Industrial/Organizational Psychology

[Nicole12108]

Hi everyone,

Up until very recently, I was on a direct path working steadily towards applying to Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs. I have a B.A. in Psychology from a well-respected college with TONS of relevant research experience (including a senior thesis). I've gained additional full-time working experience as a Research Assistant in Clinical Psych. and have realized that this isn't what I really want. I'm significantly more interested in the intersection of Business and Psychology and dream of owning a consulting company. I've been researching I/0 Psychology and Organizational Behavior programs and this is where I'm getting stuck.

Here are my questions:

1. To work in an applied I/O setting, do I need a M.A. or a Ph.D. in I/0 Psych?

2. Is there a viable market for these services? What is the job market like for an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist? As I look around, I know MANY people with degrees in a topic they're passionate about (history, forensic psychology) that cannot find jobs. I've been told that I/0 degrees are not marketable and the best alternative is a MBA with a concentration in Organizational Behavior.

3. What type of work experience (other than research) makes an individual a stronger applicant to an I/O program?

This is what I have so far..

1 year at the Ritz-Carlton as a Front Desk agent (basically supervising the daily operations of three different departments)

1 year as a staffing consultant (aka recruiter) in a staffing agency

and 2 years of clinical research experience in a prestigious lab

4. What is the average age of most I/O graduate students? Do a lot of students come in with previous work experience?

5. How does I/O differ from Organizational Behavior? Do OB graduates work alongside I/O professionals? I'm a bit landlocked at the moment (boyfriend is in graduate school) and there are 3-4 Organizational Behavior programs in the area at top 5 schools, but not a single I/0 program.

Thank you in advance to anyone who replies!

[alexis]

I can't answer all of your questions, but hopefully can hit on some of them.

My current professors (in my master's program) have PhDs in I/O Psych. They have worked for consulting firms before becoming professors, and generally, the pay is pretty good (though you lack the flexibility etc. of an academic). The consulting firms they worked for hired only PhDs as consultants, so I don't know if that's the norm, but it certainly would give you an edge if that's what you want to do. I'm not sure how much you can get into the field (especially with the good $$) with just a master's. If you want to do consulting, I think you're more marketable with an I/O PhD degree (or OB Business PhD) than with an MBA with a concentration in OB. But that's just based on my limited perceptions and experiences that have been shared with me by my professors.

I'm starting a PhD program in OB (in a business school) in the fall. I feel like the difference between I/O and OB isn't really a huge one, but OB focuses more on the organizational/business side, and I/O is more on the psych side, and tends to emphasize areas such as testing, etc more than OB does. The I/O folks on here can probably offer more insight than I can though.

As my professor put it, after she met some profs at SIOP who had a PhD in OB and taught at a business school (versus her, who teaches at a College of Arts & Sciences): "basically, we do the same thing, but they make $30K a year more than me."

Work experience is definitely going to work in your favor. But what is going to help you even more is research experience; even if it's not exactly in the I/O or OB field, it will be impressive to admissions committees if you can articulate the research you've done (publications especially) and the research you'd like to do in I/O or OB. So based on what you've described about your research experience, I think you sound like a very competitive applicant.

One last thing, you *might* want not to mention that your dream is to do consulting in your SOPs. I'm not sure about I/O psych, but for business schools, they are looking to produce academics/future researchers. I'm not saying lie about your goals, maybe just leave open the possibility that you might pursue academia if that's something you're open to.

I say go for applying to the OB programs in your area. Good luck!!

[lkells722]

You can work in an applied I/O setting with either degree. As with most disciplines, however, the PhD will provide greater earning potential; and, if it’s applied research you’re interested in, greater autonomy.

Having worked in consulting/technical assistance/training/applied research in multiple sectors, I can safely assert that there is a viable market for I/O degrees. Safe odds are that the sources recommending the MBA are business types who, no offense to them, are at best minimally familiar with exactly what I/O Psychologists do. From HR to organizational development and policy, I/O Psychologists are everywhere, with hands in a bit of everything. I have no doubt you’d find yourself very marketable with an I/O degree.

No one type of experience universally strengthens I/O applications. Everything is considered relative to other characteristics of your package. Your staffing and research experience are likely to set your application apart from others. This is particularly true of programs whose applicants tend to be straight from undergrad with minimal relevant work or research experience.

The differences between OB and I/O programs are slight enough that your interests would likely be well-served in an OB program. Are the programs PhDs in Business with OB concentrations or PhDs in OB? From what I understand from business students, this makes a difference as a PhD in Business might “price you out” of a large number of private sector positions.

I think you should be straightforward about your career aspirations, as masking them might earn you admission to a program that really doesn’t fit your interests. For example, a program geared toward producing professors and academic researchers might make you miserable because it focuses on preparation in a direction you don’t want to go. Just a thought to consider in your application process…

Good luck!

[Monikabhambi]

Dear Nicole,

I am Monika from Mumbai, India. I have completed my MA in I/O Psychology in 2008. I have a total work exp of 2 years.

Read my answers between the lines....

Hi everyone,

Up until very recently, I was on a direct path working steadily towards applying to Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs. I have a B.A. in Psychology from a well-respected college with TONS of relevant research experience (including a senior thesis). I've gained additional full-time working experience as a Research Assistant in Clinical Psych. and have realized that this isn't what I really want. I'm significantly more interested in the intersection of Business and Psychology and dream of owning a consulting company. I've been researching I/0 Psychology and Organizational Behavior programs and this is where I'm getting stuck.

Here are my questions:

1. To work in an applied I/O setting, do I need a M.A. or a Ph.D. in I/0 Psych?

Yes to work in an applied I/O setting you would need to complete your full time MA in I/O Psychology with a 2 months internship programme (depends on country and university)

2. Is there a viable market for these services? What is the job market like for an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist? As I look around, I know MANY people with degrees in a topic they're passionate about (history, forensic psychology) that cannot find jobs. I've been told that I/0 degrees are not marketable and the best alternative is a MBA with a concentration in Organizational Behavior.

Often MAs are compared with MBAs just because there is a demand for MBA. What many people dont understand is that MBA teaches to understand human behaviour at a superficial level, whereas MAs understand it in depth. And it is not true that MAs dont get a job. Infact, they get lucartive jobs sometimes during their internship period itself....and there is an increasing demand for it as organizatiosn are becoming more people (HR oriented) oriented.

3. What type of work experience (other than research) makes an individual a stronger applicant to an I/O program?

This is what I have so far..

1 year at the Ritz-Carlton as a Front Desk agent (basically supervising the daily operations of three different departments)

1 year as a staffing consultant (aka recruiter) in a staffing agency

and 2 years of clinical research experience in a prestigious lab

To work iin this field you would need relevant work exp.....your 1 yera stint as a recruiter is what will help you in your journey.So you can work in any org that has human beings....read more about the subjects in I/O....they are related to recruitment, training and development, compensation and benefits, grievance handling, change management ans so on.

4. What is the average age of most I/O graduate students? Do a lot of students come in with previous work experience?

An average age of most I/O graduate student is the same as any graduate student. I am 25yrs old. I had no prior work exp but i have worked with 2 most reputed orgs in India. Not many students come with prior work exp....although if you have, it will be an added advantage to you.

5. How does I/O differ from Organizational Behavior? Do OB graduates work alongside I/O professionals? I'm a bit landlocked at the moment (boyfriend is in graduate school) and there are 3-4 Organizational Behavior programs in the area at top 5 schools, but not a single I/0 program.

Here in India, OB is a part of I/O Psychology. I would say go for the latter as it gives you a broader perspective about the industrial setting. Let me see how i can let you know about schools that offer I/O Programme.

Hope this help you in someway....do let me know if you need further information on anything else.

Take care

Thank you in advance to anyone who replies!

[johnalexanderevans]

I have a question on a similar topic.  I'm new to the forum and may start my own thread but I thought I'd try here first.  I am in an experimental psychology Ph.D. program.  My research is on personality and social pscyhology in the workplace.  Do you think that this degree would be marketable as an I/O degree?  Would a post doc in I/O help if not?  I thought about switching programs after my MA this year but that would be a huge hastle seeing as I would have to leave the state.  If I could do everything with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology that I could do with a Ph.D. in I/O then I would much rather stay here.  Help!

[Lisa44201]

You cannot market an Experimental degree as an I/O degree because, well, it's not, much like Clinical and Counseling psych degrees are not the same thing. 

[BeingThere]

I am not sure an experimental degree would translate so smoothly into I/O work.  But not for the reason Lisa gave. 

 

If you look at the curriculum for I/O PhD degrees (which are listed on many program websites), you will see that there is a lot of coursework in topics particular to work settings that you will not be getting exposure to by studying personality in the broader sense in an experimental program.  Even though your research pertains to the workplace, your background education would not.  You would be missing at least a year's worth of coursework specific to I/O (or related business degrees.)

 

Go here for a sample I/O graduate program curriculum:  https://www.uakron.edu/psychology/academics/industrial-organizational-psychology/curriculum-outline.dot

 

You would be at a distinct disadvantage.  Further, grads often get jobs through internships or through connections made in I/O programs.  Not having access to those is also a disadvantage.  But, hey, never say never.  Some job postings say "I/O or related field."  You can interpret that how you wish.  Can you do a business degree along with your experimental degree?

Edited October 4, 2013 by Bren2014

[Engali]

I have a question on a similar topic.  I'm new to the forum and may start my own thread but I thought I'd try here first.  I am in an experimental psychology Ph.D. program.  My research is on personality and social pscyhology in the workplace.  Do you think that this degree would be marketable as an I/O degree?  Would a post doc in I/O help if not?  I thought about switching programs after my MA this year but that would be a huge hastle seeing as I would have to leave the state.  If I could do everything with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology that I could do with a Ph.D. in I/O then I would much rather stay here.  Help!

 

 

Depends on what you mean by marketable.  For some applied jobs you would be because they aren't necessarily looking for a psychology PhD with a specialization in I/O in particular.  Those jobs are really looking more for advanced quantitative and research methodology skills in a job applicant.  Do a little research and you'll find jobs that say as much--that they are looking for a PhD in x, y, z field, but would prefer I/O.  

[veets]

Hi everyone,

Up until very recently, I was on a direct path working steadily towards applying to Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs. I have a B.A. in Psychology from a well-respected college with TONS of relevant research experience (including a senior thesis). I've gained additional full-time working experience as a Research Assistant in Clinical Psych. and have realized that this isn't what I really want. I'm significantly more interested in the intersection of Business and Psychology and dream of owning a consulting company. I've been researching I/0 Psychology and Organizational Behavior programs and this is where I'm getting stuck.

Here are my questions:

1. To work in an applied I/O setting, do I need a M.A. or a Ph.D. in I/0 Psych?

2. Is there a viable market for these services? What is the job market like for an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist? As I look around, I know MANY people with degrees in a topic they're passionate about (history, forensic psychology) that cannot find jobs. I've been told that I/0 degrees are not marketable and the best alternative is a MBA with a concentration in Organizational Behavior.

3. What type of work experience (other than research) makes an individual a stronger applicant to an I/O program?

This is what I have so far..

1 year at the Ritz-Carlton as a Front Desk agent (basically supervising the daily operations of three different departments)

1 year as a staffing consultant (aka recruiter) in a staffing agency

and 2 years of clinical research experience in a prestigious lab

4. What is the average age of most I/O graduate students? Do a lot of students come in with previous work experience?

5. How does I/O differ from Organizational Behavior? Do OB graduates work alongside I/O professionals? I'm a bit landlocked at the moment (boyfriend is in graduate school) and there are 3-4 Organizational Behavior programs in the area at top 5 schools, but not a single I/0 program.

Thank you in advance to anyone who replies!

im totally in the same boat as you and just dont know how to proceed!