PsychPhD

I cannot speak to I/O's relative growth to Social and OB programs (most academics can barely see outside their research specialization, let alone get an accurate grasp on their field in relation to others), but I can assure you that from both a demands and supply perspective, I/O psychology is a successful and vibrant field. Not only do I see this as a professional, but there is evidence to support it: http://www.siop.org/tip/backissues/july04/05rogelberg.aspx "By examining the data, it is evident that there is a substantial growth in the number of I-O and organizational psychology graduate programs. Over the 18-year span, there was found to be a 47.7% increase in doctoral programs overall and a 221.7% increase in MA/MS programs overall." Granted, this is not up-to-date info, but it is highly improbable that such substantial growth would have time to slow down, plateau and drop-off in six years

Yes, a Master's in I-O opens up considerably more opportunities. Here is a great overview of the types of positions and occupations you would be working in: http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologycareerprofiles/p/iopsychcareers.htm My personal advice: If you are not sure you want to go for the PhD long haul and academic research doesn't excite you (but practical application/research does), then stick with a Master's program to feel things out. If later you decide you want to expand your skills and opportunities, then you can still pursue the PhD. As an aside, many PhD programs aren't structured for "Master's degree dropouts" to have the the same practical skills as terminal Master's programs. So if you decide the PhD isn't for you mid-way through the program, chances are you won't be as competitive with the terminal Master's degree folks when applying to jobs.

The American Psychological Association recently had a task force (2006) for increasing the number of quantitative psychologists in the field. Here is a great website with more information about Qpsych: http://www.apa.org/research/tools/quantitative/index.aspx. In short, departments all over the country are advertising considerably more jobs for Qpsych people than are being trained--these folks have the easiest (and perhaps the most lucrative) job search in the psychology field today. Hope this helps, and tell her good luck!

I agree with the fantastic advice above. Grad school is a big commitment...don't settle! Also keep in mind that your support system is crucial. If you are moving far away from family/friends to a program you feel lukewarm about, you are at a high risk for a disappointing and unproductive grad school experience. It also sounds like you already have a great opportunity with future research mentor. You will be amazed how one extra year of an RA (and perhaps a few manuscripts under review/in press) will put you at the top of the list in highly desirable programs. Assuming you can make it a productive year, they will take you much more seriously as a prospective student because you seem more knowledgable about the research process and be better able to articulate your own research plans. Good luck!

You're welcome! And yes, you are in a great position, so don’t fret too much The main difference with doctoral programs is that they are research heavy and broader--Master's program's are more focused on certain applied skill sets that vary by program that prepare you for specific types of applied jobs (often working under PhD folks). Many PhD programs tout the "scientist-practitioner" approach...but err on the scientist side--often too much because the professors are far too busy with research to keep up with applied experiences or applied networks (beyond statistical consulting, which I wouldn't consider real, face-to-face consulting). Many doctoral programs train you to be an academic first--the practitioner is an afterthought. I'm proud to say that my PhD program has a true scientist-practitioner slant (many of the faculty are very active in consulting) and most of our grads are internal consultants in big, often Fortune 500, companies or external consultants in private firms. At least five of my colleagues came in with Master's degrees--two went to internal consulting jobs, one went to an external consulting firm, and two went into faculty position in organizational behavior (one more teaching than research focus in a psych department; one more research than teaching focus in a business department). They started out with much better “applied” skills than those of us coming straight from undergrad...but I noticed that we had better conceptual thinking and research skills. It worked great; everyone got to teach and learn I would say that, when you are evaluating grad schools (Master's or Doctoral) there are four important factors to examine in relation to your interests/career goals: 1) what does the majority of their curriculum focus on (is it balanced, does it lean a certain way on skill sets that interests you), 2) how active are the faculty in research vs. consulting, 3) what kind of internships are available (and how many people get them), and 4) where do most of their grads end up. Internships are THE most critical aspect for applied folks. That's where the big name and network come in (often internships segue into full time positions). Good training is hard to show off if no one hires you...

That is a tough choice, Jilly! Perhaps the following might help your decision process along: If you feel going to graduate school for 5-7 years "puts your life on hold," then you may not be as committed to research (or doctoral programs) as you initially thought. Truly loving research means juggling multiple projects from start to finish (1-3 year commitments each), designing/coding/analyzing/writing nonstop, and enjoying every minute of it. For those who truly love research, it IS a way of life. I saw graduate school as no different than what I wanted my 'real' life to be: teaching and research. If you want to go applied (and I have lots of applied colleagues), go big name and network. I cannot stress enough how important that is to landing a great applied job. If you truly love research and are destined to go for the PhD, you will find a way to do research in the big program. You can always seek out other faculty in the program or other departments as a research mentor (it's so easy to collaborate online these days too!). Remember, YOU are in charge of your academic experience, so make it what you want. Also, PhD programs like to admit people from big name Master's programs (and showing them that you sought out and maintained research experience is a huge plus). Just a few thoughts given my many moons of grad school experience--hope it helps!

A few thoughts from newly minted PhD: 1. Not accepting an offer for grad school is not a big deal. Yes, academia is a small world, but grad students (or in your case, future grad students) overestimate their importance in that world. If this were a job offer and you had already made a name for yourself with multiple top-level publications and you snubbed a department there *might* be some hard feelings. You are a prospective grad student who didn't accept an offer--they will merely move down the list and move on. I've witnessed many grad school application processes and they do not mourn losses or hold grudges--they probably won't even remember your name next year (but I definitely advise against applying there again; you'd still have to work with that person in some capacity). Professors are busy people. Also keep in mind that for all they know you couldn't attend for personal reasons; no harm no foul. 2. Advisors from hell are quite common in big, important, prestigious departments. How do you think they get all that grant money and those publications? I'm not saying this is always the case, I'm just saying that it is easy to be a famous and productive researcher when you treat your grad students like pawns in your publication machine. You don't have time to be nice and supportive to ALL your students, just your favorites, so you just abuse and/or neglect the rest. So if you think you got what it takes to be the favorite (and want to deal with jealous lab members), by all means go for it. Just realize probability is not in your favor (especially as the 'lowly' first year in the lab; you have to earn your favoritism). 3. Advisors from hell are unacceptable. Run the other way. There are PLENTY of productive and supportive advisors that care about your future as much as their own. Your advisor is your career mentor who you strive to model your professionalism after. Do you want to model your career after a sadist (or after someone that many people are happy to call a jerk)? Is that the kind of academic you want to be? If many people are happy to tell a complete stranger (that is, you) about abusive behavior while they are supposed to be RECRUITING you, imagine how bad it must really be when you get there. 4. Warning signs: Complaints from students and lab attrition(which you've encountered), many publications as solo author(meaning grad students help write it but don't get credit), few publications with grad students as first author (again, less credit), shows impatience for the learning process and focuses only on results (and wants it perfect the first time!), disregards work and personal boundaries, isolates students from other labs/colleagues, and insults or belittles other labs/colleagues in the department. Unfortunately, many of these things are tough to recognize until you get an interview, so apply to as many programs as you can! With that said, I had a FANTASTIC advisor that supported my career objectives and my independent research (resulting in both first author and collaborative publications in the double digits). I have had the most productive and happy five years of my life. Sadly, I have many grad school friends that cannot say the same. So, keep working on research and finding work experiences that will bolster your resume and go at it again next year (applying to lots of different schools). You will be just fine, and it will be worth it!