Master of Science in
Industrial / Organizational
Psychology (MSIOP)

This course is an introduction to graduate studies in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology. This area of psychology involves the application of psychological principles to work settings, which includes personnel selection, training and development, performance management, stress and motivation, work attitudes, leadership, teams, and work-life balance. Current models, history, ethical and legal concerns, and research in I/O Psychology will be explored. In addition, graduate-level skills—such as academic integrity, effective use of the Northcentral Library, comprehension of complex scholarly texts and research articles, and use of APA format and style in professional communication—are also introduced. Students will complete the course with a roadmap to navigate their way to completion of their educational aspirations.

This course explores the role of the Organizational Development (OD) practitioner in supporting and/or leading change in individual, group, and organizational settings. In order to facilitate change so that it enhances productivity, students will learn about the evolution of organizational development, the process of change, and the many types and components appropriate in different OD situations. Student will also examine the principles, theories and ethics of organizational development and change. The goal of this course is for students to be able to both manage and implement interventions to remake the way an organization functions. 

In this course, personnel recruitment and selection is introduced as an evidence-based practice aimed at identifying qualified candidates and encouraging them to apply for jobs with an organization.  The student will discover and understand the theories and principles of Industrial/Organizational Psychology (IO) that focus on personnel recruitment and selection.  Students will also evaluate the methodology, including the assessment tools and develop persuasive arguments about personnel recruitment and selection.  The goal of this course is to use a systematic approach of hiring and promoting qualified personnel.

Upon the completion of this course, you will develop an understanding of the strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative approaches to research design. As a result of this newfound knowledge, you will become a more educated and discerning consumer of the existing published research. In addition, you will be more informed on how to effectively and ethically use these different research methods when designing research studies. 

This course provides an introduction to descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, margin of error, and the visual representation of statistical data. The emphasis in this course is on developing a conceptual knowledge of how statistics are used in the setting of I/O Psychology. The student will learn about many of the commonly used statistical tests in psychological research such as t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, and chi-square are along with their interpretation. Students will demonstrate analytical proficiency by creating and interpreting tables and graphs based on results of statistical tests in preparation for sharing presentations with stakeholders.

This course introduces students to the basic theories, applications, and issues of psychological testing and assessment. Students will review the historical, professional, and legal context of utilizing tests and measurements in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Specifically, students will explore the purpose, development, application, and evaluation of psychological tests as applied to employee selection, placement, and performance appraisal. Students will also examine special topics related to use of psychological tests in the workplace, including: the merits of cognitive ability, personality, and vocational testing, technological advancements in testing, and the testing of special populations.

This course covers development and usage of organizational surveys and related topics, such as attitude measurement, job satisfaction, and the evolving uses of surveys in organizations. Students will examine the challenges faced by consultants in designing and implementing organizational surveys, such as potential sources of bias, respondent recruitment, data collection methods, and ethical issues related to privacy.

The Capstone course in I/O Psychology is an opportunity to demonstrate a range of professional competencies and communication skills, reflecting the knowledge, critical thinking, sensitivity to ethics and diversity, and appreciation of research that has been acquired during the MS program. The Capstone course culminates in a review of the evidence based practices related to a specific issue of interest to the student in I/O Psychology.

Students seeking a master’s degree in I/O psychology may opt to complete their degree by taking an internship in I/O psychology instead of the Capstone course. During the internship experience, students will meet weekly with their assigned NU professor as well as their approved internship site supervisor to discuss their experiences. Weekly assignments include submission of required evaluations and preparation for the final theoretically grounded presentation summarizing the internship experience. Internship experiences are designed to guide candidates through specific standards-aligned experiences with resulting growth in competencies demonstrated through application in practice

Students in this course will examine leadership in the modern global workplace, emphasizing the elements of a good leader. Trait, behavior, contingency, and contemporary theories of leadership and management will be explored. Legal and ethical/moral issues as well as gender and sociocultural challenges will also be highlighted throughout the course. Additional topics include: leadership skill development, managing conflict, developing a leadership vision, leading groups and teams, and leadership versus management. Students in this course will gain an understanding of their own leadership style and improve their leadership self-awareness.

This course reviews motivational theories and evaluates their application to employees and groups within the workplace. Aspects of employment engagement to be covered include job enrichment, employee voice, employee empowerment, and employee satisfaction.

In this course, students will develop an understanding of employee development and performance improvement by examining methods of workforce training and program evaluation in organizations. Topics include adult instruction strategies, competency modeling for professional development, job retraining, skills-gap and needs analysis, return on investment, transfer of training, and organizational change. The role of training in organizational health will be highlighted and emerging trends in training methods for a global, virtual workplace will be discussed.

This course examines the small group and team processes in the workplace. Topics include team development, effectively leading teams, the establishment of group norms and goals, group problem solving and decision making, and resolving group conflict. Both research and application of concepts are highlighted.