How to Get a PhD or DBA in Organizational Psychology

This focused field mixes business and psychology to take a closer look at how organizations function from the inside. With a DBA or PhD in organizational psychology, your research can add original insight to a relatively young school of psychological study. What's more, a professional doctorate in the field could be your way into a leadership position in human resources, management, consulting, and more.

Understanding Behavior in the Workplace

Kurt Lewin, the father of social psychology, once said, "Our behavior is purposeful; we live in a psychological reality or life space that includes not only those parts of our physical and social environment to us but also imagined states that do not currently exist." That idea of varied environments forms the framework for doctoral degree programs in organizational psychology.

Organizational psychology, often known as industrial-organizational psychology, is the study of groups in the workplace. Organizational psychologists practice one of the most lucrative forms of psychology, and enjoy the real-world application of their training.

Taking the next step in education means opening up an entirely new range of career opportunities in consulting, management, teaching, and leadership. An on-campus or online PhD program in organizational psychology gives students an unparalleled chance to pursue in-depth research into a subject with real application in the field.

Typical PhD Degrees in Organizational Psychology

Organizational psychology degrees might be found in psychology departments, management programs, psychological science, leadership, or general business schools. Unless otherwise noted by the program itself, prospective students should consider "industrial-organizational" synonymous with "organizational." Here are a few typical terminal degrees in organizational psychology, along with careers popularly linked to the degrees.

• PhD in Organizational Psychology: management and organization consulting firms, professional training companies, or teaching in higher education
• DBA in Organizational Psychology: consulting or executive leadership positions in government, corporate, non-profit, community or educational organizations

Looking for an alternative to the most popular degrees? Check out these unique organizational psychology degrees along with careers often linked to them.

• EdD in Organizational Psychology: teaching or administrative positions in education, including human resources management
• DBA in Organizational Leadership: similar to the DBA in organizational psychology with a focus on leadership positions
• PsyD in Organizational Development: managers, consultants, organizational change agents, faculty members in organizational training and consultation
• PhD in Consulting Psychology: specializes in one-on-one work, including consultation, employee counseling, coaching, and human resources careers
• PhD in Social-Organizational Psychology: focuses on individuals and organizations, preparing graduates for professional or academic positions
• PhD in Human Resources: executive positions in human resources management or academia

When considering the history of all doctoral degrees in general and psychology degrees in particular, the organizational psychology degree is quite young. As the field diversifies, students may expect an even greater level of specialization in organizational psychology education.

Research Doctoral Programs in Organizational Psychology

Ready to get started? Your application process should begin with research. As the list of degrees above shows, there is no singular path to the organizational psychology doctorate. On the contrary, you have a range of options based on your preferences. Start with these three broad categories:

1. Environment: Would you like to attend school full-time or part-time? On-campus or online? Your learning style, career prospects, and financial need all help determine your ideal environment.
2. Specialization: While you'll finalize your research focus after semesters worth of doctoral seminars, you should have a general idea of how you'd like to contribute to the field. Your specialization interests will go far to help determine your degree program.
3. Goals: Your specific career goals go a long way to determine both your degree and the program in which you earn it. Aspiring consultants or managers should look towards professional degree programs like the DBA, while future professors should tend towards the academic PhD.

Regardless of which campus-based or online doctoral degree you pursue, you will find the organizational psychology doctorate to be a research-intensive degree. Commit to a program that suits your needs and you'll find ample rewards in your years of high-level study.

Individual Contacts for Doctoral Candidates

Looking for some one-on-one answers to your most pressing questions? Personalize your program research process by contacting individuals who can help answer your specific questions. Here are just a few individual contacts who are trained to respond to your doctoral program queries:

• Admissions counselors: Every on-campus or online doctoral program should include admissions counselors trained to answer your specific questions. These representatives should be able to send you more information about the school, admissions requirements, graduate placement statistics, and more.
• Financial aid representatives: Your best resource for individual financial aid questions may be representatives working for potential schools. Ask about scholarships within the department, loans and grants for your specific financial need, and information on how many other students receive funding.
• Department chairs & assistants. These individuals can offer even more information than the two groups above. For specific questions regarding department scholarships and achievements, seek them out.

All categories above should be found in each doctoral program that interests you. It's best to wait to contact them until you have narrowed down your degree and school options; too many individual sources could mean more confusion than clarity.

PhD in Organizational Psychology Program Details

From faculty members to application requirements, no doctorate is created equal. Splitting schools into smaller categories is one way to easily rule out some choices while promoting others. As you narrow down your options to one or two on-campus or online doctoral degree programs, consider the following elements:

• Accreditation: Trust your education to a valid institution. The accreditation process requires colleges to be approved by a third-party accrediting board and is internationally recognized by other schools and hiring managers. Without accreditation, your degree loses much of its value. Both online PhD programs and on-campus options should be accredited.
• Faculty: More competitive schools will increase their appeal by employing big-name faculty in an effort to draw students. If you're looking at smaller schools, look for faculty members whose research interests sound similar to your own. You'll be more likely to connect with faculty who have your interests.
• Program History: Established business schools come with their own set of successful alumni, scholarship funding, and distinguished faculty. If you're considering newer programs, look to a mission statement to see if the program is on the path to success.
• Graduates: Successful graduates offer living proof that your organizational psychology degree can be put to good use. A thriving alumni community can offer much by way of career help and connections. Ask admissions counselors for a sampling of the program's shining stars.
• Prerequisites: The items you need to apply will vary by school. Generally, you'll need high GRE scores, coursework in psychology specific fields, good grades in research methods, statistics and business courses, and a strong GPA in your overall undergraduate education.
• Competition: Your peers affect a doctoral program's quality along with your chances of admission. More competitive programs typically have a higher prerequisite requirement and higher admission, but the school's name could carry more weight in academia or the business world.

The categories above can go a long way to help narrow down your doctoral degree program options. Focusing in on just a few programs will help save you time and costly application fees.

Personalized Degree and Career Assistance

A wealth of online resources are designed to help you chart your course through higher education. From financial aid information to a helpful guide to college majors, these pages offer in-depth, personalized help on the topics that interest you.

• For broad information on a range of majors, see the Guide to College Majors page. Find more information on doctoral degrees. The page is helpful for majors at any level, in fields varying from social science to technology.
• Check out the Education Resources section for resources on accreditation and test preparation. A Learning Tools section helps connect students with resources and tools for online PhD programs.
• Browse the Ask the Recruiter section for answers to real questions on careers, education, interview skills, and more. It's part of a larger Career Assessment section offering even more personalized advice.
• Use the Financial Aid portal to learn more about scholarships, federal student loans, military aid, and student loan relief. Aid information for international students is also available.

Tailor the process above to your search by considering specializations that appeal to your research and career future. Begin by narrowing down business or psychology degree, programs, and take one step further by checking out resources tailored specifically to organizational psychology degrees.

Organizational Psychology Degree Resources

Get information tailored to your degree from individual schools as well as from groups devoted to social and organizational psychology. Here are a few helpful links that can help you begin the process of finding your ideal organizational psychology degree program.

• The Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology lists graduate degree programs in the field. Find listings including the university name, specific degree awarded, and department.
• The Social Psychology Network ranks PhD programs in psychology specializations, including degrees in Industrial/Organizational psychology. Schools are ranked on a point system.
• Use WorldWideLearn.com to find organizational psychology programs quickly and efficiently. Contact a number of doctoral programs simply, saving you research time.
• The U.S. News & World Report ranks the top organizational behavior business schools with marketing specialties on their Best Business Schools page. Schools are ranked based on graduate degree programs in business with organizational behavior programs.

The resources above help link together a general set of requirements for your education with the specific sources you can use in researching your organizational psychology doctorate degree. Both on-campus and online resources are represented in the sites above, helping you fully consider your options before committing to a program.

Find the Professional & Academic I/O Psychology Community

If you've been away from school and an academic community for a long time, the resources below can help reconnect you to your peers. Graduate students and tenured academics alike work side-by-side to give papers at conferences and publish research findings in journals. Check out some of the top professional and academic groups in the field of organizational psychology:

• Subscribe to publications. Popular academic journals include Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Perspectives, Journal of Applied Psychology, and The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist.
• Attend conferences. Doctoral candidates and academics present papers in organizational psychology conferences, including European Conference on Organizational Psychology and Human Service Work, SIOP Conference, and the Australian Industrial and Organisational Psychology Conference.
• Join professional organizations. Professional groups in organizational psychology help you build connections, find professionals in your area, and speak with alumni of potential degree programs. Professional organizations in organizational psychology include the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Society for Occupational Health Psychology, Canadian Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology.

Learn More About the Doctorate in Organizational Psychology

A dedicated effort to finding your ideal degree program can save you time and money in the long run, and can mean a more rewarding course of study for your doctoral years. Use the resources above to build your knowledge in organizational psychology before you even step into the classroom.

Earning a doctorate in organizational psychology proves you've reached the top of your field. Far more than a simple degree, your training proves your commitment and interest in expanding the study of organizational psychology. Whether your destination is in the halls of commerce or the halls of academia, your research begins today.

Sources

• FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• Social Psychology Network
• Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
• Society for Occupational Health Psychology
• U.S. Department of Education, Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
• U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report University Directory