Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology is a quickly growing area of psychology that applies research to improve the functioning of workplaces in many ways. This branch of psychology builds best practices that help businesses, government organizations, non-profit agencies, and other organizations be more productive and profitable, and also improves the wellbeing of employees.
Wesleyan’s specialized curriculum will qualify students for a number of jobs in the human resources profession such as program manager, research manager, associate consultant, research analyst, and other entry-level positions. With a few years of experience, advanced positions as a team leader, program director, principal consultant, and chief human resources officer are available. These positions are a part of wide range of career paths in consulting firms, industrial organizations, and government administration. These skills also translate into fields such as international business, human services, health care, civil service, banking, and the gig economy. The data analytics course applies traditional organization research methods to the latest technology-based, data analytic tools and applications. The course focuses on collecting analytics about the people who make up the workplace, and teaches students to use the research to make data-driven decisions within an organization and to improve functionality and worker satisfaction. The research and analytics courses help students develop skills as researchers and understand how to use research to shape policies and practices that impact people within the organization.
Emphasis on justice in the workplace is embedded throughout our curriculum. As employers continue to emphasize the demands of business operations, they are becoming more aware that prioritizing fair and just treatment of people is critical to success. Wesleyan I-O graduates will offer employers expertise in issues such as embracing workplace diversity, equitable treatment of employees, and valuing worker wellbeing. The Diversity, Justice, and Ethics in the Workplace course teaches students how to design diversity initiatives that foster organizational success and promote fairness to all employees. Based on global and cross-cultural perspectives, students learn to examine diversity in a wide range of organizational settings. They also examine key competencies and methods for fostering a climate for ethics within organizations, as well as ethical decision making among the leaders of those organizations.
Wesleyan’s program has been developed according to recommendations of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and is a terminal master’s degree program. The Master of Industrial Organization Psychology degree is designed to equip graduates to work as a practitioner with a career in a variety of organizational settings. The program requires students to take their class learning and apply their knowledge though a practicum project that supports leaders and decision makers within organizations.
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