Masters in I/O Psych valuable?

[university99]

Hey everyone. I keep hearing that a Masters in psychology usually doesn't give you a leg-up career wise, but how about one in I/O psychology? Will it provide opportunity for higher pay and more lucrative positions? I did searches on indeed.com for jobs in I/O psych and most required a Masters or higher, but would going the PhD route be a better alternative?

[PsychPhD]

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.

[university99]

Thanks for the advice! Any other opinions would be greatly appreciated!