organizational psychology phd usa

• Best Online Ph.D. In Organizational Psychology Programs

Best Online Ph.D. In Organizational Psychology Programs Of 2024

Updated: Mar 26, 2024, 4:14pm

Industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology applies psychological principles to human problems in business and the workplace. Industrial-organizational psychologists help workers perform their best while also prioritizing their well-being.

Organizational psychology looks particularly at human behavior as part of a company or an organization. Organizational psychologists examine the roles of teamwork, leadership and drive within a company’s workforce.

A Ph.D. is the terminal degree in organizational psychology, and psychologists who want to become board-certified through the American Board of Organizational and Business Consulting Psychology must earn a doctoral degree.

We’ve ranked four of the most reputable U.S. colleges offering online Ph.D.s in organizational psychology. Read on to learn about each of them.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

• 6,290 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide
• 52 reputable tech bootcamp providers evaluated for our rankings
• All content is fact-checked and updated on an annual basis
• Rankings undergo five rounds of fact-checking
• Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded

Our Methodology

We ranked four accredited, nonprofit colleges offering online Ph.D. programs in organizational psychology in the U.S. using 14 data points in the categories of student experience, credibility, student outcomes and affordability. We pulled data for these categories from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites.

Data is accurate as of February 2024. Note that because online doctorates are relatively uncommon, fewer schools meet our ranking standards at the doctoral level.

We scored schools based on the following metrics:

Student Experience:

• Student-to-faculty ratio
• Socioeconomic diversity
• Availability of online coursework
• Total number of graduate assistants
• Portion of graduate students enrolled in at least some distance education

Credibility:

• Fully accredited
• Programmatic accreditation status
• Nonprofit status

Student Outcomes:

• Overall graduation rate
• Median earnings 10 years after graduation

Affordability:

• In-state graduate student tuition and fees
• Alternative tuition plans offered
• Median federal student loan debt
• Student loan default rate

We listed all four schools in the U.S. that met our ranking criteria.

Find our full list of methodologies here .

• Best Master's In ABA Online Degrees
• Best Online Master’s In Counseling Psychology
• Master’s In Counseling
• Best Online Psychology Degrees
• Best Online Psychology Master’s Degrees

Best Online Ph.D. Programs in Organizational Psychology

Should you enroll in an online ph.d. in organizational psychology program, accreditation for online ph.d. programs in industrial organizational psychology, how to find the right online ph.d. in organizational psychology for you, frequently asked questions (faqs) about online doctorates in organizational psychology, liberty university, the chicago school at los angeles, keiser university-ft lauderdale, adler university.

Program Tuition Rate

$595/credit

Percentage of Grad Students Enrolled in Distance Education

Overall Graduation Rate

Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University enrolls more than 135,000 students, 97% of whom take at least some distance learning courses. The university’s online Ph.D. program in industrial-organizational psychology requires 60 credits, does not include in-person requirements and features multiple start dates throughout the year.

Program courses last for eight weeks each and cover the teaching of psychology and organizational behavior and development. Military students receive a significant tuition discount.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on your schedule
• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 60 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Teaching of psychology; organizational behavior and development
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: No

$1,703/credit

Based out of Chicago with additional campuses in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and online, the Chicago School offers an online Ph.D. in business psychology with an industrial and organizational track. Bachelor’s degree holders in the program must complete 97 credits to graduate, while master’s degree holders must complete 61 credits.

The program includes an in-person residency requirement and an opportunity to complete an applied research project. The program takes three years to complete for master’s degree holders and five years to complete for students with bachelor’s degrees.

• Degree Credit Requirements: 61 credits (post-master’s) or 97 credits (post-bachelor’s)
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Statistics and lab; social psychology/behavioral economics
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, for an in-person residency

$15,856/semeste

Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Keiser University features an online Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology that usually takes three to four years to complete. Classes last eight weeks, and Keiser delivers most online coursework asynchronously. Notable courses in the program’s 60-credit curriculum include personnel psychology and organizational psychology.

Distance learners must visit campus to complete two on-campus residencies over the course of their degree. Students can enter the program with a relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree.

• Application Fee: $55
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Personnel psychology, organizational psychology
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, for on-campus residencies

$924/credit

Based in Chicago with a satellite campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Adler University also delivers several online programs, including a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology. Post-bachelor’s students must complete 66 credits to graduate, which takes around three years.

One of the program’s main draws is its social justice practicum, during which online students dedicate eight to 10 hours per week for 200 total hours to a specific community site. Learners may complete the practicum in person or online.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• Application Fee: Free
• Degree Credit Requirements: 66 credits
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Statistics, social justice practicum

Pursuing any online degree, especially one as rigorous as a Ph.D., is a large undertaking, and distance learning may not suit all students. To determine if online college is for you, ask yourself a few key questions:

• What are your other commitments? Flexibility is arguably the main draw of online learning. If you’re juggling large responsibilities outside of school, you may want to prioritize asynchronous online programs, which do not have scheduled class times and offer maximum scheduling flexibility.
• What’s your budget? Distance learners often avoid certain costs associated with on-campus learning, including housing and transportation. Moreover, some public universities allow students who enroll only in online coursework to pay in-state or otherwise discounted tuition rates.
• How do you learn best? While online learning is generally more flexible and affordable than on-campus learning, it isn’t the right fit for everyone. Distance learning requires a great deal of discipline, organization and time management. If you need additional structure, perhaps in the form of a classroom or an in-person cohort, on-campus learning might provide a better fit.

There are two key types of college accreditation : institutional and programmatic.

Institutional accreditation applies to the whole school. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) oversee the agencies that handle institutional accreditation. These agencies vet schools for the quality of their finances, faculty, programs and student services, among other categories.

You should enroll only at institutionally accredited schools. Otherwise, you will be ineligible for federal student aid, and employers and credentialing bodies may not recognize your degree as valid. To check a school’s accreditation status, you can visit its website or check the directory on CHEA’s website .

Programmatic accreditation provides a similar vetting service for specific degree programs and departments. In psychology, keep an eye out for accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA). To become a board-certified organizational psychologist in the U.S., you’ll need an APA-accredited doctorate.

Keep the following in mind as you survey your options for online organizational psychology doctoral programs.

Consider Your Future Goals

A Ph.D. in organizational psychology can lead to lucrative careers with high levels of responsibility in academia, research, management consulting, policy and human resources, among other fields. That said, every program is different, and it’s important to choose the option that best aligns with your goals and circumstances.

For example, consider each prospective program’s dissertation and field experience requirements. If you’re looking to pursue an academic career after earning your doctorate, you should complete a dissertation, which can give you research experience and help you get published. Alternatively, field experience can also prepare you for work in your area of interest, whether that’s consulting, policy or human resources.

If you want to become a board-certified industrial-organizational psychologist, you can earn that credential through the American Board of Organizational and Business Consulting Psychology after you finish your doctoral program.

Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options

Per-credit tuition rates for the qualifying programs in our guide range from $595 to $1,703. Credit requirements vary from around 60 (for master’s degree holders) to 90 (for bachelor’s graduates). As such, total tuition costs for the programs in our guide range from around $36,000 to $150,000.

To lower the cost of your education, you should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). The FAFSA is your portal to federal student aid opportunities like loans, grants and scholarships. You can also seek aid through third parties like nonprofits, private organizations, private lenders and your future university.

On-campus Ph.D. programs sometimes provide stipends to graduate students who work as teaching assistants for undergraduate courses or assist professors with research. However, these opportunities aren’t always available to distance learners.

Is a Ph.D. in organizational psychology worth it?

It depends on your goals and circumstances. If you want to become board-certified as an organizational psychologist or pursue high-level roles in consulting or academia, a Ph.D. in the field is often worth it.

Is it possible to get a Ph.D. in psychology online?

Yes. We’ve ranked four qualifying schools that offer online Ph.D. programs in organizational psychology.

How long does a Ph.D. in industrial organizational psychology take?

Master’s degree holders can often finish a Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology in three years, while bachelor’s degree holders may need up to five years to finish. Dissertation requirements can also affect completion times.

Mikeie Reiland is a writer who has written features for Oxford American, Bitter Southerner, Gravy, and SB Nation, among other publications. He received a James Beard nomination for a feature he wrote in 2023.

Top 10 PhD in industrial organizational psychology Programs

Welcome to our ranking of the Top 10 PhD programs in industrial organizational psychology .

The field of industrial and organizational psychology takes an in-depth look at human behavior in the workplace. I/O psychologists are an asset to any organization in today’s competitive business environment. Doctoral level psychologists have advanced training in areas like human performance and human factors and job analysis. They are able to address issues in areas like training and development, recruitment, and workplace motivation. Industrial/organizational psychology is a great fit for psychologists who want to help teams succeed and organizations achieve their business goals.

Featured Schools

Methodology.

We created this ranking of the top industrial organizational psychology PhD programs to showcase some of the best IO psych PhD programs in the country. We used information from the National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator to identify accredited colleges offering a doctoral degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. We narrowed our focus to programs offering a well rounded curriculum based on the scientist-practitioner approach which prepares graduates for a variety of different career settings. All programs require a dissertation and research experience which provide students with the necessary training and skill development to be successful in the field. We then applied our ranking criteria using the average graduate tuition rate (realizing it may differ for PhD programs) and student to faculty ratio.

Ranking: Top 10 IO Psychology PhD programs

Average Graduate Tuition

• Less than $10,000 per year= 5 Points
• $10,000 to $15,000 per year= 4 Points
• $15,001 to $20,000 per year= 3 Points
• $20,001 to $25,000 per year= 2 Points
• Greater than $25,001 per year= 1 Point

Student to Faculty Ratio

• 12:1 or less= 5 Points
• 13:1 to 15:1= 3 Points
• Greater than 15:1= 1 Point

10. DePaul University – Chicago, Illinois

Industrial organizational psychology ma/phd.

More Information

Student to Faculty Ratio: 17:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $17,951/year Points: 4 The College of Science and Health at DePaul University features an industrial organizational psychology MA/PhD program. Students can tailor the program to meet their professional goals by choosing a secondary specialization in:

• communication
• women’s and gender studies

Students are engaged in forward-thinking research that helps prepare them for successful careers. 100% of I/O psychology graduates from DePaul were employed or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Champaign, Illinois

Phd in industrial-organizational psychology.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 21:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $14,635/year in-state and $27,674/year out-of-state Points: 5 The Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois offers a top doctorate in organizational psychology that prepares students for research and to apply theory to organizations around the world. Students will participate in research tackling tough challenges like:

• hiring/personnel selection
• race gaps in HR
• effects of job loss

The curriculum covers the breadth of I/O psychology and general psychology through coursework with faculty and the depth of the field with an individualized program of study created by the student and their advisor. Program alumni include prominent I/O psychologists and journal editors.

8. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College – New York, New York

Doctoral program in industrial organizational psychology.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 20:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $11,090/year in-state and $20,520/year out-of-state Points: 5 The City University of New York Baruch College is a regionally accredited institution offering a top doctoral program in industrial organizational psychology. The program supports a collaborative culture of faculty and student support in research excellence. Diversity is a core value, emphasized by student and faculty research in areas like demographic diversity and LGBTQ issues in the workplace. The program attracts some of the top talents in the field and faculty are widely recognized for their contributions to I/O psychology. Graduates are ready for a wide variety of career paths in academic and consulting settings.

7. Clemson University – Clemson, South Carolina

Industrial organizational psychology phd.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 16:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $10,600/year in-state and $22,050/year out-of-state Points: 5 The top organizational psychology doctorate program from Clemson University follows the scientist-practitioner model and follows the doctoral program guidelines set by the SIOP. Students gain experience in quantitative research techniques and design and in solving complex organizational issues. Students complete dissertation research and internships to gain professional experience. The program is designed to be completed in four or five years.

6. Columbia University in the City of New York – New York, New York

Doctor of philosophy in social-organizational psychology.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 6:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $50,496/year Points: 6 The Teachers College at Columbia University offers a top PhD in social-organizational psychology for students interested in research, practice, or scholarship. The program is designed for full-time graduate students. A unique aspect of the program is the theoretical, research, and applied focus that allows students to study organizations from a variety of perspectives. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used to tackle complex issues. Most students can complete their degree in six or seven years of post-baccalaureate study.

5. University of Georgia – Athens, Georgia

The industrial organizational psychology doctoral program.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 17:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $8,878/year in-state and $25,186/year out-of-state Points: 6 The top industrial organizational doctorate degree at the University of Georgia is a highly customizable program. Students can choose to focus exclusively in the area of I/O psychology or complete a blended program that includes measurement and individual differences. Students will participate in research and select courses that align with their career goals. Professional experience opportunities are available through internships approved by the faculty. Graduates are ready to pursue exciting I/O psychology careers in settings like academia and government.

4. University of Houston – Houston, Texas

Phd industrial organizational psychology.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 21:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $8,713/year in-state and $17,857/year out-of-state Points: 6 The University of Houston offers the oldest and largest I/O psychology graduate program in the United States. Students produce high-quality research featured in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences. Courses include:

• Multilevel Modeling
• Personnel Psychology
• Statistics for Psychology

The program structure allows students to work with their advisors as well as other program faculty, including business school faculty and faculty at other universities. Students are trained to be academic faculty members and real-world practitioners through the scientists-practitioner model. Most students can complete their degree in four years.

3. Texas A&M University – College Station, Texas

Doctor of philosophy (phd) in industrial and organizational psychology.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 19:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $6,885/year in-state and $19,592/year out-of-state Points: 6 The industrial organizational psychology doctoral program at Texas A&M University prepares students to be scientists and practitioners. The program emphasizes academic research-based training, but graduates are also prepared to work in government agencies, consulting firms, and research organizations. Faculty are renown scholars in areas like performance appraisal, group processes, and workplace diversity. Students can complete the program in about five years of post-baccalaureate study.

2. Louisiana Tech University – Ruston, Louisiana

Industrial organizational psychology (phd).

Student to Faculty Ratio: 20:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $5,416/year in-state and $10,147/year out-of-state Points: 6 The College of Education at Louisiana Tech University features a top industrial organizational psychology PhD program rich with hands-on learning opportunities. Courses cover areas like:

• Job Analysis and Performance Appraisal
• Psychometrics
• Organizational Consulting

Students complete 84 semester hours of coursework, a dissertation, practicum training, and must pass a doctoral comprehensive examination. Students work on research and applied projects through the Applied Research for Organizational Solutions group. Most students take between three and four years of full-time post-baccalaureate study to complete the program.

1. Saint Louis University – Saint Louis, Missouri

Industrial and organizational psychology phd.

Student to Faculty Ratio: 9:1 Average Graduate Tuition: $21,960/year Points: 7 Our top choice for a PhD in industrial organizational psychology is offered by Saint Louis University. Saint Louis University features the oldest psychology department at a Jesuit university, offering courses in psychology for over 100 years. This top I/O psychology PhD program covers areas like:

• Occupational health
• Systems and process consultation

Students are involved in supervised research and professional experience while gain competence in research and organizational consultation. Graduates are employed at top organizations like Nike, the US Secret Service, and Pfizer.

Should I Obtain My Masters or PhD in Organizational Psychology?

As a student begins to plan for their ultimate careers in the field of IO psychology, the decision should be made as to how much education is desired, a master’s degree or a doctorate. Typically speaking, in a master’s program, the student is training to be an IO professional.  An IO professional will consider how to apply the principles of IO psychology to solve specific organizational problems. Simply speaking, IO professionals are trained to help organizations; IO professionals practice IO psychology.

In a PhD organizational psychology program, students are training to become an IO scholar.  An IO scholar will do the same tasks as the IO professional, but will also use those experiences to advance our general understanding of IO through research. For students that would like to teach at a collegiate level, the only suitable degree is a PhD. Ultimately, IO scholars are trained to advance organizational science, helping organizations along the way; IO scholars conduct research.

In practice, this means that an I/O psychology PhD will generally be making the big decisions, while the IOs with Master’s degree will aid with implementation or conduct background research.

A student should decide if he or she wants to pursue a terminal master’s or continue on to a PhD as early as is possible in his or her educational career.  This will help the student tailor his or her coursework through the undergraduate and graduate years specifically to the degree and future job prospects that he or she desires.

Job Descriptions for I/O Psychologists

According to a 2014 report by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, positions in industrial and organizational psychology are expected to increase by 53.4% from 2012 to 2022, placing trained I/O professionals in high demand. I/O psychology is still fairly uncommon in the grand scheme of psychologists, but the number of practitioners continues to rise exponentially.

I/O practitioners typically find employment in a number of areas including:

• public and private industries
• educational institutions
• government agencies

Because the skills they possess are so varied, it is sometimes difficult to enumerate the jobs that an IO psychologist could successfully fill.  One obvious area where IO psychologists thrive is in human resources. Typically, these types of jobs include working directly with employees in such areas as:

• employee training and development
• employee relations
• employee compensation and benefit negotiations

Many times, the human resource skills brought to the table by IO psychologists make for solid general managers, as well.  Another area where IO psychologists thrive is in government.  Those with an advanced degree in social (industrial organizational) psychology are especially adept in labor law, affirmative action cases and policy, and union relations. Finally, many industrial organizational psychologists, especially at the PhD level, find their home in the area of research.  Studying such areas of business such as personnel selection, work motivation, talent development, and organizational change can make monumental improvements in the working lives of millions of people.

Additional job titles held by Industrial Organizational professionals are: HR Practice Leader * Behavioral Analyst * Behavioral Scientist * Talent Management Specialist * HR Organizational Development Specialist * Executive Coach * Career Coach * Leadership Coach * Employment Testing Professional * Testing Specialist * Tests and Measurement Specialist * Assessment and Selection Specialist * Employment Law Expert * Research Analyst * Organizational Development * Organization Effectiveness * Organizational Capability * Talent Management * Management Development * Workforce Insights * Human Resources * Human Resources Research * Employee Relations * Training and Development * Professional Development * Leadership Development * Selection Systems * Evaluation & Assessment * Testing Programs * Leadership Research * Assessment * Applied Behavioral Research * Optimization * Managing * Leadership * Learning & Performance * Career Planning

Related Resources:

• 30 Great Scholarships, Grants & Awards for Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• Top 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• Top 9 Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology Online
• Top 10 Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology Online
• 10 Most Affordable Top-Ranked Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• Top 10 Bachelor’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology 
• Top 25 Campus Based Industrial-Organizational Psychology Master’s Degree Programs
• Top 15 Industrial/Organizational Certificate Programs
• Neoacademic.com
• Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Websites

• Harvard Business School →
• Doctoral Programs →
• PhD Programs
• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)

Organizational Behavior

• Technology & Operations Management
• Program Requirements

Scholars in the doctoral program in Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School are prepared to pursue an interdisciplinary inquiry into issues that are broadly related to the functioning of individuals within groups, at either the micro or macro level. Graduates of our program go on to become the leading researchers and thinkers in organizational behavior, shaping the field and advancing theoretical understanding in posts at schools of management or in disciplinary departments.

The Organizational Behavior program is jointly administered by the faculty of Harvard Business School and the Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and students have the opportunity to work with faculty from both the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Business School.

Curriculum & Coursework

Our program offers two distinct tracks, with research focused either on the micro or macro level. Students who choose to focus on micro organizational behavior take a psychological approach to the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and groups, and the effects that groups have on individuals. In macro organizational behavior, scholars use sociological methods to examine the organizations, groups, and markets themselves, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives.

Your core disciplinary training will take place in either the psychology or sociology departments, depending on the track that you choose. You will also conduct advanced coursework in organizational behavior at HBS, and complete two MBA elective curriculum courses. Students are required to teach for one full academic term in order to gain valuable teaching experience, and to work as an apprentice to a faculty member to develop research skills. Upon completion of coursework, students prepare and present a dossier that includes a qualifying paper, at least two other research papers, and a statement outlining a plan for their dissertation. Before beginning work on the dissertation, students must pass the Organizational Behavior Exam, which presents an opportunity to synthesize academic coursework and prepare for an in-depth research project.

Research & Dissertation

Examples of doctoral thesis research.

• Cross-group relations, stress, and the subsequent effect on performance
• Internal group dynamics of corporate boards of directors
• Organizational mission and its effect on commitment and effort
• Psychological tendencies and collaboration with dissimilar others

Aurora Turek

Justine Murray

Jaylon Sherrell

“ In HBS’s Organizational Behavior program I receive outstanding, rigorous training in disciplinary methods and also benefit from the myriad resources that HBS has to offer. HBS scholars are looking to apply their research to real-world problems, come up with interventions, and make a real difference. ”

Current Harvard Sociology & Psychology Faculty

• George A. Alvarez
• Mahzarin R. Banaji
• Jason Beckfield
• Lawrence D. Bobo
• Mary C. Brinton
• Joshua W. Buckholtz
• Randy L. Buckner
• Alfonso Caramazza
• Susan E. Carey
• Paul Y. Chang
• Mina Cikara
• Christina Ciocca Eller
• Christina Cross
• Fiery Cushman
• Frank Dobbin
• Samuel J. Gershman
• Daniel Gilbert
• Joshua D. Greene
• Jill M. Hooley
• Rakesh Khurana
• Alexandra Killewald
• Talia Konkle
• Max Krasnow
• Michèle Lamont
• Ellen Langer
• Joscha Legewie
• Ya-Wen Lei
• Patrick Mair
• Peter V. Marsden
• Katie A. McLaughlin
• Richard J. McNally
• Jason P. Mitchell
• Ellis Monk
• Matthew K. Nock
• Orlando Patterson
• Elizabeth A. Phelps
• Steven Pinker
• Robert J. Sampson
• Daniel L. Schacter
• Theda Skocpol
• Mario L. Small
• Jesse Snedeker
• Leah H. Somerville
• Elizabeth S. Spelke
• Tomer D. Ullman
• Adaner Usmani
• Jocelyn Viterna
• Mary C. Waters
• John R. Weisz
• Christopher Winship
• Xiang Zhou

Current HBS Faculty

• Julie Battilana
• Max H. Bazerman
• David E. Bell
• Ethan S. Bernstein
• Alison Wood Brooks
• Edward H. Chang
• Julian De Freitas
• Amy C. Edmondson
• Robin J. Ely
• Alexandra C. Feldberg
• Carolyn J. Fu
• Amit Goldenberg
• Boris Groysberg
• Ranjay Gulati
• Linda A. Hill
• Nien-he Hsieh
• Jon M. Jachimowicz
• Summer R. Jackson
• Leslie K. John
• Jillian J. Jordan
• Rakesh Khurana
• Hyunjin Kim
• Joshua D. Margolis
• Edward McFowland III
• Kathleen L. McGinn
• Tsedal Neeley
• Michael I. Norton
• Leslie A. Perlow
• Jeffrey T. Polzer
• Ryan L. Raffaelli
• Lakshmi Ramarajan
• James W. Riley
• Clayton S. Rose
• Arthur I Segel
• Emily Truelove
• Michael L. Tushman
• Ashley V. Whillans
• Letian Zhang
• Julian J. Zlatev

Current Organizational Behavior Students

• Jennifer Abel
• Yajun Cao
• Grace Cormier
• Megan Gorges
• Bushra Guenoun
• Elizabeth Johnson
• Caleb Kealoha
• Kai Krautter
• Justine Murray
• C. Ryann Noe
• Elizabeth Sheprow
• Jaylon Sherrell
• Yoon Jae Shin
• Erin Shirtz
• Samantha N. Smith
• Tiffany Smith
• Channing Spencer
• Yuval Spiegler
• Emily Tedards
• Aurora Turek

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, hanne collins, 2024, evan defilippis, 2023, hayley blunden, 2022, lumumba seegars, 2021, karen huang, 2020, stefan dimitriadis, 2019, elizabeth hansen, 2019, julie yen, 2024, jeff steiner, 2023, ahmmad brown, 2022, yanhua bird, 2020, jeffrey lees, 2020, alexandra feldberg, 2019, martha jeong, 2019, nicole abi-esber, 2023, elliot stoller, 2023, ariella kristal, 2022, leroy gonsalves, 2020, alicia desantola, 2019, catarina fernandes, 2019.

About Stanford GSB

• The Leadership
• Dean’s Updates
• School News & History
• Commencement
• Business, Government & Society
• Centers & Institutes
• Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
• Center for Social Innovation
• Stanford Seed

About the Experience

• Learning at Stanford GSB
• Experiential Learning
• Guest Speakers
• Entrepreneurship
• Social Innovation
• Communication
• Life at Stanford GSB
• Collaborative Environment
• Activities & Organizations
• Student Services
• Housing Options
• International Students

Full-Time Degree Programs

• Why Stanford MBA
• Academic Experience
• Financial Aid
• Why Stanford MSx
• Research Fellows Program
• See All Programs

Non-Degree & Certificate Programs

• Executive Education
• Stanford Executive Program
• Programs for Organizations
• The Difference
• Online Programs
• Stanford LEAD
• Seed Transformation Program
• Aspire Program
• Seed Spark Program
• Faculty Profiles
• Academic Areas
• Awards & Honors
• Conferences

Faculty Research

• Publications
• Working Papers
• Case Studies

Research Hub

• Research Labs & Initiatives
• Business Library
• Data, Analytics & Research Computing
• Behavioral Lab

Research Labs

• Cities, Housing & Society Lab
• Golub Capital Social Impact Lab

Research Initiatives

• Corporate Governance Research Initiative
• Corporations and Society Initiative
• Policy and Innovation Initiative
• Rapid Decarbonization Initiative
• Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative
• Value Chain Innovation Initiative
• Venture Capital Initiative
• Career & Success
• Climate & Sustainability
• Corporate Governance
• Culture & Society
• Finance & Investing
• Government & Politics
• Leadership & Management
• Markets and Trade
• Operations & Logistics
• Opportunity & Access
• Technology & AI
• Opinion & Analysis
• Email Newsletter

Welcome, Alumni

• Communities
• Digital Communities & Tools
• Regional Chapters
• Women’s Programs
• Identity Chapters
• Find Your Reunion
• Career Resources
• Job Search Resources
• Career & Life Transitions
• Programs & Webinars
• Career Video Library
• Alumni Education
• Research Resources
• Volunteering
• Alumni News
• Class Notes
• Alumni Voices
• Contact Alumni Relations
• Upcoming Events

Admission Events & Information Sessions

• MBA Program
• MSx Program
• PhD Program
• Alumni Events
• All Other Events
• Requirements
• Requirements: Behavioral
• Requirements: Quantitative
• Requirements: Macro
• Requirements: Micro
• Annual Evaluations
• Field Examination
• Research Activities
• Research Papers
• Dissertation
• Oral Examination
• Current Students
• Entering Class Profile
• Education & CV
• GMAT & GRE
• International Applicants
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation
• Reapplicants
• Application Fee Waiver
• Deadline & Decisions
• Job Market Candidates
• Academic Placements
• Stay in Touch
• Fields of Study
• Student Life
• Organizational Behavior

In the field of organizational behavior we research fundamental questions about the behavior of individuals, groups and organizations, from both psychological and sociological perspectives.

A distinguishing feature of Stanford’s PhD Program in organizational behavior is the broad interdisciplinary training it provides. Our students benefit from their interactions with scholars from many disciplines within the Graduate School of Business, as well as from Stanford University’s long-standing strength in the study of psychology, organizations, and economic sociology.  The program is broken down into two broad subareas: Macro Organizational Behavior and Micro Organizational Behavior .

Cross-registration in courses, access to faculty, and participation in colloquia are available in other Stanford departments, such as sociology and psychology . Strong relations with these departments mean that students can build their careers on the foundation of strong disciplinary training in psychology and sociology, respectively.

A small number of students are accepted into the program each year, with a total of about 20 organizational behavior students in residence.

The doctoral program places a heavy emphasis on training students through active engagement in the process of doing research. In addition to formal seminars with invited presenters, our faculty and students exchange research ideas and advice at informal weekly lunches and lab meetings. Students work as research assistants and are expected to conduct independent research early in the program. 

Preparation and Qualifications

All students are required to have, or to obtain during their first year, mathematical skills at the level of one course each of calculus and linear algebra, probability, and mathematical statistics.

Macro Organizational Behavior: Organizational Theory and Economic Sociology

The Macro OB track is dedicated to training students who will be leading researchers in the fields of organizational theory and economic sociology. Our faculty members are among the foremost scholars who bring a sociological approach to the study of organizations and markets , and they are especially active in the fast-developing field of computational social science. They use and teach a variety of research methods such as social network analysis, natural language processing, agent-based modeling, and online group experiments.

Our area has trained students to study a range of topics:

• Organizational culture and its dynamics
• The dynamics of change in organizations
• Social networks and the diffusion of ideas or beliefs within them
• The role of identity and categories in organizational processes
• Social movements and their influence on firms and markets
• Firm strategies and the effects of long-run histories of strategic interaction
• Organizational learning processes
• Entrepreneurship and firm formation processes
• The impact of workforce demographic change and labor market inequality

Micro Organizational Behavior

The study of how individuals and groups affect and are affected by organizational context. Drawing primarily on psychological approaches to social science questions, this area includes such topics as:

• Decision-making
• Moral judgment
• Social norms
• Negotiation and bargaining
• Cooperation and altruism
• Group processes
• Stereotyping and injustice
• Personality
• Power, status and influence

There is also a formal institutional link between the behavioral side of marketing and the micro side of organizational behavior, which is called the Behavioral Interest Group. The Stanford GSB Behavioral Lab links members of this group. This lab supports work across field boundaries among those with behavioral interests.

Macro Organizational Behavior Faculty

William p. barnett, robert a. burgelman, glenn r. carroll, julien clement, amir goldberg, helena miton, hayagreeva rao, sarah a. soule, jesper b. sørensen, micro organizational behavior faculty, justin m. berg, jennifer eberhardt, francis j. flynn, michele j. gelfand, deborah h. gruenfeld, michal kosinski, brian s. lowery, ashley martin, david melnikoff, dale t. miller, benoît monin, charles a. o’reilly, jeffrey pfeffer, emeriti faculty, michael t. hannan, roderick m. kramer, joanne martin, margaret ann neale, jerry i. porras, recent publications in organizational behavior, organizational culture archetypes and firm performance, a future for organizational diversity training: mobilizing diversity science to improve effectiveness, social norm change: drivers and consequences, recent insights by stanford business, your summer 2024 podcast playlist, why investors throw money at eccentric ceos, psst — wanna know why gossip has evolved in every human society.

• See the Current DEI Report
• Supporting Data
• Research & Insights
• Share Your Thoughts
• Search Fund Primer
• Teaching & Curriculum
• Affiliated Faculty
• Faculty Advisors
• Louis W. Foster Resource Center
• Defining Social Innovation
• Impact Compass
• Global Health Innovation Insights
• Faculty Affiliates
• Student Awards & Certificates
• Changemakers
• Dean Jonathan Levin
• Dean Garth Saloner
• Dean Robert Joss
• Dean Michael Spence
• Dean Robert Jaedicke
• Dean Rene McPherson
• Dean Arjay Miller
• Dean Ernest Arbuckle
• Dean Jacob Hugh Jackson
• Dean Willard Hotchkiss
• Faculty in Memoriam
• Stanford GSB Firsts
• Class of 2024 Candidates
• Certificate & Award Recipients
• Dean’s Remarks
• Keynote Address
• Teaching Approach
• Analysis and Measurement of Impact
• The Corporate Entrepreneur: Startup in a Grown-Up Enterprise
• Data-Driven Impact
• Designing Experiments for Impact
• Digital Marketing
• The Founder’s Right Hand
• Marketing for Measurable Change
• Product Management
• Public Policy Lab: Financial Challenges Facing US Cities
• Public Policy Lab: Homelessness in California
• Lab Features
• Curricular Integration
• View From The Top
• Formation of New Ventures
• Managing Growing Enterprises
• Startup Garage
• Explore Beyond the Classroom
• Stanford Venture Studio
• Summer Program
• Workshops & Events
• The Five Lenses of Entrepreneurship
• Leadership Labs
• Executive Challenge
• Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program
• Selection Process
• Training Schedule
• Time Commitment
• Learning Expectations
• Post-Training Opportunities
• Who Should Apply
• Introductory T-Groups
• Leadership for Society Program
• Certificate
• 2024 Awardees
• 2023 Awardees
• 2022 Awardees
• 2021 Awardees
• 2020 Awardees
• 2019 Awardees
• 2018 Awardees
• Social Management Immersion Fund
• Stanford Impact Founder Fellowships
• Stanford Impact Leader Prizes
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Stanford GSB Impact Fund
• Economic Development
• Energy & Environment
• Stanford GSB Residences
• Environmental Leadership
• Stanford GSB Artwork
• A Closer Look
• California & the Bay Area
• Voices of Stanford GSB
• Business & Beneficial Technology
• Business & Sustainability
• Business & Free Markets
• Business, Government, and Society Forum
• Get Involved
• Second Year
• Global Experiences
• JD/MBA Joint Degree
• MA Education/MBA Joint Degree
• MD/MBA Dual Degree
• MPP/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Computer Science/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Electrical Engineering/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Environment and Resources (E-IPER)/MBA Joint Degree
• Academic Calendar
• Clubs & Activities
• LGBTQ+ Students
• Military Veterans
• Minorities & People of Color
• Partners & Families
• Students with Disabilities
• Student Support
• Residential Life
• Student Voices
• MBA Alumni Voices
• A Week in the Life
• Career Support
• Employment Outcomes
• Cost of Attendance
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
• Yellow Ribbon Program
• BOLD Fellows Fund
• Application Process
• Loan Forgiveness
• Contact the Financial Aid Office
• Evaluation Criteria
• English Language Proficiency
• Personal Information, Activities & Awards
• Professional Experience
• Optional Short Answer Questions
• Application Fee
• Reapplication
• Deferred Enrollment
• Joint & Dual Degrees
• Event Schedule
• Ambassadors
• New & Noteworthy
• Ask a Question
• See Why Stanford MSx
• Is MSx Right for You?
• MSx Stories
• Leadership Development
• How You Will Learn
• Admission Events
• Personal Information
• GMAT, GRE & EA
• English Proficiency Tests
• Career Change
• Career Advancement
• Daycare, Schools & Camps
• U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
• Faculty Mentors
• Current Fellows
• Standard Track
• Fellowship & Benefits
• Group Enrollment
• Program Formats
• Developing a Program
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Strategic Transformation
• Program Experience
• Contact Client Services
• Campus Experience
• Live Online Experience
• Silicon Valley & Bay Area
• Digital Credentials
• Faculty Spotlights
• Participant Spotlights
• Eligibility
• International Participants
• Stanford Ignite
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Operations, Information & Technology
• Political Economy
• Classical Liberalism
• The Eddie Lunch
• Accounting Summer Camp
• California Econometrics Conference
• California Quantitative Marketing PhD Conference
• California School Conference
• China India Insights Conference
• Homo economicus, Evolving
• Political Economics (2023–24)
• Scaling Geologic Storage of CO2 (2023–24)
• A Resilient Pacific: Building Connections, Envisioning Solutions
• Adaptation and Innovation
• Changing Climate
• Civil Society
• Climate Impact Summit
• Climate Science
• Corporate Carbon Disclosures
• Earth’s Seafloor
• Environmental Justice
• Operations and Information Technology
• Organizations
• Sustainability Reporting and Control
• Taking the Pulse of the Planet
• Urban Infrastructure
• Watershed Restoration
• Junior Faculty Workshop on Financial Regulation and Banking
• Ken Singleton Celebration
• Marketing Camp
• Quantitative Marketing PhD Alumni Conference
• Presentations
• Theory and Inference in Accounting Research
• Stanford Closer Look Series
• Quick Guides
• Core Concepts
• Journal Articles
• Glossary of Terms
• Faculty & Staff
• Researchers & Students
• Research Approach
• Charitable Giving
• Financial Health
• Government Services
• Workers & Careers
• Short Course
• Adaptive & Iterative Experimentation
• Incentive Design
• Social Sciences & Behavioral Nudges
• Bandit Experiment Application
• Conferences & Events
• Reading Materials
• Energy Entrepreneurship
• Faculty & Affiliates
• SOLE Report
• Responsible Supply Chains
• Current Study Usage
• Pre-Registration Information
• Participate in a Study
• Founding Donors
• Location Information
• Participant Profile
• Network Membership
• Program Impact
• Collaborators
• Entrepreneur Profiles
• Company Spotlights
• Seed Transformation Network
• Responsibilities
• Current Coaches
• How to Apply
• Meet the Consultants
• Meet the Interns
• Intern Profiles
• Collaborate
• Research Library
• News & Insights
• Program Contacts
• Databases & Datasets
• Research Guides
• Consultations
• Research Workshops
• Career Research
• Research Data Services
• Course Reserves
• Course Research Guides
• Material Loan Periods
• Fines & Other Charges
• Document Delivery
• Interlibrary Loan
• Equipment Checkout
• Print & Scan
• MBA & MSx Students
• PhD Students
• Other Stanford Students
• Faculty Assistants
• Research Assistants
• Stanford GSB Alumni
• Telling Our Story
• Staff Directory
• Site Registration
• Alumni Directory
• Alumni Email
• Privacy Settings & My Profile
• Success Stories
• The Story of Circles
• Support Women’s Circles
• Stanford Women on Boards Initiative
• Alumnae Spotlights
• Insights & Research
• Industry & Professional
• Entrepreneurial Commitment Group
• Recent Alumni
• Half-Century Club
• Fall Reunions
• Spring Reunions
• MBA 25th Reunion
• Half-Century Club Reunion
• Faculty Lectures
• Ernest C. Arbuckle Award
• Alison Elliott Exceptional Achievement Award
• ENCORE Award
• Excellence in Leadership Award
• John W. Gardner Volunteer Leadership Award
• Robert K. Jaedicke Faculty Award
• Jack McDonald Military Service Appreciation Award
• Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership Award
• Tapestry Award
• Student & Alumni Events
• Executive Recruiters
• Interviewing
• Land the Perfect Job with LinkedIn
• Negotiating
• Elevator Pitch
• Email Best Practices
• Resumes & Cover Letters
• Self-Assessment
• Whitney Birdwell Ball
• Margaret Brooks
• Bryn Panee Burkhart
• Margaret Chan
• Ricki Frankel
• Peter Gandolfo
• Cindy W. Greig
• Natalie Guillen
• Carly Janson
• Sloan Klein
• Sherri Appel Lassila
• Stuart Meyer
• Tanisha Parrish
• Virginia Roberson
• Philippe Taieb
• Michael Takagawa
• Terra Winston
• Johanna Wise
• Debbie Wolter
• Rebecca Zucker
• Complimentary Coaching
• Changing Careers
• Work-Life Integration
• Career Breaks
• Flexible Work
• Encore Careers
• Join a Board
• D&B Hoovers
• Data Axle (ReferenceUSA)
• EBSCO Business Source
• Global Newsstream
• Market Share Reporter
• ProQuest One Business
• RKMA Market Research Handbook Series
• Student Clubs
• Entrepreneurial Students
• Stanford GSB Trust
• Alumni Community
• How to Volunteer
• Springboard Sessions
• Consulting Projects
• 2020 – 2029
• 2010 – 2019
• 2000 – 2009
• 1990 – 1999
• 1980 – 1989
• 1970 – 1979
• 1960 – 1969
• 1950 – 1959
• 1940 – 1949
• Service Areas
• ACT History
• ACT Awards Celebration
• ACT Governance Structure
• Building Leadership for ACT
• Individual Leadership Positions
• Leadership Role Overview
• Purpose of the ACT Management Board
• Contact ACT
• Business & Nonprofit Communities
• Reunion Volunteers
• Ways to Give
• Fiscal Year Report
• Business School Fund Leadership Council
• Planned Giving Options
• Planned Giving Benefits
• Planned Gifts and Reunions
• Legacy Partners
• Giving News & Stories
• Giving Deadlines
• Development Staff
• Submit Class Notes
• Class Secretaries
• Board of Directors
• Health Care
• Sustainability
• Class Takeaways
• All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions
• If/Then: Business, Leadership, Society
• Grit & Growth
• Think Fast, Talk Smart
• Spring 2022
• Spring 2021
• Autumn 2020
• Summer 2020
• Winter 2020
• In the Media
• For Journalists
• DCI Fellows
• Other Auditors
• Academic Calendar & Deadlines
• Course Materials
• Entrepreneurial Resources
• Campus Drive Grove
• Campus Drive Lawn
• CEMEX Auditorium
• King Community Court
• Seawell Family Boardroom
• Stanford GSB Bowl
• Stanford Investors Common
• Town Square
• Vidalakis Courtyard
• Vidalakis Dining Hall
• Catering Services
• Policies & Guidelines
• Reservations
• Contact Faculty Recruiting
• Lecturer Positions
• Postdoctoral Positions
• Accommodations
• CMC-Managed Interviews
• Recruiter-Managed Interviews
• Virtual Interviews
• Campus & Virtual
• Search for Candidates
• Think Globally
• Recruiting Calendar
• Recruiting Policies
• Full-Time Employment
• Summer Employment
• Entrepreneurial Summer Program
• Global Management Immersion Experience
• Social-Purpose Summer Internships
• Process Overview
• Project Types
• Client Eligibility Criteria
• Client Screening
• ACT Leadership
• Social Innovation & Nonprofit Management Resources
• Develop Your Organization’s Talent
• Centers & Initiatives
• Student Fellowships

• Statements on Current Events
• Make a Gift

Industrial-Organizational

Welcome to the home of Penn State Industrial/ Organizational Psychology. The I/O PhD program has a  long history and strong culture  of success as well as wonderful group of  faculty  and  graduate students  that continue that culture of success. 

Please use “Navigate to” in the top right-hand corner to learn more about our program.

Contact the I/O Area

• Graduate Office, Graduate Records
• [email protected]
• 814-863-1721
• 133A Moore Building, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802

Tepper School of Business

Ph.D. Program in Organizational Behavior and Theory

Interdisciplinary approach & methodological rigor.

Understanding human behavior in organizations and solving problems requires the integration of a variety of social science and related disciplines. A distinguishing feature of the Tepper School's OBT Ph.D. program is the broad interdisciplinary training it provides across an array of areas (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics, strategy, and computer and data science). Not only do OBT doctoral students interact with other students and faculty within the Tepper School of Business, through cross-registration in courses and participation in colloquia, OBT doctoral students also have opportunities to interact with students and faculty in departments such as Engineering and Public Policy, Human-Computer Interaction, Social and Decision Sciences, Psychology and a variety of departments at the University of Pittsburgh. A cornerstone of the OBT Ph.D. program is its methodological training and rigor. From computer science courses in machine learning and AI to courses in advanced statistical methods, students develop a deep understanding of analytical methods and tools.

Collaborative Culture

A small number of students are accepted into the group each year, with a total of about 10 OBT doctoral students in residence. Student-faculty relationships are close, which permits the tailoring of the program of study to fit the background and career goals of the individual.

Course of Study

Our program emphasizes preparation for careers in scholarly research, and graduates of the program usually pursue careers in academic or research institutions. During their course of study, students have the opportunity to engage with faculty in doctoral seminars and joint research, meet with visiting scholars, and interact with other faculty and students across campus. We prepare our graduates to be competitive on the academic job market by getting them involved in research from Day 1.  Program requirements include the successful completion of two research-based papers in the first and second years of the program, qualifying exams, a “minor” area requirement and a doctoral dissertation.  

Research Specializations

Diversity, inclusion, and human capital.

Diversity is at the core of many important organizational problems and many of our OBT faculty make important contributions to the growing knowledge base on diversity and its impact on individual, group, and organizational outcomes.

FACULTY RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Rosalind Chow: gender and promotion processes
• Oliver Hahl: gender, race, and cultural capital effects on supply and demand for human capital in markets (i.e., hiring and career outcomes)
• Denise Rousseau: the employment relationship, evidence-based management
• Catherine Shea: gender issues in management, advice seeking, interpersonal dynamics
• Laurie Weingart: gender and non-promotable tasks in the workplace, gender and negotiation, interdisciplinary teams
• Anita Williams Woolley: gender diversity, cognitive diversity and team collective intelligence

Ethics and Justice

Unethical and unjust behaviors are costly to organizations and society. The OBT group in the Tepper School has three members with expertise in the areas of business ethics and social justice (Aven, Chow, and Cohen). The Tepper School is also home to ethics scholar Tae Wan Kim, whose research takes philosophical perspectives on business ethics.

• Brandy Aven: relational attributes of fraud and corruption
• Rosalind Chow: perceptions of and responses to social inequality
• Taya Cohen: interpersonal misconduct, workplace deviance, moral character, guilt, shame, trust and trustworthiness
• Tae Wan Kim: artificial Intelligence ethics, future of work, business ethics

Groups and Teams

The OBT group in the Tepper School houses three scholars who are leaders in the areas of groups and teams (Argote, Weingart, and Woolley) and others whose work is directly relevant (Aven, Chow, Cohen, and Hahl). The Tepper School and Carnegie Mellon more broadly host several other faculty who work in this area (Carley, Kiesler, and Krackhardt). We regularly graduate students who conduct research on groups and teams.

• Linda Argote: learning, transactive memory and knowledge transfer within and between groups
• Brandy Aven: networked teams
• Rosalind Chow: power and status within/between groups, impacts of diversity on group functioning and performance
• Taya Cohen: cooperation and conflict within and between groups, pathways to status and leadership in groups
• Oliver Hahl: perceptions of status, authenticity and identity within/between groups
• Laurie Weingart: conflict in teams, multiparty negotiation, negotiation and group dynamics
• Anita Woolley: collective intelligence, team strategic orientation, team performance

Knowledge Transfer and Learning in a Technologically-Driven World

The OBT group in the Tepper School includes scholars whose work has been foundational to the field of organizational learning (Argote) and includes four other scholars who are substantially engaged in the growing body of work on knowledge transfer and learning (Aven, Hahl, Lee, and Woolley). Reflecting the Tepper School's focus on the intersection of business and technology, faculty research involves responses to rapid change, coordination of work distributed across time and place, organizational learning. Our work also connects to scholars working in related areas in Information Systems (Mukhopadhyay and Singh) and Economics (Epple) at the Tepper School, as well as researchers at Heinz (Krishnan), Engineering (Fuchs), and Computer Science (Carley, Dabbish, and Rose) at Carnegie Mellon, also conduct research relevant to learning.

• Linda Argote: transactive memory systems, knowledge transfer, organizational learning, the effects of technology on learning and knowledge transfer
• Brandy Aven: transactive memory systems, the effects of technology on networked systems for learning and knowledge transfer
• Oliver Hahl: learning and knowledge transfer, effect on firm performance
• Sunkee Lee: organizational learning, effect of the spatial design of workplaces and incentive systems on organizational learning, knowledge transfer, exploration vs. exploitation, learning from own and others’ experiences
• Anita Woolley: learning and collective intelligence in groups and organizations, increasing collective intelligence in human-computer systems

Networks and Organizations

Research on the formation and consequences of social networks in organizations and markets have become central to our understanding of how organizations and markets work. The OBT group in the Tepper School hosts four scholars who work on important areas related to the role of social networks in organizations (Argote, Aven, Hahl, and Shea). Researchers at Heinz (Krackhardt) and Computer Science (Carley) at Carnegie Mellon, also conduct research in areas that inform our knowledge of social networks as well as the methodologies employed to distinguish their antecedents and effects.

• Linda Argote: learning and knowledge transfer through social networks
• Brandy Aven: formation of social networks, persistence (or not) of social networks, learning and deviance within social networks, knowledge sharing in social networks
• Oliver Hahl: identity in social networks, perceptions of brokers in networks, organizational networks and individual performance
• David Krackhardt: social network analysis theories and methods, informal organizations
• Catherine Shea: social network cognition, network formation, experimental methods in social networks

Entrepreneurial and Organizational Strategy

The “Carnegie School” has long influenced research on strategy, particularly by looking at the microfoundations of strategic selection, implementation, and performance. The OBT group in the Tepper School hosts four scholars who work on important areas in firm strategy (Argote, Aven, Hahl, and Lee) that all tie back to the Carnegie School’s foundations in the Behavioral Theory of the Firm . Additionally, scholars in Economics and Marketing (Miller, Epple and Derdenger) at the Tepper School and in the Engineering and Public Policy school at Carnegie Mellon (Fuchs and Armanios) also collaborate in research with Tepper faculty and students research in areas that inform organizational theory, entrepreneurial strategy, firm strategy selection and implementation, and firm performance.

• Linda Argote: organizational learning and capability development, micro foundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy
• Brandy Aven: entrepreneurial strategies, entrepreneurial teams, behavioral theories of entrepreneurship and strategy
• Oliver Hahl: identity-based strategies, categories, diversification, status and authenticity in markets, human capital management and firm performance, microfoundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy
• Sunkee Lee: organization design, exploration/exploitation, incentives, spatial design, response to performance feedback, firm acquisition behavior and performance, microfoundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy

P lease visit our Ph.D. Student Profiles page t o view the profiles of our current doctoral candidates.

Program details.

• Requirements
• Building The Intelligent Future: Strategic Plan 2024-2030
• Course List
• Academic Calendar
• Privacy Policy
• Statement of Assurance
• Tepper Information Center
• Tepper Gear Store

• News & Events
• Alumni Outcomes
• Academic Focus Areas
• Support the Department

Department of Organizational Sciences & Communication

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

• Organizational Sciences Newsletters
• News Stories
• Support Organizational Sciences
• BA in Communication
• Special Honors in OS
• Minor in Communication
• Minor in Organizational Communication
• Minor in Organizational Sciences
• Awards & Resources
• MA in Communication Management
• MA in Organizational Sciences
• I-O Resources & Funding
• GTA Guidelines
• IO Psychology PhD Program FAQ

PhD in I-O Psychology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology delves into areas including personnel selection, training and development, work motivation and leadership.

Working closely with advisors, PhD students often win awards for their research, and many present each year at conferences held by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Academy of Management.

Prospective Students

Apply to GW

Admissions Requirements

Contact the I-O Program Director

Frequently Asked Questions

Current Students and Alumni

I-O Resources and Funding

Alumni Resources

I-O Psychology Newsletter

For prospective applicants: In general, individuals applying to the IO Program should have GREs in the 50th percentile or higher, UGPAs of 3.0+, meaningful research experience (research assistantships, honors thesis, presentations and/or publications, etc.), and interest areas that match those of the faculty. Admitted students' scores are usually notably higher. We evaluate all candidates holistically, looking at their entire application before making admissions decisions. Further information about IO Programs, standards and requirements is available on the  SIOP website . 

Research Labs

Dr. Tiffany Bisbey ’s Collaboration and Organizational Learning Lab (COLLab) conducts research examining how the way we work together impacts important workplace outcomes, with a specific focus on the role of teamwork. Teamwork is critical for organizational success, particularly in high-risk industries where the consequences of failure are extreme, such as healthcare and the military. Our work considers how teams bounce back from setbacks to avoid failure, how to measure and predict these processes, and how to best develop resilient teams. Graduate and undergraduate research assistants work on projects examining a broad range of phenomena relevant to these contexts, such as psychological safety, team learning, employee voice, and workplace safety. For more information, visit the website or contact [email protected] .

Dr. Lynn Offermann ’s Leadership and Diversity lab examines leadership and team issues with a particular interest in how these play out in diverse contexts. The world of work is increasingly populated by people from many backgrounds and individual capabilities and styles who need to work together collaboratively to achieve organizational success, and we examine how best to make that happen. Graduate and undergraduate research assistants work on projects including examining the dynamics of inclusive leadership, virtual leadership and communication, multidisciplinary teams, and racial and LGBTQ+ concerns in the workplace. For more information, contact [email protected] .

Professor David Costanza ’s SHOP Lab conducts research on hard organizational problems. Hard problems are ones that defy simple solutions, where theoretical support or existing models are lacking, whose study requires complex data sets, that use advanced methods and statistics, and in general are hard to figure out. Graduate and undergraduate research assistants work in the SHOP Lab on projects including high-potential leadership (what is potential anyway?) , generations and generational differences (hard to study something that doesn’t exist) , the impact of leadership on organizational outcomes (the connection is distal at best) , and career paths (modeling individual, cohort, organizational, and macro factors simultaneously affecting individual career outcomes) . For info on SHOP, contact [email protected] .

Dr. Yisheng Peng ’s Stress & Occupational Health Across the Lifespan (SOHAL) Lab generally examines stress and occupational health issues across the lifespan. His first line of research focuses on aging and older workers issues, such as risky and protective factors of older workers’ occupational health, late career development, family caregiving, etc. His second line of research focuses on the impacts of social work environment (e.g., workplace mistreatment, emotional labor) on employees’ well-being and work outcomes. Graduate and undergraduate research assistants work on projects including college student workers (e.g., health behaviors, career development), ostracism/isolation, and proactive work behaviors. For more info, contact [email protected] .

From Classroom to Career

Real-World Applications

Employers of all sizes seek industrial-organizational psychologists who can help guide organizational change. This work might include:

• Conducting research on employee retention and turnover
• Improving products through strategic customer surveys and feedback
• Advising leaders and team as they think through difficult decisions or craft company philosophy around topics such as diversity and inclusion

Internships

Many students also choose to pursue optional internships in the Washington, D.C., area. The department has ties to many local and national organizations, providing plenty of internship opportunities. Past internship employers include:

• Army Research Institute
• Federal Management Partners
• Fors Marsh Group
• Personnel Decision Research Institutes
• U.S. Office of Personnel Management
• The World Bank

"I was able to earn trust from co-workers because of my subject matter expertise in the I/O area and basic research methodology. The program also really set me up for success [with] opportunities such as my fellowship at the Army Research Institute."

Kaitlin Thomas PhD ’17, I-O Psychology

Course Requirements

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 72 credits, including 42 credits in required courses, 12 credits in elective courses, and 18 credits in dissertation research.

• Social-Organizational Psychology

The Psychology of Organizational Success

Learn to drive organizational success by creating productive social environments. Our students examine organizational challenges from the perspective of the individual, the group, and the organization itself.

Rigorous Study for Effective Results

Become an expert in organization effectiveness, culture & change, team development & team building, conflict resolution, and leadership through our M.A. programs.

Welcome to the Social-Organizational Psychology program

The Social-Organizational Psychology program approaches organizational issues from multiple perspectives and examines individuals, groups, and organizations. Our dynamic, open-systems approach applies theory and research to practice and uses practice to continuously update and inform our curricula. Our graduates are successful in today's diverse and rapidly changing job market as they learn the cutting edge techniques to apply directly to their work. 

Degree Programs

We offer programs for all levels of experience. If you have questions about which program is right for you, please contact us for further guidance.

I have 1+ years of professional experience

For those newer to the field or transitioning in from another discipline, our Masters of Arts in Social-Organizational Psychology program provides students the ability to think critically about the real issues facing people and organizations in today’s world and to develop and implement solutions to the most pressing problems in organizational life and in society.

I have 8+ years of professional experience

Developed for experienced working professionals from a diverse range of industries and geographic locations, the year-long, intensive Executive Master's Program in Change Leadership is designed to help individuals and organizations increase their capacity for initiating, managing and sustaining workplace change efforts. This program is for those who continue to work full-time but wish to pursue an advanced degree.

I'm interested in research, practice, or scholarship

Our Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology is designed for full-time graduate students who desire fundamental education and skill development in the science and application of psychology to social and organizational situations and activities.

Military Leader Programs

Eisenhower leader development program at west point, army fellows, benavidez leader development program, advanced certificates & non-degree programs.

• Advanced Certificate in Conflict Resolution
• Certificate in Conflict Resolution
• Principles and Practices of Organization Development
• Group Relations Conferences

Graduate Studies in Cooperation and Conflict Resolution program at Teachers College, Columbia University is a unique learning opportunity for individuals who want to develop their conflict resolution skills in collaborative negotiation and mediation.

Learn More  

A Certificate in Cooperation and Conflict Resolution is designed to prepare students to analyze, address, and manage conflict effectively and professionally. The program consists of 16 units of noncredit coursework and is geared to those students who are not seeking a transcripted certificate, but who want to gain the knowledge and experience required for success in the field of conflict resolution.

PPOD is a highly engaging learning experience that provides participants with core concepts and skills necessary for managing and leading change inside organizations and for consulting to organizations and teams.

We hold group relations conferences three times a year (spring, summer, and fall) for graduate students at Teachers College and Columbia affiliates enrolled in the course Group Dynamics: A Systems Perspective . We welcome conference members from outside the course and typically have between five and 15 such members attend each conference. A diverse conference membership deepens everyone’s learning and serves to enrich the conference experience for all.

• View as grid
• View as list

Working Group on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Antiracism (DEIA) Formed

The faculty of the Social-Organizational Psychology Program at Teachers College launch working group of faculty, students, and staff to focus on DEIA reform.

Read more here . 

Upcoming Events

• More Events

Admissions Information

Application requirements.

• Cooperation and Conflict Resolution
• Executive Master's in Change Leadership (Executive Psychology - Organizational)
• Social-Organizational Psychology (Psychology - Organizational)
• Social-Organizational Psychology - West Point (Psychology - Organizational) West Point Academy

Fund Your Degree

• Tuition & Fees
• Financial Aid
• Request Info

Teachers College, Columbia University Room 222 Zankel

Contact Person: Ometria Seebarran

Phone: (212) 678-8109

Email: oks2107@tc.columbia.edu

• Admissions Overview
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Degree Programs
• International Student Admissions
• Academics Overview
• Undergraduate Majors & Minors
• Graduate School
• Purdue Online Learning
• Tour Purdue’s Campus
• Research and Innovation Overview
• Research & Partnerships
• Corporate & Global Partnerships
• Purdue Research Foundation
• About Purdue
• Office of the President
• Commitment to Free Speech
• Student Life at Purdue
• Purdue Activity & Wellness
• Campus Inclusion
• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Faculty and Staff
• Purdue Northwest
• Purdue Fort Wayne
• Purdue Global
• Purdue Online

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Graduate Program

Department of Psychological Sciences

Industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology is interested in people in the workplace and how work affects people’s lives more broadly. This knowledge of human behavior in organizations allows I-O psychologists to solve workplace problems and enhance workplace well-being, fairness and productivity. Applying psychological theories and principles, the industrial component of I-O psychology focuses on selecting and training workers, and the organizational component focuses on creating a conducive environment for workers. The field of I-O psychology is leading the way in understanding future of work and big data trends.

Ranked No. 7 in the world by U.S. News and World Report , Purdue University’s I-O psychology program is also one of the oldest, having conferred its first degree in 1939. Additionally, Purdue’s I-O psychology program has graduated more PhDs and produced more Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) fellows than any other.

Graduate students are admitted to work with a primary faculty member who will serve as their mentor. Heavily research-oriented, graduate training is based on a science-practice model, so students are trained as both researchers and applied scientists, equipped to work with organizations on human resources-related issues. Graduate students will also have opportunities to gain teaching experience in the program.

All graduate students are admitted with funding and will have guaranteed funding for five years, provided they are making strong progress toward their PhD. An admitted student will typically work as a graduate teaching assistant for 20 hours per week during the academic year and receive a nine-month stipend and tuition waiver. Students may also receive funding during summers if they obtain a teaching assistant position or if they are employed as a research assistant.

Program Highlights

• You will work with a faculty mentor with related research interests. As you grow in knowledge and expertise, you are encouraged to collaborate with different faculty to develop your own unique research stream.
• Faculty and graduate students frequently collaborate with faculty in the social, cognitive and clinical psychology areas as well as faculty in the Krannert School of Management.
• Because we value social responsibility, the I-O psychology program at Purdue is the first to become a UN Global Compact participant, by which we place an emphasis within our courses and program activities on organizations’ responsibilities to human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.
• While there is significant overlap with organizational behavior and human resources, the I-O psychology program emphasizes the scientific study of work, workers and the workplace, focusing on outcomes experienced by the employees rather than exclusively organizational outcomes.
• As a graduate student in the I-O psychology program, you’ll be considered a member of the Purdue Association of Graduate Students in Industrial Psychology (PAGSIP) . This organization provides opportunities for you to meet informally with other I-O psychology students to discuss research ideas and problems as well as to connect with program alumni.
• The Purdue I-O area is partnering with Instats to connect with some of the best methodologists in the world.

Potential Careers

As an I-O psychologist, you’ll have opportunities to work in academia, federal governments, consulting organizations and more. Our alumni have gone on to work at top-ranked universities, including the University of Houston and Bowling Green State University, and acclaimed organizations, such as Google, PepsiCo, NATO and more.

• Industrial-organizational psychologist
• University faculty member
• Human resources director
• Quantitative user experience researcher
• Postdoctoral researcher
• Research psychologist

Plan of Study

Each graduate student admitted to a degree program must file an individualized plan of study to guide their academic progress. The plan of study is an academic contract between the student, advisory committee members and the Graduate School. Students filing their plan of study should complete their plan electronically via the Plan of Study Generator on MyPurdue. More information about creating a plan of study can be found in the Department of Psychological Sciences’ graduate handbook.

Program Quick Facts

Degree Type : Doctoral

Program Length : 4-6 years

Location : West Lafayette, IN

Department/School : Department of Psychological Sciences

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in faculty research and eventually formulate and direct their own individual research projects. Faculty in the I-O psychology graduate program have a wide range of research interests, many of which center around the psychological experiences of people at work.

Bridge Topics

Within the industrial-organizational psychology program, faculty also have research interests in several bridge topics, including diversity and inclusion, individual differences, maladaptive behavior, perception and performance, and social relationships. I-O psychology faculty studying diversity and inclusion focus on diversity in hiring, cultural synergy in multicultural spaces and work attitudes. Individual differences research examines achievement, conflict management and predictors of workplace outcomes. Maladaptive behavior research in the I-O psychology program is centered around bias and conflict escalation. Program faculty who study perception and performance investigate person-environment fit. Finally, I-O psychology faculty studying social relationships seek to improve workplace well-being and interpersonal relationships.

Research Opportunities

• Cultural collision and synergy
• Strategies for difficult communication
• Goals and self-regulation
• Relationships and work
• Optimizing hiring decisions using statistical models
• Big data and machine learning
• Individual differences
• Diversity in recruitment and selection
• Franki Y. H. Kung
• Sang Eun Woo
• Alexandra Harris-Watson
• Brooke Macnamara

Admissions/Requirements

Many students enter the PhD program with a bachelor’s degree, although some enter with a master’s degree. We are particularly interested in students who have undergraduate or graduate research experience as well as those who have a master’s degree in I-O psychology or a similar field. We’re looking for the following knowledge and skills that are important for success in the I-O psychology graduate program:

• Knowledge of I-O psychology literature and science efficacy
• Motivation and interest in scientific research and I-O psychology
• Conscientiousness
• Resilience and emotional stability
• Self-direction, self-regulation and independence
• Advanced quantitative skills
• Advanced reading and writing skills
• Interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence
• Critical- and systematic-thinking skills
• Intellectual and scientific creativity
• Openness and humility
• Collaboration skills
• Learning and growth mindset
• Problem-solving skills
• Time management and organizational skills

Within your application, the statement of interest is particularly important to showcase a good alignment of research interests between you and faculty members. You are also encouraged to contact faculty members with whom you are interested in working.

Faculty recruiting new students for Fall 2025 admission will be posted here in October 2024.

Connect with Us!

If you have questions or to learn more about this program, please contact the Department of Psychological Sciences Graduate Program Coordinator, Nancy O’Brien at [email protected] .

Nancy O’Brien Purdue University 701 Third Street West Lafayette, IN 47907

(765) 494-6067

[email protected]

Academic Resources

• Academic Calendar
• Academic Catalog
• Academic Success
• BlueM@il (Email)
• Campus Connect
• DePaul Central
• Desire2Learn (D2L)

Campus Resources

• Campus Security
• Campus Maps

University Resources

• Technology Help Desk

Information For

• Alumni & Friends
• Current Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Undergraduate
• Combined Degree Program
• Clinical Psychology (MA/PhD)
• Community Psychology (MA/PhD)
• Community Psychology (MS)
• Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements

• Psychological Science (MA/PhD)
• Research Psychology (MS)
• Community Development Certificate
• Class Search
• Student Resources
• Certificate Programs
• Admission & Aid
• Request Info
• Apply Online
• Visit Campus

College of Science and Health > Academics > Psychology > Graduate Programs > Industrial-Organizational Psychology (MA/PhD)

Industrial-Organizational Psychology (MA/PhD)

Make an impact on the world’s workplaces.

DePaul’s Industrial-Organizational Psychology MA/PhD program will provide you with a solid grounding in psychological theory and essential training in methodology. As an Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology graduate student, you’ll collaborate with a faculty expert to develop and implement new research ideas while contributing to developments in the field.

You’ll study

• performance appraisal
• organizational theory
• consultation

You have the option to add a secondary specialization with coursework in communication, management, marketing, or women’s and gender studies.

The Industrial-Organizational Psychology MA/PhD is a combined degree program. The MA is non-terminal and the program admits only students intending to earn the PhD. Classes are offered during the day on the Lincoln Park Campus. This program can be completed in four years.

Get a closer look at what it’s like to be in the program by viewing our Frequently Asked Questions and Internship & Career Info .

Put theory into practice and gain career, teaching and research experience

DePaul’s connections with the Chicago business community provide you with a wide variety of internship and career opportunities . Industrial-Organizational Psychology PhD students have interned with Advocate Health Care, MICA Consulting Partners, McDonald’s Corp. and United Airlines. Students publish their research in major journals and present at I-O conferences. They also have gained experience teaching a variety of classes and have moved on to academic careers at colleges and university across the country.

Application Deadlines

The deadline for fall admission is December 15th.

Submit an online application, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, personal statement, transcripts and course history.

Required Courses

For the MA portion, you’ll take 18 courses and complete a thesis. For the PhD portion, you’ll complete six courses and a dissertation.

of Industrial-Organizational Psychology graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.

The reported median salary for Industrial-Organizational Psychology alumni was $59,040.

Work on forward-thinking research

Professor Suzanne Bell specializes on the strategic staffing of organizations, training and employee development, and maximizing team effectiveness. She directs the DePaul Teams Lab, which is conducting NASA-funded research on team composition for long-duration space exploration, such as a mission to Mars.

“My clients are C-suite leaders and board members, and because of my DePaul experience I am competent in serving them via executive assessment, coaching, organizational restructuring, and team development. I was able to garner valuable internship experience every year via connections the program has with Chicago-based DePaul alums, and my cohort was incredibly supportive, collegial, and collaborative. We got to be great friends and I maintain those deep connections 15 years later.”

Rebecca (PhD ’04)

Founder and owner, department 732c.

Alumni Network

Our Industrial-Organizational Psychology PhD graduates advance to corporate, consulting and academic careers. DePaul graduates have pursued jobs in both applied and academic settings at organizations such as Advocate Health Care, Deloitte Consulting, Cisco, Motorola, I-O Solutions, Inc., Wayne State University, Louisiana State University and Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In addition, you’ll be connected to a network of more than 201,000 DePaul alumni working in a variety of industries.

Scholarships

Graduate school is an investment in your future. Learn more about the financial aid and scholarship opportunities available to you.

Contact Information

For more information about applying, contact The Office of Graduate Admission for DePaul’s College of Science and Health at (773) 325-7315 or [email protected] .

Take the next step

We’ll send you information about the degree, admission requirements and upcoming info sessions. Let’s get started.

• Undergraduate
• Master of Accounting
• Full Time MBA
• Evening Executive MBA
• Weekend Executive MBA
• Charlotte Executive MBA

PhD in Organizational Behavior

Organizational behavior.

Our Organizational Behavior (OB) PhD Program prepares you to conduct high-impact research on a broad range of topics critical to businesses and managers. Since 2018, our students have secured job placements at many top research schools.

Our faculty have expertise in a wide range of research areas such as leadership (including ethical leadership), emotions, team dynamics, decision-making, motivation, power and influence, negotiations, employee well-being, creativity, voice, and cross-cultural issues. They use cutting-edge methodological approaches including lab experiments, experience sampling, meta-analyses and qualitative interviews.

Through your coursework and research alongside innovative, supportive and passionate faculty, you will learn the necessary skills to become a high-quality researcher and faculty member at a top research university.

While direct research experience is not required, familiarity with academic research in organizational behavior or psychology is a plus to ensure you are prepared for the rigors of conducting research.

We do not narrow our search to students who graduated from a “top” university or have achieved a specific score on a standardized test. We take a holistic approach. We aim to admit students who demonstrate passion for exploring organizational questions and the motivation to put in the work to learn the complex skills and methodological approaches needed to become a high-quality scholar.

We have found the most successful students are self-directed, enjoy problem-solving and are unafraid – if not excited – about digging into some of the most complex challenges facing organizations.

We look for students who are friendly, collaborative and seek a welcoming and intellectually stimulating academic environment.

We welcome potential applicants from all experiences and backgrounds. The UNC Kenan-Flagler OB PhD Program prides itself on a diverse and inclusive student body. Our thriving and collaborative culture (both with faculty and between students) is a focal point to our department. Join us!

Typical course schedule by year

During the first two years of the PhD Program, you will focus on coursework that develops the tools you need to produce high-quality research. Sample classes include:

• Introduction to Organizational Behavior
• Introduction to Social Psychology
• Research Methods
• Dependent Variables
• Groups and Teams
• Interpersonal Processes
• Negotiation, Conflict and Diversity

After the second year, you are required to successfully complete comprehensive exams which covers all of the OB and leadership courses you take in the first two years of the PhD Program.

• Complete a third-year paper
• Full-time research
• Dissertation and oral defense are expected prior to the end of your fifth year.
• Prepare for the job market

We encourage you to attend bi-weekly brown bag lunches organized by PhD students as well as our field’s annual conference – The Academy of Management.

We believe the best scholars are crafted through impactful mentoring relationships. When you begin the program, you will be assigned to one (or two) faculty members with overlapping research interests. These advising relationships are aimed at being both professionally and personally productive for you. From day one you will begin working on research projects (whether self-directed or ongoing faculty projects) alongside these faculty members as they seek to teach you the skills you need to conduct high-quality work and develop your own research identity.

If you ask a UNC Kenan-Flagler OB student the classic question “Who do you work with?” be prepared for a long answer involving multiple faculty. We encourage our students to work with several faculty members to take advantage of the diverse skill sets, theoretical perspectives and research approaches they offer. These collaborations happen informally as you progress and grow within the program and give you flexibility and breadth of resources as you pursue your research passions.

As part of our larger mission to make academia an inclusive place where people of all identities and life experiences can thrive, we view it as a moral imperative to foster a diverse PhD student body that represents the next generation of scholars.

Ensuring that all feel welcome to pursue a doctoral degree is not only the right thing to do – it also is important for producing better science. Identities and life experiences shape the questions that we ask about the world and the knowledge that we produce.

We believe that our understanding of organizational behavior is incomplete if our scholarly community does not reflect the rich diversity of identities, experiences and perspectives that are found in the broader population. Inviting people of all walks of life to enter into our intellectual community can therefore result in better scholarship because it opens the door for new questions to be asked and new truths to be uncovered.

We strive to be a community where every student feels supported in their scholarly journey. We encourage all interested individuals to apply to the program, especially those who belong to historically underrepresented populations. We look forward to learning from you and welcoming you!

View our current Organizational Behavior PhD students .

Related Research

Ashamed to take a break.

UNC Kenan-Flagler researchers show that employees feeling bad that they took breaks can lead to unethical, costly behavior.

You can be too careful

Researchers show what happens when leaders focus too much on preventing errors.

What’s race got to do with it?

Research shows that Black women negotiators receive more favorable offers and outcomes compared with white women and Black men.

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to understand visitor experiences. By using this website, you consent to UNC-Chapel Hill's cookie usage in accordance with their Privacy Notice .

Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PhD)

Apply Now Frequently Asked Questions Request Information Upcoming Events Department Website

Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PhD) – STEM Designated Degree Program

Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology is the scientific study of human behavior in the workplace. It focuses on the assessment of individual, group and organizational dynamics and application of evidence-based principles to improve the well-being and performance of an organization and its employees. I/O psychologists look at questions such as: What are the best ways to select and retain employees? How are decisions made? How do we train better leaders? What makes employees happy and engaged? How do team members interact and collaborate? Knowing the answers to these questions and many others help business owners determine where to change systems to improve company functioning. I/O psychology has taken on an increasingly strategic dimension in the world of business.

Unique Advantages of the I/O Psychology PhD at Montclair State

The Ph.D. program in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Montclair follows the scientist-practitioner model, equally emphasizing the generation and application of psychological science to improve the workplace. Students will develop their research and analytical skills in concert with individual faculty members while also applying this knowledge through coursework, consulting, and experiential projects. The Montclair I/O program also has many unique offerings to service a new generation of doctoral students in the 21 st century, such as:

• Wide Expertise: We have 8 full-time and affiliate faculty with active laboratories, making us one of the largest I/O Psychology programs in terms of research breadth. Students can choose a range of mentors who best align with personal interests and career endeavors.
• Balance: Our program adheres to the SIOP competency model for graduate education (SIOP, 2017) to offer a balanced curriculum equally emphasizing methodological, industrial, and organizational topics.
• Business Strategy: Students are required to take business courses in competitive advantage, HR strategy, and organizational development. The exposure to big-picture areas and actual business operations helps students close the intersection between I/O ideas and strategic concerns facing executives and managers.
• Quantitative Certification:  I/O Psychology PhD students will also fulfill all requirements to obtain the Advanced Quantitative Methods in Psychology (Certificate) along the way.
• Data Science: We are the only I/O Psychology PhD program to offer a Data Science concentration in computer science where students take courses in Python, computational modeling, database systems, data mining, and natural language processing.
• Eagle I.O. Students can participate in a student led consultancy group providing evidence-based services to local organizations to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Support: The program is dedicated to a strong, collaborative culture which supports student development. Most doctoral students are guaranteed funding for their first four years of study. There is also an onboarding process, peer mentorship program, annual celebratory party, SIOP reception for alumni and students, and financial support for travel and research.
• Statistical Training in R: The Psychology department offers a specialized R Data Science course for social scientists, teaches most quantitative courses in R, and is creating a quantitative certification for students seeking to specialize in advanced statistical modeling.
• Regional Reputation: We are the only I/O Psychology PhD program in the state of New Jersey. The program builds on the current MA program which is among one of the most rigorous and best respected in the region. Faculty regularly serve on boards of local I/O professional groups which provide speakers and development opportunities.

Along with the Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PhD) degree, the department also offers an Industrial and Organizational Psychology (MA) degree. More details about the I/O program can be found at the Psychology Department’s website .

Please refer to our  programs of study  page for a comprehensive list of all of the graduate programs offered within the university.

The Office of Graduate Admissions requires the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible to apply for a graduate program. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in psychology OR a minimum of 12 undergraduate credits in psychology, including a course in statistics and a laboratory experimental course. Please note: an introductory course in psychology does not count toward the minimum credit requirement, though it might be needed as a pre-requisite to other psychology courses. Students demonstrating a strong background in psychology and behavioral research will be given priority.

Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the  International Applicants  page to review the U.S. degree equivalency information.

In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps needed to apply, as well as all corresponding supplemental materials for your specific program of interest.

• Application Deadline: December 1st. Please note: Upon offer of admission, you will be asked to submit an enrollment deposit of $200.  
• Submit Online Application: Please create your online account and submit your application by following the general application instructions and pay (or waive) the non-refundable $60 application fee. Once this step has been completed, the online portal will allow you to upload your supplemental materials.

The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PhD) program:

• Transcript: One from each college attended.
• What are your goals for graduate study and your future career?
• In what ways do your academic background and your professional experiences provide evidence of your potential for success in the program you selected and in your eventual career? Please give specific examples of relevant coursework and/or experience.
• What are your thoughts, ideas, and areas of interest that may lead to dissertation research?
• Is there any further information we should consider in assessing your candidacy?
• Letters of Recommendation: Three (3) letters of recommendation, from persons qualified to evaluate the applicant’s promise of academic achievement and potential for professional growth.
• Standardized Test Scores: GRE (General Test)
• Resume:  A current resume is not required, but applicants are encouraged to include one.
• Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.

The Ph.D. degree requires completion of 79-81 credits hours of which students take 24 credits the first year and approximately 18 credits all remaining years. The first year is course heavy and focuses on statistics and design, I/O domains, and business strategy. Students are also encouraged to establish a relationship with their research advisor as early as possible during the first year. The second year leads into advanced I-O topics along with a structured, year-long research experience where students formulate original theoretical ideas, develop multi-method studies, and present findings at a program-wide colloquium. Following second year, students complete a prospective comprehensive examination to qualify for doctoral status. During the last two years, students refine their focus through advanced seminars, dissertation, teaching, and a specialization, allowing scholarly pursuits most relevant to their personal and career goals.

If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us: Office of Graduate Admissions Email: [email protected] Telephone:  973-655-5147 Fax: 973-655-7869

If you have specific inquiries regarding your program of interest, please contact the Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PhD) Program Coordinator:

Program Coordinator: Dr. Valerie Sessa Email: [email protected]

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Students enrolled in the Master of Liberal Arts program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology will use social science research methods to investigate how to make people and organizations more effective. Students will study people, workplaces, and organizations to better align competing needs and create healthy, productive, and mutually beneficial relationships between people and organizations.

Department of Psychology

PhD in Applied Organizational Psychology

ANNOUNCEMENT

We are proud of our I/O psychology faculty and students for their contributions to this accomplishment. In 2022-2023, members of our graduate programs published 20 peer-reviewed journal publications, 4 book chapters, and gave 31 peer-reviewed conference presentations. A special thanks to our 33 unique graduate student authors and coauthors who helped make this possible. Congratulations, everyone!

GRE is recommended but not required for the Fall 2024. Apply today!

Welcome to the homepage for the PhD program in Applied Organizational Psychology.

This 96 s.h. program prepares students for careers in academics, business, industry, government, and other private and public domains. Upon graduating, students are able to apply scientific methods to the solution of problems related to individuals and groups at work. The academic training students receive is composed of an advanced methodological and content-based curriculum in I/O psychology. A unique feature of this program is the required internship in which doctoral students work under the supervision of a manager designated by the organization and approved by the faculty. A doctoral dissertation under the supervision of a faculty member in a laboratory or field setting is required.

Learn More About the Program

Program Info

• Requirements
• Why Study at Hofstra?
• Badge in Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology

Professional Development

• Center for Career Design and Development
• Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• Metropolitan New York Association of Applied Psychology
• Society for Human Resource Management

Student Experience

• Our Students
• Campus Events
• About Long Island
• About New York City
• Off-Campus Living
• Social Media

Contact the Program

Send administrative questions to: Program Secretary : Dawn Gallo Email | Phone: 516-463-6029

Any questions?

General questions: Email the Recruitment Committee

Questions about extra-curricular involvement: PhD in Applied Organizational Psychology Club

OTHER CONTACTS Graduate Admission Graduate Psychology Financial Aid

Program Director

Dr. Rebecca Grossman Phone: 516-463-5026

Psychology (PhD) – Industrial and Organizational

Program at a glance.

• In State Tuition
• Out of State Tuition

Learn more about the cost to attend UCF.

The Industrial and Organizational Psychology track in the Psychology PhD program develops competency through research and training for the application of psychological principles to organizations. The degree is patterned on the scientist-practitioner model of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Program graduates are involved in many issues of critical importance to society, including fairness in the selection and treatment of employees, the creation of work environments that maximize the satisfaction and productivity of employees, and the study of technological influences on human performance.

The doctoral program provides students with training consistent with the scientist-practitioner model. A key assumption of the program is that every graduate must be a highly competent scientist who can contribute to both the science and practice of the discipline.

You can view our Industrial and Organizational Psychology Doctoral Program Handbook in the link above.

The Psychology PhD program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (I/O) requires four to five years of full-time study beyond the baccalaureate and three to four years beyond the master's. The first few years are devoted to course work and the final year to the doctoral dissertation.

All students are required to complete a Master of Science (MS) degree “along-the-way” that includes 38 credit hours and a thesis. This requirement can be waived by the program director for students entering the doctoral program with a master's degree based on courses taken and the quality of the thesis completed at the previous institution.

The I/O program requires a minimum of 75 credit hours of graduate study for students who enter the program with a baccalaureate degree. The nature of this study is determined by the I/O Area Program Committee.

Total Credit Hours Required: 75 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree

Application Deadlines

• International

Ready to get started?

University of central florida colleges.

Request Information

Enter your information below to receive more information about the Psychology (PhD) – Industrial and Organizational program offered at UCF.

Program Prerequisites

Bachelor's or master's degree in Psychology or another allied area.

Evidence of successful completion of undergraduate courses in statistics and in the general area of experimental psychology.

Degree Requirements

I/o area courses.

• INP6005 - Overview of Research in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (3)
• INP7214 - Industrial Psychology I (3)
• INP7310 - Organizational Psychology I (3)
• INP7081 - Professional Issues in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (3)
• PSY7315 - Psychometric Theory and Practice (3)
• PSY7217C - Advanced Research Methodology I (4)
• PSY7218C - Advanced Research Methodology II (4)
• PSY7219C - Advanced Research Methodology III (4)
• INP7071 - Research Methods in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (3)

Psychology Field Courses

• SOP5059 - Advanced Social Psychology (3)
• EXP6506 - Human Cognition and Learning (3)

Research Courses

• Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: INP 6933 - Seminar in Industrial and Organizational Psychology 3 Credit Hours (taken twice) or INP 6971 - Thesis 3 Credit Hours (taken twice)

Teaching Experience

• EXP6939 - Teaching Seminar (3)
• All students must successfully teach a minimum of one undergraduate course as instructor of record prior to completing the I/O Psychology PhD degree. Fulfillment of the Teaching requirement involves first taking the UCF College of Graduate Studies online and face-to-face GTA Training and EXP 6939 - Teaching Seminar.

Elective Courses

• Students must select five elective courses. These courses must be approved by the student's major adviser and the program director. The available elective courses include, but are not limited to the courses listed below.
• MAN6311 - Advanced Topics in Human Resources Management (3)
• MAN7207 - Organization Theory (3)
• MAN6385 - Strategic Human Resources Management (3)
• INP6605 - Training and Team Performance (3)
• INP6215 - Assessment Centers and Leadership (3)
• INP6058 - Job Analysis and Performance Appraisal (3)
• INP6318 - Recruitment, Placement and Selection (3)
• INP6933 - Seminar in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (3)
• INP 6933 - Seminar in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: 3 Credit Hours (may be taken up to 6 times for credit)

Dissertation

• Earn at least 15 credits from the following types of courses: PSY 7980 - Doctoral Dissertation

Candidacy Examination

• After completing all required courses, students must pass all four sections of the Candidacy Examination. This is a written examination covering the content of the field and are graded by the I/O faculty. Candidacy Examinations may be taken a maximum of two times. Failure to pass the examination will result in the student being dismissed from the program.

Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology

• Graduate students enrolled in the Industrial and Organizational PhD Program earn a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology en route to their doctorate unless they are admitted with an acceptable Master's degree. This is a nonterminal Master's degree available only to students in the Industrial and Organizational Psychology PhD program.

Admission to Candidacy

• The following are required to be admitted to candidacy and enroll in dissertation hours: Completion of all course work, except for dissertation hours. Successful completion of the candidacy examination. The dissertation advisory committee is formed, consisting of approved graduate faculty and graduate faculty scholars. Submittal of an approved program of study.

Independent Learning

• Given the nature of graduate training and the pursuit of a doctoral degree, graduate students in industrial and organizational psychology are expected to engage in independent learning throughout their graduate career. The completion of the doctoral dissertation is an example of independent learning in which all graduate students participate. In addition, a master's thesis or other research projects will be undertaken by the students from the first year on. To facilitate this process, students are expected to attend weekly program-sponsored research presentations during the fall and spring semesters and will be required to give at least three of these presentations prior to graduation.

Grand Total Credits: 75

Application requirements.

• PhD in Clinical Psychology
• Clinical Concentrations
• PhD in Psychology
• PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Media & Technology
• PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development
• Media Psychology
• Master’s in Media Psychology
• Media Psychology Certificate
• Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Clinical Psychology
• Postdoctoral Certificate in Respecialization in Clinical Psychology
• Neuropsychology Specialization Training Program

PhD Degree Completion Program

• PhD in Human Development
• PhD in Organizational Development and Change
• EdD Leadership for Change
• Doctoral Concentrations
• Master’s in Organization Development and Leadership
• Evidence Based Coaching Certificate
• ALL PROGRAMS
• COURSE CATALOG
• Request for Information
• Upcoming Info Session
• Degrees & Programs
• Transfer Credits
• Scholarships & Fellowships
• Tuition & Fees
• Office of Admissions
• Office of Financial Aid
• Veterans Services
• Office of Student Services
• myFielding (University Intranet)
• Moodle (Learning.Fielding.edu)
• Library Student Login
• One-Stop Student Center
• Contact An Advisor
• Student Advising
• REQUEST INFO
• 800.567.8910
• Alumni Events
• Alumni News
• Alumni Services

Cabrini Students transfer up to 40 doctoral credits to complete your PhD degree.

Cabrini Students Let’s Finish What You Started

Join a student-centered learning community..

Students transfer into our doctoral programs from a variety of fields, psychology, education, and leadership studies, to name just a few. Within in the School of Leadership studies, students can choose to enter two different programs:

Contact us  to discuss your interests and previous education, and how they can match up to your chosen Fielding doctoral program.

Fielding Graduate University is a long-standing WASC accredited institution.

Dean of Faculty Kathy Geller, Ph.D. As a former Drexel University faculty member, I have a tremendous fondness for the southeastern PA region and its family of colleges and universities. This is why I’m excited to share with former Cabrini students Fielding’s academic pathway for you to finish your PhD degree. — Dr. Kathy Geller, Dean of Faculty

Let’s finish what you started.

We understand life can get in the way of achieving personal goals. We’re ready to help. For 48 years, Fielding Graduate University has been helping adult students achieve their graduate degree goals. In fact, many successful Fielding alumni started their graduate education somewhere else but chose to finish at Fielding.

Choose to finish your doctoral education at Fielding. Thrive in your desired profession and become a part of the Fielding international alumni network.

Transferring Credit

Learn more in our Transferring Credit Section >>>

APPLY NOW for SPRING 2025

Join over 7,500 fielding alumni located around the world.

Change the world. Start with yours.™

• First Name *
• Last Name *
• Your Location * Your Location USA Canada International
• Program of Interest * Program of Interest PhD in Clinical Psychology PhD in Psychology with an Emphasis in Media & Technology PhD in Psychology PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development PhD in Human Development PhD in Organizational Development and Change EdD in Leadership for Change MA in Organization Development and Leadership MA in Infant, Child, Family Mental Health and Development MA in Applied Media Psychology Certificate in Evidence Based Coaching Certificate in Media Psychology Neuropsychology Specialization Training Program Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Certificate of Respecialization in Clinical Psychology

*All Fields are required. By submitting this form, you agree to be contacted regarding your request and are confirming you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Contact Info

Fielding Graduate University 2020 De la Vina Street Santa Barbara, California 93105

Phone: 1-800-340-1099 Admissions: 805-898-4026

Email: [email protected]

Web: Fielding.edu/apply-now

Recent Posts

• Fielding Faculty, Students to Participate at the 2024 APA Convention from Aug. 8-10 
• IECD Program: A Student and Faculty Perspective 
• Join Provost Williams for Fielding Social Hour at APA in Seattle on Aug. 9