Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Concentration
On this page:
- Why Choose the Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Program?
- Academics and Curriculum
- Admission
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Choose the Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Program?
You can study the application of psychology to the workplace in the industrial/organizational (IO) psychology concentration in the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program in psychology at Wright State. Pulling from several different areas of psychology, including cognitive, social, and behavioral, IO psychologists contribute to an organization’s success by improving the performance and well-being of its people. This concentration focuses on introducing you to the breadth of IO psychology as well as developing critical reasoning skills that will be necessary to be successful in this field.
Academics and Curriculum
View Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Concentration program information, degree requirements, and graduation planning strategy in the Academic Catalog. Although the concentration is only open to psychology majors, any student may take the listed courses provided they have the necessary prerequisites.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology Concentration Checklist (PDF)
Admission
Students must apply for admission to Wright State University. For admission into the Department of Psychology, applicants must meet the following requirements.
Admission Criteria
- Completion of at least 60 semester credit hours of coursework
- Completion of PSY 3040 (Industrial Organizational Psychology) with a minimum grade of C
- An overall GPA of at least 3.2
- Declaration of the Bachelor of Science in Psychology as your degree type and major
- Declaration of the I/O Concentration
For the I/O notation to remain on your transcript at time of graduation, you are required to: (1) complete the required courses AND (2) maintain a Psychology GPA of 3.2.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What does the Industrial Organizational Psychology Concentration prepare me for?
A solid background in industrial organizational (IO) psychology and the disciplines it draws from will prepare you well for more advanced studies in IO psychology, other areas of applied psychology, and business programs. Our coursework, covering both managerial and human resources topics, will also prepare you well for working in business settings. The required and recommended courses in the IO psychology concentration will provide you with the content knowledge of this field and help you develop the skills required for the approaches that characterize applied psychology.
An IO psychologist researches and identifies how behaviors and attitudes in an organization change through hiring practices, training programs, and feedback systems. Applying psychology to help individuals have more satisfying work lives is a fulfilling vocation.
-
Do I have to go to graduate school?
Whether you go to graduate school depends on your career goals. In general, the higher the level of education, the higher the degree of responsibility one has in one’s job but also a higher degree of intellectual freedom. For example, a student with a B.S. and industrial organizational (IO) concentration can expect to employ their skills within a very limited scope whereas a Ph.D. with IO concentration can expect to supervise and guide the actions of others in their organizational interventions.
An advanced degree is required for teaching at the college level or to be competitive in obtaining IO psychologist consulting positions; however, many research, government, and industrial jobs would still be open without one.
-
What kind of classes do I need to take?
The Required and Recommended Courses list provides a complete list of concentration requirements. The list can be obtained from the COSM Student Service Office in 106 Oelman Hall. All of the required and recommended courses for the industrial organizational concentration will count toward satisfying your general electives or psychology B.S. major requirements.
-
What other preparation will I need?
We highly recommend that you receive research experience while you are an undergraduate. This may be obtained in a variety of ways, including working with a faculty member as a research assistant in their laboratory for pay or Independent research credit. We encourage you to speak with the faculty members whose research areas interest you. In addition to getting to know your professors through your classes, you are invited to browse the description of their research areas on the Department of Psychology’s webpage.
We also encourage you to participate in the many professional activities available in the department and at the university. Examples of these activities include joining the Psychology Club or Psi Chi, signing up for Independent Reading (i.e., PSY4040), attending talks by invited speakers visiting the Department of Psychology, and presenting at a scientific conference, such as the annual Midwestern Psychological Association conference that takes place in Chicago each year.
-
Who are the faculty members that teach Industrial Organizational Psychology concentration courses?
Full-time faculty includes Dr. Nathan Bowling, Dr. Gary Burns, Dr. David LaHuis, Dr. Corey Miller, and Dr. Debra Steele-Johnson. You can find out more about our faculty by visiting the Department of Psychology’s People webpage.
-
Where can I find out more about Industrial Organizational Psychology?
The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) is an association of the world’s top workplace behavioral scientists. With more than 6,000 members from all 50 states and 42 countries, SIOP is a diverse group with its primary focus on building better organizations by improving the performance of individuals, teams, and groups.
