I/O Psychology MBA/Ph.D or MBA in Organizational Management?

[oblivion08]

Hello everyone! I am new to this forum and I am just looking for some good advice!

I have a Bachelor's degree from Cal State Northridge in Psychology. My emphasis was in human factors psychology, however, I have noticed that a lot of schools are not offering that program anymore. My second choice was always I/O Psychology because I wanted to get into consulting and Org Management. I have applied to Antioch for the MA in Org Man and Alliant in Los Angeles for the Ph.D.

I am not willing to leave Southern California so I figure Alliant is perfect for me. However, I also applied to a couple schools for an MBA in Organizational Management. The one school I have my eye on is California Lutheran University. I hear they are a pretty good school, but I have not heard much about the MBA.

What I am wondering is if I should go the MBA route or the Ph.D/MA route in I/O Psychology. Ultimately I want to get into Consulting, but I also want a Ph.D. so I could teach later on. I know I could be an adjunct professor or a community college professor, but I would have loved to teach graduate courses as well.

Also, is Alliant a good choice for a Ph.D. in I/O Psychology? I was about to apply to Phillips Graduate Institute but I hated the vibe when I went there so I decided not to. Did I make a good decision there? I also applied to Capella(Online School) and was admitted immediately (which really turned me off), is there a reason to even consider furthering my education with them?

Sorry about all the questions, I am just really confused. Anyways, I would appreciate all the advice!

[imonedaful]

It sounds like YOU need to decide what YOU want to do. If you want to do consulting, MBA is probably the best route. It gives you a more diverse portfolio. If you want to teach graduate level courses, you will probably need a PHD. Ultimately, if you want to do both you could get both. And definitely DO NOT do the online university.

[oblivion08]

Thank you for the response! I definitely want to do consulting, however, I want to teach later on in my career. Is it better if I just get my MBA and go into consulting for a couple of years and then get my Ed.D part-time when I am older and ready to teach?

If I have my PhD in I/O Psych, would I even get paid more or does it matter?

[busybee3]

If consulting is your immediate professional goal, research the job placements for the schools you're interested in and see if their students place in consulting positions or at consulting firms upon graduation. Generally speaking, an MBA is only as good as the school you get it from. California Lutheran University isn't AACSB accredited (AACSB is the premier accredititation agency for business programs.) and the premier consulting firms in your area probably target the big-name business schools in SoCal when hiring.

If you wish to teach later in life, you can become an adjunct or lecturer with any of those degrees. If you wish to teach at the graduate level or obtain tenure, a doctoral degree is almost always required.

[Vap777]

Hey

On 5/29/2012 at 10:46 AM, oblivion08 said:

Thank you for the response! I definitely want to do consulting, however, I want to teach later on in my career. Is it better if I just get my MBA and go into consulting for a couple of years and then get my Ed.D part-time when I am older and ready to teach?

 

If I have my PhD in I/O Psych, would I even get paid more or does it matter?

Hey,

 

Did you make a decision? I am on a similar dilemma. What did the future hold for you?