peterrr

Stanford micro-OB doesnt interview

I'll answer this, having applied to both I/O and OB programs last cycle. 1. If you're looking for a job in academia, ask yourself whether you want to teach MBA students or Psych students. These are completely different types of audience, with the former being less interested in research and generally more interested in learning practical things that they can apply in the business setting. If you want to teach in the business school, go for OB. I've been told by a well-respected I/O professor from a top I/O school that all of her placements have been in the business school, simply because the academic job market for I/O right now isn't that great. Also, there is quite a big pay disparity between psych professors and business professors. 2. If you want to have the flexibility of pursuing an industry career afterwards, you're much better off with an I/O degree as opposed to OB. Almost half of the graduates in I/O end up in the industry afterwards (I'm quoting this from a study; I can PM you the source if you're interested in further reading). If you're interested with a career in management consulting, human resources, or organizational development, definitely go for I/O than OB. I don't think OB greatly emphasizes training in traditional I-topics such as recruitment, selection and validation, performance appraisals, training, etc. You will get a lot of 'applied' skills in I/O. Also, my understanding is that in some OB programs, the discipline is geared more toward theoretical (basic) research, whereas the tradition in I/O is a scientist-practitioner model. I applied to both, but ended up choosing OB simply because after earning my masters, I realized that I wasn't very much interested in the I-side, and really did not want to go back to corporate. However, if you are undecided between academia and industry, I would go to a top I/O program that has a record of placing their graduates in top business schools and top consulting firms (e.g. Maryland, Penn State, Michigan State, Bowling Green, etc.) Good luck! PM me if you have any more questions.

I gave up my spot in Maryland. Last weekend was their welcome/visit day.

Yeah, I decided to accept an offer from an OB program instead. It was such a difficult decision to decline the offer from Maryland -- the students and the faculty were very nice, warm, and accommodating throughout the entire process. Still on the fence about SIOP...are you going?

I'm not sure what your program is, but I would look at these factors: 1. Research Fit 2. Graduate Placements 3. Quality of Life Obviously, both are top schools, so whatever you choose will get you a good placement after graduate school. I heard Ithaca is a very beautiful place, and I once thought of applying there myself, but I didn't think it was wise for me to do so, knowing that I love the sun too much and wouldn't be able to stand 7 or so months of constant grayness. I would suggest doing a campus visit and meeting the faculty so you get a vibe as to which feels right for you. Good luck!

I decided to decline my offer at Maryland; hopefully they'll offer my spot to someone else!

It says on their website that they only give partial tuition remission to accepted PhD applicants. I have heard from other people that funding is definitely an issue.

Very cool. Thanks for this information! Are you guys also controlling for the number of people currently in the program? I imagine that if there are more people (faculty and students) in the program, then that program has more of an advantage. Just a thought =)

Thanks for this information! Which years are included in your study, and are you only counting poster presentations made at SIOP? In the business field, I know that UT Dallas has been keeping track of business research productivity by looking at how many professors from each business school have been published in top-tier management journals. It would be interesting to see a listing of all the top-tier journals in I/O, and then track how many psychology professors are publishing in those outlets every year. Similarly, it would be interesting to see if we can make a distinction between the I-side and the O-side, and see what the productivity indices are per school.

Saw someone was also accepted at Maryland I/O. Yay! Is he or she around here?

Thanks everyone! Jillybean, I'll send you a PM.

I got an email from my POI at Maryland. Not an official offer yet, but she essentially said I was in the short list. I literally woke up the entire house when I read the email at 6 in the morning.

i heard the teacher's college of columbia university has a social-organizational program with an applied focus, so you may want to check that out. and yes, if you plan on going to consulting rather than academia, you may want to check out MBA Programs (with a focus on OB), or a master's degree in I/O, Human Resources, Organizational Development, or Industrial Relations.

anyone heard from Maryland yet? someone from social psychology posted that they received a university fellowship nomination. isn't the social psychology and the i/o program the same in Maryland?

Congratulations, fuddy! GMU was one of my top choices for I/O, but decided to withdraw at the last minute. Who are you aiming to work for at GMU? They always have a strong presence at SIOP...fun group.

Thanks MissRyan! I heard admissions were going to be very difficult this year due to the budget cuts, but I didn't know it was going to be THIS bad. Good luck to both of us!

I applied to both I/O and Organizational Behavior programs, and have just received my first rejection email from UNC's Org Behavior program. 70 applicants for 1 spot...ouch. One down, 11 to go!

I got my first rejection today from UNC's Organizational Behavior program. The email said they received 70 applications this year for a single opening.

i wonder what the cut-offs are for top-tier programs or universities. in psychology / business / management programs, for instance, i wonder whether they automatically reject scores below 1400, or whether just screen out applicants that are way, way below the program's average.

I'm not applying to clinical psychology, but I am applying to twelve programs in Organizational Behavior / Management. Like you, I have spent a lot of money on applications, and I can't help but worry that I will not get accepted this year. When I decided to apply, I was fairly confident with my chances of getting accepted into the programs that I had in mind. However, reading profiles of other people in this message board has undermined my confidence about getting in. Not to mention, I applied to top schools mostly, as all of the authors that I wish to work with are business faculty in top-tier programs. I guess feeling nervous about the competition is only natural. Sometimes, I remind myself why I'm doing this and what led me to do this, to renew my motivation in applying. I understand how you're feeling, but don't fret -- it will be over soon. If we can't get into a program this year, then it just gives us more time to work on our application for next year. However, before I even devote some time thinking about my next course of action, I think the best move for me right now is to focus on getting done what needs to get done. Goodluck!

I'm applying to one I/O Psychology program and 11 Management / OB Programs.

Educational Psychology is suited for those intending to pursue a career in school settings, although their work encompasses more than just career counseling. On the micro-level, they help students improve performance, and on the macro-level, they work with schools to address issues that will improve learning. If you search for Berkeley's Educational Psychology program, you may find some valuable information. Thanks for the tip on positive psychology; it looks very interesting. I think if career preparation is really your goal, then it would help you if you research more on current trends in career placement (i.e. how are we currently identifying student KSAs, and how can we improve it to match them to the right careers). I'd say you're likely to find that it will be a combination of intelligence (g) and personality. so, you may want to look at a program in educational psychology with strong preparation in psychometrics.

To me, it sounds like you are aiming to be a guidance / career counselor for high school and college students. I think the best option for you is a Master's Degree in School or Educational Psychology. Or, you may even want to try Counseling Psychology. Just a quick note on personality testing and career placement. I am an I/O Psychology graduate student, and I know for a fact that personality tests are poor predictors of job performance. While personality is certainly a factor in matching people to the right jobs, successful career placement really entails finding a good fit between a job and a person's specific knowledge, skills, and abilities. Hope this helps!