Master of Professional Studies in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

The UMD IO Psychology Master's program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the field of IO, as well as how IO practice can be augmented by a strong understanding of statistics and business. In addition to understanding industrial and organizational psychology concepts such as Selection, Training, Organizational Change, and Performance Management, IO practitioners need to be savvy translators of statistics and methods. IO MPS students learn basic and advanced techniques - including, but not limited to - Correlations, Regressions, Factor Analysis, and Social Network Analysis - but also what information each of these analyses provide and how to translate these findings to drive business decision making. Many times, IO is thought of as existing within the human resources or analytics division of an organization. In our program, students also learn about other key areas of businesses, such as Marketing, Finance, and Operations, and how IO interactions with other business functions in an organization. This insight is instrumental to understanding what value IO practitioners can provide to their organizations.

We also emphasize that understanding goes beyond learning theoretical concepts. Theory is critical for effective practice, but we ensure that students are trained to dynamically apply research and theory in ambiguous and complex organizational situations. In each class, IO MPS students can expect to learn traditional IO theory, as well as how these concepts translate into application in real organizations. We do this through: working on real issues organizations have faced, utilizing case studies, and learning from current IO practitioners. The goal of the program is to provide students with a broad understanding of psychological principles and focused training in the research and application of IO psychology. In this program, you will learn cutting-edge techniques to improve the livelihoods and outcomes of employees and organizations. This degree will prepare students for a wide range of careers as internal IO practitioners, external consultants, the public sector, non-profits, and more.

The IO MPS program provides high levels of rigorous academic training, hands-on practical experiences, and mentoring while meeting the needs of students and working professionals. The program is completed in 15 months over the course of 5 terms. Students complete two classes per term.

The Graduate School requires a minimum standard GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all undergraduate courses taken at a regionally accredited college or university.
Statement of Purpose
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TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)
Letters of Recommendation (2)
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Supplementary Application
Admissions interview
iBT TOEFL - 96 Overall (Speaking 22, Listening 24, Reading 26, Writing 24)
IELTS - 7 Overall (Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 7, Speaking 6.5)