical Assessment
      2. Clinical psychology electives (9 s.h.)

      (Select courses from the below list.)

      • PSYC 6406 - Advanced Developmental Psychology
      • PSYC 6407 - Cultural Psychology
      • PSYC 6408 - History of Psychological Thought
      • PSYC 6414 - Biological Basis of Behavior
      • PSYC 6421 - Social Psychology
      • PSYC 6428 - Biological, Cognitive, and Affective Foundations of Behavior
      3. Clinical psychology practicum (9 s.h.)

      (Select any combination of practicum courses from the below list.)

      • PSYC 6460 - Clinical Psychology Practicum I
      • PSYC 6461 - Clinical Psychology Practicum II
      • PSYC 6462 - Advanced Clinical Psychology Practicum I
      • PSYC 6463 - Advanced Clinical Psychology Practicum II
      • PSYC 7995 - Advanced Clinical Psychology Practicum III
    B. Industrial and Organizational Psychology Concentration - 33 s.h.
      1. Industrial and organizational psychology core (15 s.h.)
      • PSYC 6437 - Psychometrics
      • PSYC 6343 - Psychology of Organizational Behavior
      • PSYC 6420 - Issues in Personnel Selection
      • PSYC 6521 - Special Topics in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
      • PSYC 7431 - Regression and ANOVA
      2. Approved electives (18 s.h.)
      C. School Psychology Concentration - 22 s.h.

      (Admission to the school psychology concentration is contingent upon admission to the pediatric school psychology concentration in the health psychology doctoral program or to the MA/SSP school psychology program.)

        1. School psychology core (22 s.h.)
        • PSYC 6001 - Seminar in Psychology
        • PSYC 6333 - Applied Behavior Analysis
        • PSYC 6406 - Advanced Developmental Psychology
        • PSYC 6407 - Cultural Psychology
        • PSYC 6409 - School Assessment I
        • PSYC 6410 - School Assessment II
        • PSYC 6452 - Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
        • PSYC 6467 - Psychotherapeutic Interventions with Children and Families
    IV. Applied Research, Internship, or Thesis Options - 6 s.h.

    (Select by concentration area and in consultation with the program coordinator.)

      A. Clinical Psychology Concentration - 6 s.h.

      (Thesis is the only available option for this concentration.)

      • PSYC 7000 - Thesis (6 s.h.)
      B. Industrial and Organizational Psychology Concentration - 6 s.h.

      (Select the internship or thesis option.)

        1. Internship (6 s.h.)
        • PSYC 6970 - Internship in Industrial and Organizational Psychology
        • and a 3 s.h. approved elective
        • and an approved 3 s.h. elective
        2. Thesis (6 s.h.)
        • PSYC 7000 - Thesis (Repeat once)
          • Note:

          The thesis is required of students admitted to the doctoral program.

        C. School Psychology Concentration - 6 s.h.

        (Select the applied research or thesis option.)

          1. Applied Research (6 s.h.)
          • PSYC 6519 - Directed Research I
          • PSYC 6520 - Directed Research II
          2. Thesis (6 s.h.)
          • PSYC 7000 - Thesis (Repeat once)
            • Note:

            The thesis is required of students admitted to the doctoral program; either thesis or directed research projects are required for students admitted to the CAS program.

        For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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