Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Central Michigan University
grad.cmich.edu
Welcome
The Department of Psychology at Central Michigan University offers
a terminal master’s of arts and doctoral degree in Industrial and
Organizational (I/O) Psychology. Graduates of these programs typically
work as consultants to businesses or in university settings.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology is an applied area of
psychology that is growing every day. I/O psychology has a dual
commitment to the science and practice involved in applying
psychology to the practical problems faced by people at work in a
variety of organizations.
Improving worker productivity and the quality of work-life are the
underlying goals of most I/O psychologists’ efforts. Such activities
include researching better ways for organizations to select and train
employees and how to measure employee job performance. Other
activities may be related to motivational issues at work, factors that
affect work-group processes, and understanding when different types
of leadership are most appropriate.
I/O Psychology Programs at Central
Michigan University
The I/O psychology programs at Central Michigan University prepare
students for careers as active contributors to the psychology of work.
This is achieved primarily through experiences in three areas:
• Course work
• Independent and faculty-sponsored research
• Supervised applied projects
These experiences help students gain the knowledge and develop the
skills needed to be outstanding I/O psychologists.
Degrees Offered
M.A. The master of arts program is designed to train students for
careers in business, government, or consulting, or for continuing their
education in doctoral programs. This two-year master of arts program
requires 39 hours of course work, including a practicum and a thesis.
Ph.D. The doctoral program prepares students for careers in research,
business, or university settings. This program requires 96 hours of
course work, a comprehensive exam, a master’s thesis, and a doctoral
dissertation.
I/O psychology students at CMU can tailor their graduate education to
reflect their own professional interests and academic needs. These
graduate programs are offered in a learning environment where faculty
members and students teach and learn from each other through
collaboration, discussion, classes, and other interaction opportunities.
Student Internships
I/O Psychology students are encouraged to complete internships
at appropriate regional or national businesses. Recent internship
locations have included The Dow Chemical Company, IBM, Denison
Consulting, and AT&T.
College of Graduate Studies
Graduate students in Industrial/Organizational Psychology programs at Central Michigan
University enjoy close contact with faculty mentors and gain valuable experience in a
variety of settings.
I/O Psychology Curriculum
The course work required for the master’s and doctoral programs
reflects a balance of classes in personnel psychology, organizational
psychology, and a research methodology.
Students enrolled in the I/O psychology graduate programs take core
courses that focus on areas such as:
• Job Analysis • Job Performance
• Work Motivation
• Multivariate Statistics
• Organizational Development • Personnel Selection
• Psychological Testing
• Leadership
Students also are expected to develop a background in more general
theories of psychology that are related to the field of I/O psychology.
Foundation courses are required in areas such as advanced social
psychology, group dynamics, and cognitive psychology.
Special topics courses also are offered each year on more specific
issues of interest to faculty and students. Recent topics have included
legal issues in I/O psychology, meta-analysis, organizational culture,
personality in the workplace, and structural equation modeling.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available through doctoral research fellowships,
graduate assistantships, and other sources.
Students awarded doctoral research fellowships receive a stipend and
a tuition waiver. Fellowship recipients conduct research under the
guidance of I/O psychology faculty members.
Students awarded full-time or half-time graduate assistantships
receive a stipend and a tuition waiver. Assistantship recipients may
independently teach a class or help faculty with research or teaching.
CMU’s Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid provides information on
other funding opportunities (see www.financialaid.cmich.edu).
grad.cmich.edu
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Central Michigan University
grad.cmich.edu
Faculty
I/O psychology faculty members at CMU have a wide variety
of research interests. Five core faculty members have doctoral
degrees in I/O psychology, and five faculty members have doctoral
degrees in related areas.
Core I/O Faculty Members
Terry A. Beehr, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1974. Director.
Job stress, retirement, leadership, and careers.
Neil D. Christiansen, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University, 1997.
Personality in the workplace, personnel selection, and structural
equation modeling in I/O psychology.
Stephen M. Colarelli, Ph.D., New York University, 1982.
Personnel psychology, evolutionary psychology, and influences on
HRM utilization.
Kimberly E. O’Brien, Ph.D. University of South Florida, 2008.
Job stress, organizational citizenship behavior, counterproductive
work behavior, mentoring, and emotional abuse.
Matt Prewett, Ph. D., University of South Florida, 2009. Team
performance management: staffing, training, group motivation, and
performance appraisal.
Related I/O Faculty Members
Richard W. Backs, Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1984.
Human factors, psychophysiology, aging, attention, and emotion.
Bryan D. Gibson, Ph.D., University of Utah, 1991. Selfpresentation, smoker-nonsmoker interaction, and psychology of
gambling.
Kyunghee Han, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1993. Scientific
study of culture, quantitative methods, psychological test/scale
development, and evaluation.
Carl M. Johnson, Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1979. Sleep
disorders, applied behavioral analysis, and organizational behavior
management.
Stuart W. Quirk, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University, 1999.
Emotional processes, personality disorders, and assessment.
CMU’s Sloan Hall resides near the North end of Central Michigan University’s scenic, 480
-acre campus. The university is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, a classic American
town with a very active and friendly community.
To Apply
The I/O psychology graduate programs are for full-time students. It
is helpful if students have taken undergraduate courses in general
psychology, I/O psychology, research methodology, and statistics.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, undergraduate
transcripts, and letters of recommendation are required. All
application materials must be received by January 1 to be admitted
for the fall semester.
Apply Online
www.grad.cmich.edu/psyioa
For More Information
I/O Psychology Program
Sloan Hall 139
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Telephone: (989) 774-6464
Fax: (989) 774-2553
psy@cmich.edu
About CMU and the College
of Graduate Studies
www.chsbs.cmich.edu/psychology
Central Michigan University is classified as a Doctoral Research
University and hosts over 20,000 students at its main campus in
Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
CMU’s Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid provides additional information
on other funding opportunities (see www.financialaid.cmich.edu).
CMU’s College of Graduate Studies currently provides master’s
degrees in more than 70 fields, specialist’s degrees in two areas,
and doctoral degrees in 12 disciplines.
The college’s on-campus graduate programs serve more than 2,000
students. This includes as many as 1,000 part-time students, many
of whom are working professionals who commute to evening and
weekend classes.
College of Graduate Studies
Graduate Studies May 2010
CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase
diversity within its community (see www.cmich.edu/aaeo).