Coursework in the PhD program covers three primary areas of training: theory, research, and professional practice. In addition, courses focus on multi-cultural and international applications of behavioral science and management related knowledge and skills. Students in the doctoral program first complete 52 units of required coursework and electives in such areas as organizational theory, scientific foundations of organizational psychology, group development, consulting skills, intervention skills, leading/facilitating organization change, as well as research design, and statistical methods applications. After passing the qualifying/comprehensive examination, students continue with advanced coursework that includes some additional required coursework, professional field work training and completion of their dissertation research. Students’ professional field work training is completed under the supervision of field based professionals and/or faculty, while their design, conduct, and write-up of a research-based dissertation occurs under the guidance of a faculty advisor.
Within the structure of the doctoral curriculum, students have some opportunities to customize their education and training based on their professional career goals through elective coursework, professional fieldwork training, and dissertation research. Students work closely with faculty and the Program Director to determine areas of specific professional and academic focus. The coursework during the first two years of study for full-time students (3 years for part-time students) is intended to develop the foundational competencies required for future professional careers. Elective courses offered provide students with the opportunity to pursue specific areas of professional interest in more depth. Elective courses may also be taken from other Alliant International University graduate programs such as clinical, education, and business. Elective courses are usually offered each semester and during the summer session. The field work experiences and the dissertation research also allow students flexibility to develop expertise and experience in specific areas of professional interest.
Students may attend the doctoral program either on a full-time or part-time basis. Full time students may complete the doctoral degree within 4-5 years. Part-time students commonly take 5-6 years to complete the Program although the pace of study for part-time students varies depending on their ability to manage the demands of other commitments on their time. The dissertation research is a creative task and, like all creative processes, the timing required will vary depending on the research approach and the nature and complexity of the research topic being investigated.
Our doctoral graduates enter a variety of professional careers. Some pursue careers as organizational, management, or human resources development consultants with large or specialized boutique consulting firms or take positions internal to private and public sector companies. Some develop their own organization and management consulting practices, and still others provide professional training and teach in higher education settings.
Qualifying/Comprehensive Exam
All students pursuing the PhD degree are required to pass the qualifying/comprehensive exam. This exam is taken after successfully completing 52 units of coursework (typically at the end of the second year for full time students). This is an essay type exam that is comprised of three sub-tests: theory, research methods, and professional practice. The Professional Practice subtest also includes an oral presentation component. A student must pass all 3 sub-tests before being advanced to doctoral candidacy. Students who pass 2 of 3 sub-tests are permitted to proceed on in the post-qualifying exam curriculum pending their successful retake of the failed subtest. The failed subtest must be retaken the next time the exam is scheduled. Exams are scheduled twice during the academic year in January and August. Students may be allowed to retake exam sub-tests up to three times with faculty consent. If a student fails to pass the exam after three attempts, he/she may be dismissed from the doctoral program, but in most cases, will be awarded the Masters in Organizational Psychology.
Credit for Previous Graduate Work
Students with previous graduate work in Organizational Psychology or a closely related field may be eligible for waiver or transfer credit for some required or elective courses. Evaluation of previous graduate work and course credit waiver decisions are made in consultation with the San Francisco OP Program Director after the student enrolls in the Program. Students who enter the doctoral program with an earned master’s degree in organizational psychology, organization development, or a related field may receive credit for prior coursework completed, but will still need to take some courses to help them round out their professional development and assist them in preparing for the qualifying/comprehensive examination. Students seeking transfer credit for prior completed graduate-level coursework must provide full syllabi and related course descriptions (and in some cases past course assignments) from the prior courses for which they wish to transfer credit together with evidence of satisfactory academic performance in the course (grade of B or higher or the Program Director’s approval) from official transcripts. Transfer credits are approved when a course is evaluated to be substantively equivalent to a Marshall Goldsmith School of Management Organizational Psychology course offered in the doctoral program. Only graduate level courses from an accredited institution of higher education can be considered for transfer credit.
Students who have completed a research based master’s thesis may be able to receive credit for one or both second year required Research Seminars. A copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Program Director so that it can be evaluated by the Program faculty. Transfer credits must be applied for during the first semester of enrollment. Students who have completed their masters degree at one of the MGSM graduate programs may have all of their course credits transferred. However, some additional coursework or other academic requirements may be necessary before becoming a doctoral candidate.
Dissertation Research
Doctoral students are required to complete a dissertation research project. This research project is conceptualized and executed independently by the student under faculty supervision and is expected to contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the field. Successful completion of this requirement demonstrates that the student has learned and is able to apply research based investigative methods/techniques, developed in-depth expertise in a specific body of knowledge within the field, and has made a contribution to the that body of knowledge. Students begin developing their research ideas and design during the ORG 8990 Research Seminar sequence taken during the 2nd year of study for full time students. All students are required to present and defend their dissertation proposal within 3 semesters after passing the comprehensive/qualifying exam. If a student has already taken the 4 required units for ORG 8990 and has not passed the qualifying exam, or has taken the 7 required units of ORG 8991 Research Seminar: Dissertation Proposal and has not defended their proposal successfully, they need to register for ORG 8993 Dissertation Supplement for 2 units. Students are allowed to register for ORG 8993 for two semesters only. ORG 8993 units do not apply toward the 92 units required for doctoral program completion. Students who have completed all academic requirements including all 92 units of coursework and the internship, but have not yet completed their dissertation, may register for Dissertation Extension course units until the dissertation is completed. Dissertation Extension is not allowed for students who have not yet defended successfully their dissertation proposal.
A dissertation committee comprised of a chairperson and two other faculty members assist the student in developing their dissertation research, guide the student’s conduct of the research, provide critique and feedback to assist in the final write-up of the research, and evaluate the completed work at an oral examination. Doctoral students are responsible for engaging a faculty member to serve as their chair and work with their chair to enlist other dissertation committee members.
Many students choose to complete their dissertation proposal and in some cases their research related data collection before initiating their internship & field work training requirement. A detailed Dissertation Manual describing the dissertation guidelines, process, and requirements is available on-line at the San Francisco OP website.
Internship and Field Training
Students develop professional practice related skills in organizational psychology through a variety of professional training experiences throughout the doctoral program including class projects, in-class simulations, and through semester long supervised field work based applied project during the first 52 units or first half of the doctoral program curriculum. Once passing the qualifying exam, students become eligible to take the internship/field work part of the program. The internship is designed to provide students with in-depth supervised professional practice learning experiences. Students take a total of 9 units for their internship/fieldwork over the course of three semesters. In addition, they register for a 2-unit seminar course linked to the internship/field work each semester. Most internships span three consecutive semesters including the summer session.
Supervised internship/field experiences may occur across a variety of settings including with consulting firms, major corporations, government agencies and not-for-profit community organizations. Internships may be provided by the program and/or by the students themselves. Internships brought by students need to be vetted and qualified by program faculty before being used for credit. Students already working full-time may arrange a supervised field project(s) at their current work setting at the discretion of the OP-SF Internship Faculty Coordinator and Program Director. In most cases, such field work projects will need to be substantively different than the students’ regular work.
Internship/field work placements provide students with hands-on training in applying what they have learned in prior coursework. These placements often provide students the opportunity to diagnose organizational problems, design and conduct various OD-type interventions. Thorough integration of students’ professional training experiences with their academic work is assured by ongoing faculty supervision and participation in the internship/field work seminar.
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