The Master of Science (MS) degree in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology program, offered by the Department of Psychology , is designed to provide students with a fundamental grounding in theory, research, and application in the field of I/O Psychology and to prepare them to work in a wide range of settings including medium-to-large sized organizations, government agencies, human resources or management consulting firms, and large research organizations. The program places particular emphasis on the science-practitioner approach in which students understand and appreciate theory and research as they apply their knowledge and skills to the needs and challenges of organizations.

University Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements .

Department Requirements

To be eligible for admission into the Industrial/Organizational Psychology program, you must:

1. Meet all of the University graduate admissions requirements
2. Have completed either a baccalaureate degree (BA/BS) in psychology or any baccalaureate degree and a minimum of 30 semester (45 quarter) units in psychology
3. Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 semester units (90 quarter units) of all college and/or university course work
4. Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all college and/or university psychology courses taken

Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

Additional Department Requirements

General university requirements and procedures for completing the Master of Science degree are described in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog . In addition to these, the following departmental requirements must be fulfilled.

1. The student must complete a total of not less than 30 semester units for the industrial/organizational concentration as specified in the degree below.
2. Candidates in the MS Industrial/Organizational program must complete a thesis or thesis project as part of their 30 semester unit degree requirement. The nature of the thesis is to be determined in consultation with a committee of three committee members. The thesis ordinarily consists of a quantitative investigation. The thesis will generally constitute the final comprehensive examination.

Program of Study Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.