Master’s in Psychology (MA) Degree: Industrial-Organizational Specialization

I/O psychology topics that are emphasized in the Master’s in Psychology (MA) degree Industrial-Organizational Specialization include:

• Work motivation
• Training and development
• Organizational behavior management
• Employee engagement
• Work performance prediction and assessment

In the required Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) course, students are exposed to applied behavior analysis (ABA) as it is implemented in organizational settings. I/O master’s students will also learn critical research skills in courses such as Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology: Advanced Concepts and Research Methods for Industrial-Organizational Psychology, which will help in the analysis of data in future employment or in future academic pursuits.  

According to the American Psychological Association (APA) “I/O psychologists are experts in the design, implementation and analysis of psychological research.” The APA indicates that I/O psychologists often apply their skills in the fields of “worker productivity, employee training and assessment, and human resources,” making the curriculum for this master’s program a strong foundation for future professional goals.   

All MA students in the Master’s in Psychology Industrial-Organizational Specialization must complete an internship. The Iona University campus in New Rochelle, New York, is ideally located for students to find a wide range of corporate internship opportunities in the New York City metropolitan area. During the internship, students will complete a minimum of 300 hours of supervised work, often in the field of human resources, with a specific focus on the following:  

• employee selection
• leadership assessment
• training design and development
• job analysis
• performance appraisal  
• organizational assessment 

Iona can help students identify internship opportunities that are aligned with their career goals. Recent graduates of the MA program have interned with prestigious globally recognized organizations, including Viacom, Madison Square Garden, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). 

No, credits earned in the Master’s in Psychology Industrial-Organizational Specialization degree program are not directly applicable to SHRM or other professional certifications. However, graduates of the program are eligible to apply for certification as an SHRM Certified Professional (CP) because the program is academically aligned with human resources work. In addition to completing the degree program, applicants for this professional certification must also have “a basic working knowledge of HR practices and principles.”

The Iona program matches the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology’s (SIOP) recommended training for master's level programs. This means that graduates of the program are suited to join SIOP as student members and leverage that professional connection to find internships and mentors as well as for networking.  

The MA degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology helps students take an elevated and analytical role in leadership positions, including human resources. The faculty in the Iona program have distinguished academic credentials combined with real-world professional experience, making them uniquely suited to help students make the transition into advanced roles in the working world.  

SHRM indicates that the top skills executives are seeking in HR leaders include:  

• Workforce planning
• Learning and development
• Organizational storytelling
• Process management

MA students who want to cultivate these valuable skills will build a strong foundational skillset in required courses like Work Motivation and Employee Engagement and Training and Development in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. They can also choose from relevant elective courses such as Organizational Behavior Management and Dynamics of Group Processes.  

An Industrial-Organizational Psychology degree is applicable to a wide range of industries and sectors, including entertainment, local government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and healthcare.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for human resources managers, which is a top career choice for graduates of this MA program, is expected to grow by 5% between 2024 and 2034, which is faster than the average for all professions. Even data for HR managers makes clear just how many different industries hire these types of professionals. The BLS tracks the top five work environments for HR managers, which include the following: 

• Professional, scientific, and technical services
• Management
• Manufacturing
• Healthcare
• Government

However, those top five sectors only account for 54% of all HR managers, which means 46% work in completely different fields. A degree that prepares graduates for a career in HR or related fields creates opportunities for professionals in virtually every industry.  

The program ensures students gain the core knowledge and applied skills recommended by SIOP by leveraging a curriculum that matches the organization’s recommended training for master’s programs. SIOP is the top professional association for the science and practices of I/O psychology. According to SIOP, the top three most important competencies for I/O professionals are critical thinking, accountability, and professionalism. Courses in the MA degree program, coupled with the required internship experience, are designed to build a strong foundation in these core competencies and give students plenty of opportunities to practice them.

For example, the Professional Issues and Legal Requirements course gives students the opportunity to examine professional behavior as well as ethical and legal standards that will apply in their careers as I/O psychologists or HR professionals. Other relevant courses include:  

• Personnel Psychology — covering topics like organizational staffing, human resource planning, job analysis, recruiting methods, and employment testing
• Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice
• Consulting and Organizational Change — evidence-based practice of organizational consulting and leadership coaching