Industrial-Organizational Psychology (Ph.D.)
The industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology program at Illinois Tech is the oldest, most successful, and most respected program in the Chicago area.
Through intensive training in research methods as well as experience in work settings, our Ph.D. program prepares you for a career in university teaching, industry, government, or consulting. You will acquire a strong theoretical and methodological background in various areas of I-O psychology as well as experience in work settings. Many students in the past have presented and published their work.
Illinois Tech's I-O specialization track follows the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Guidelines for Education and Training. These guidelines, approved by the American Psychological Association, help to ensure that our students receive the best possible training, covering areas of competence, using the best methods to develop that competence, and best curricula formats in which to teach those areas.
Program Overview
Illinois Tech's has the oldest, most successful, and most respected industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology program in the Chicago area. We offer a broad theoretical and methodological I-O background and will prepare you for a career in teaching, industry, government, or consulting.
Career Opportunities
Our Ph.D. program prepares you for a range of careers including:
- University teaching
- Industry
- Government
- Consulting
In addition, many past students have presented and published their work.
A minimum of 96 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree is required for the Ph.D., which includes the following:
M.S. thesis
Comprehensive exam
Dissertation and oral defense
Internship in organizations
Research training is also an important aspect of your education. At Illinois Tech you will be educated in the scientific process of psychological research.
You will also complete six credit hours of internship, which is completed doing six months of part-time field work at one or two sites. You may choose to intern at a consulting firm or in the training division of human resources or personnel department of a major organization. The Chicago metropolitan area will provide you with ample choices for your internship experience.
The Department of Psychology accepts Ph.D. applications for fall entrance only. Applications and supporting documents must be received by February 15. Minimum requirements for admission include:
- Bachelor's degree with 18 hours of coursework in psychology or a related field, including courses in statistics and research methods
- Minimum GPA of 3.2
- Minimum GRE 302 (at least 150 in both Verbal and Quant), 3.5 Analytic Writing
- Three letters of recommendation (two of which are from academics)
- Professional statement
- Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions (uploaded directly into the online application system)
Student Funding
Scholarships
The industrial-organizational psychology division awards one-year, partial-tuition scholarships to a number of students based on merit.
Teaching Assistantships
After the first year, students can apply for a teaching assistantship. TAs receive partial-tuition reimbursement and a monthly stipend, along with teaching experience. These positions are quarter time (10 hours per week).
Graduate Assistantships
The Center for Research and Service has many opportunities for students to work and gain experience. Project-based funding is available for students who work at the center.
Fellowships
The Arch Pounian Fellowship for Industrial-Organizational Psychology is awarded to one outstanding student each year with an excellent academic record, and who is highly engaged in presentations and publications. Continuing students are invited to apply each spring for the award of $5,000.
The Phil S. and Harriett C. Shurrager Industrial-Organizational Psychology Endowed Fellowship funds one I-O graduate student each year and is selected by the program directors.
Grants
Funding may also be found through faculty grants and, upon availability, the I-O program provides merit-based funding to students selected by the faculty.
Featured Faculty
Scott Morris
Roya Ayman
Kristina N. Bauer
"Some of the aspirations I had for later on in my career are happening sooner that I would have ever imagined. I wanted to work at a big company that had well-established HR practices to learn the ropes of organizational psychology and management practices at enterprise organizations. I feel super fortunate that I was able to do that at PepsiCo during my graduate studies. One of my longer-term goals was to expand that experience in a more specialized people science role where I would work alongside some of the best in my field in a purposeful, mission-driven organization. That is exactly what I found at Humu—it is truly my dream job."
"I think the strength of an I-O degree at Illinois Tech is the diversity of academic and applied experience. Beyond the classroom, professors hold their own research labs, students are sent to the annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) conference, and the program hosts a series of events to network with program alumni. It is really a great program that is based in the incredible city of Chicago where the opportunities for career development are endless."
