Admission Standards

The I/O Psychology Program offers both terminal master’s degrees and doctoral degrees

Admissions decisions are based on several criteria, including:

• the student’s overall and psychology grade point averages (GPA)
• three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic work
• GRE scores (Verbal, Quantitative, and Writing)
• personal statements describing interest in I/O psychology.

Persons with psychology majors or extensive backgrounds in psychology are preferred.

Please also note that admitted students must provide the Department of Psychology with an official transcript, showing proof of degree conferral from the student's institution or an official letter of completion from their university registrar's office if an official transcript is not yet available. Students who do not provide proof of degree conferral before fall semester begins are not eligible to hold an assistantship/scholarship and will be unable to register for classes.

Terminal Master’s Degrees

Most typically, students who wish to complete a terminal master’s degree will be in the Personnel track. This 2-year M.A. degree program does not involve writing a master’s thesis. It is designed for students who wish to gain a broad knowledge of I/O psychology in order to work in applied settings after they complete the degree. Students take relevant coursework, have an applied practicum experience, and finally, take a “comprehensive-style” examination as the capstone of their two years of coursework.

The minimum requirements for admissions to the terminal M.A. program are scores of 150 on the Verbal and Quantitative GRE subtests, a 3.00 undergraduate GPA, appropriate educational preparation, and 3 letters of recommendation. Prospective students are judged in a competitive manner, and the number of openings is limited (we typically admit 4-6 students per year), so actual grades and scores of admitted students tend to be somewhat higher. Learn more about the application procedure.

Doctoral Degrees

Students wishing to pursue a doctoral degree in I/O Psychology should apply to the M.A.-Ph.D. option if they have earned a bachelor’s degree. They should apply to the Ph.D. option if they already hold a master's degree in I/O psychology or a closely related field, or will have completed such a degree by the time they begin the program. Students in the M.A.-Ph.D. option complete the master’s degree in two years. Completion of the remaining coursework, comprehensive examinations, and writing the dissertation typically takes from 2-4 additional years, with completion of the entire doctoral degree in 5 years a reasonable goal.

For both the Ph.D. and MA-Ph.D. options, the minimum requirements are scores of 155 on the Verbal and Quantitative GRE subtests and a 3.25 psychology GPA. However, the number of openings is limited (we typically admit 4-6 students in this option per year) so actual grades and scores needed for admission may be higher. Prospective students are judged in a competitive manner.  Learn more about the application procedure.