Catalog 2016-2017 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Catalog 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Organizational Psychology: PhD, Los Angeles, San Diego


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The doctoral program (PhD) in Organizational Psychology combines coursework in psychology and organizational theory with specialized courses in organizational change and development, industrial psychology, consulting to organizations, and human resources management. The curriculum includes the equivalent of one year of full-time professional training placement, which students complete across a variety of settings, including consulting firms, major corporations, government agencies and not-for-profit community organizations.

Program Goals


Program Goals for the PhD OP Degree:

  • Knowledge of research design, measurement, and statistical tools appropriate for basic research as well as for applied research in such areas as selection testing, surveys, and program evaluations.
  • Understand and critically evaluate the literature in a given area.
  • Integrate knowledge of ethical and legal behavior in organizational studies.
  • A positive, pro-active and non-judgmental attitude towards diverse cultural and international identities and in interpersonal and professional interactions.
  • Deliver culturally competent professional services in their respective areas to diverse populations.
  • Knowledge of research design, measurement, and statistical tools appropriate for basic research as well as for applied research in such areas as organizational consulting, selection testing, surveys, and program evaluations
  • Skills in applying psychometric concepts to problems in industrial and organizational psychology

Training Model: A Scholar-Practitioner Program


The PhD program in Organizational Psychology at the Los Angeles and San Diego campuses combine coursework in industrial and organizational psychology. Academic studies are integrated with the equivalent of one year of full-time internship. Since most internships are done in major corporations, business organizations, or public sector agencies, these provide good opportunities to build relationships with experts in the field outside of the university. The philosophy underlying this program is the belief that the foundations of effective organizational change require a thorough understanding of what we know from scientific research and experience about human behavior in the workplace. Change is also based on the ability of practitioners to develop relationships with their clients and coworkers to work jointly on issues relating to organizational effectiveness.

The program is designed to address both sides of the consultant/client relationship. Increasingly, companies use consultants, whether internal to the organization or external contractors, to advise and help line managers, HR managers, and executives to design and implement change projects. Graduates are prepared for careers in a wide variety of practice areas including consulting to managers and leaders, team development and consultation, organizational assessment and design, coaching, human resources management, organization change and development, diversity training, and talent management.

Coursework in the PhD OP 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 PhD program first complete the 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 research methods. After passing the qualifying/comprehensive examination, students continue with advanced coursework that includes some additional required courses, supervised internship hours, and completion of their dissertation research. Students’ professional internship training is completed under the supervision of field-based professionals and faculty, while the design, conduct, and write-up of a research-based dissertation occurs under the guidance of a faculty advisor.

Within the structure of the PhD curriculum, students have 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, the Internship Coordinator, 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 (three or more years for part-time students) is intended to develop the foundational competencies required for future professional careers. Elective courses provide students with the opportunity to pursue specific areas of professional interest in greater depth. Elective courses may also be taken from other Alliant International University graduate programs such as clinical psychology, education, and management. The internship experiences and the dissertation research also allow students to develop expertise and experience in specific areas of professional interest.

Internships


Students develop professional practice related skills in organizational psychology and organizational consulting through a variety of professional training experiences including class projects, case studies, in-class simulations, and internship. The internship is designed to provide students with in-depth supervised professional practice learning experiences. In their third or fourth year of a full-time program, students participate in 1,280 hours of supervised professional internships in the business community, non-profit or public sector – for a total of 9 units. Students usually commence earning internship hours during the semester they pass the doctoral comprehensive exam or after having completed much of their dissertation. However students in good academic standing can request permission of the Internship Director to earn up to 240 hours of their internship hours starting as early as the second semester of the program (1 unit per semester). Specifically, with the prior approval of the campus-based internship director, students can earn up to three units (420 hours) of internship credit while completing the equivalent of the first two years of the program. Students who have completed the first two years of coursework (including their second-year research project) and who are in good academic standing may also, with the prior approval of the campus-based internship director, earn up to three additional units of internship credit (420 additional hours) prior to enrolling in ORG8991 (Dissertation II). The remaining units of internship are earned after enrolling in and starting ORG8991 (Dissertation II).

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 identified by the students themselves. Internships brought by students need to be vetted by program faculty. Students already working full-time may arrange a supervised field project(s) at their current work setting at the discretion of the Organizational Psychology Internship Faculty Coordinator and Program Director. These internship projects must be substantively different than the students’ regular work and supervised by the Internship Coordinator.

Research Training


Students may apply their research skills in a variety of ways during their internships or classwork projects. They may do training program evaluations, conduct job satisfaction surveys or measure the quality of teamwork in an organization. As one of the last steps in their program, every student completes a dissertation. Doctoral students are required to independently conceptualize and execute the dissertation under faculty supervision. A dissertation consists of a quantitative and/or qualitative research study on a topic in which the student is particularly interested. Students in this program must follow the OP PhD Dissertation Guidelines to complete their dissertation. Students must complete their Research Project I and II (ORG 7863 and ORG 7864) before registering for Dissertation I (ORG 8990). Students must successfully pass the comprehensive exam to register for Dissertation II (ORG 8991), III (ORG 9931) and IV (ORG 9932).

Specialized Admissions Requirements


Students enter the PhD in OP program with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field and take four years to complete the PhD OP if they attend full-time (longer if they attend part-time). New enrollment occurs twice per year: Fall and Spring. However, beginning in Spring may require part-time enrollment due to the required sequencing of some courses.

Curriculum and Degree Requirements


This is a 98-unit, part-time or full-time program. Four to five courses are taken each term, and offered in evening, weekend, executive, and/or hybrid formats allowing working students to attend school outside of their work hours. Students have the opportunity to take some courses in their program at the other campuses. In a typical four-year program, the first two years provide substantive coursework in industrial and organizational psychology, statistics, research design, and measurement. Students learn to apply the principles of industrial and organizational psychology in consulting and practical settings. Students are also involved in research and independent study projects. At the beginning of their third year, students demonstrate mastery of the program competencies through comprehensive examinations. In their third and fourth years, students complete academic requirements for the PhD in OP, develop and complete their dissertation, and participate in supervised professional training placements (total of 9 units of internship) in the business community or the public sector. The PhD in Organizational Psychology requires that 1,280 internship hours be performed.

Beginning in the third year of the doctoral program, students enroll in three courses related to their chosen concentration as listed below. There are two concentrations offered at various campuses: Strategic Human Resource Management and Executive Coaching. The three courses making up each of the concentrations are part of the 98-unit PhD in OP program. In addition, there is an optional specialization in the field of Consulting Psychology. Students in Consulting Psychology receive guidance from faculty on how to prepare for licensure, as do all students who inquire. The specialization in Consulting Psychology requires that students in the Executive Coaching Concentration take additional courses (a total of 14 additional units) including Adult and Career Development, Counseling in an Organizational Setting, Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior, and Biological Aspects of Behavior. The internship for this specialization requires supervision by a licensed psychologist approved by the Program Director. Although this specialization helps students prepare for licensure, the specialization is not required for licensure by the state of California (see http://www.psychboard.ca.gov/ for licensure requirement).

A description of each course is listed by course number in the Course Description section of the catalog. Curriculum requirements are subject to change. (The sequence of courses also may be subject to change).

Non-terminal Master’s Degree


Organizational Psychology doctoral students have the option to apply for a Master of Science degree in Organizational Psychology. Requirements to qualify for the non-terminal master’s degree:

  • Student is in good academic standing
  • Student’s GPA is 3.0 or above
  • Student has completed all of the first year and second year coursework, including the Research Project I and II.

Specialized Admissions Requirement: 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 according to the policies of each location and program. Applicants must provide the full syllabi and course description of the prior courses for which they wish to transfer credit along with evidence of satisfactory academic performance in the course (grade of B or higher or the Program Director’s approval) from official transcripts before they begin the program. Transfer credits are approved when a course is evaluated to be substantively equivalent to an Organizational Psychology course offered in the program.  Course credit waiver decisions are made in consultation with the Academic Advisor and Program Director. Students enrolling in a doctoral degree program may be eligible for up to 30 units of transfer credit for prior coursework completed. 

Students who have completed a research based master’s thesis may be able to receive credit for one or both of the required Organizational Psychology Research Project courses. A copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Program Director so that it can be evaluated by the program faculty.

Curriculum Plan


Courses are 3 units, unless otherwise indicated.

Third Year - Fall


15 units, with 3 units of Internship

Notes:


Instead of ORG 9430, students in the Consulting Psychology Specialization register for PSY 9421 - Consulting Psychology Internship: Individual/Group  (3 units)

* ORG 9430A, ORG 9430B, ORG 9430C, ORG 9430D, ORG 9430E: Internship in Organizational Psychology with Supervision consists of 9 units distributed over 2 or more semesters with the approval of the internship director (1280 hours). Student can start registering for internship units in the second semester of their first year with the approval of the internship director. They can earn up to 3 units (1 unit per semester) during their first and second years. Internships units are variable (1-5) during the third and fourth years.

Third Year - Spring


9 units, with 3 units of Internship

Notes:


Instead of ORG 9430, students in the Consulting Psychology Specialization register for PSY 9421 - Consulting Psychology Internship: Individual/Group  (2 units)

Fourth Year - Fall


9 units, with 3 units of Internship (with Part-Time Field Placement) or 9 units (with Full-Time Field Placement)

Notes:


Instead of ORG 9430, students in the Consulting Psychology Specialization register for PSY 9421 - Consulting Psychology Internship: Individual/Group  (2 units)

Notes:


Instead of ORG 9430, students in the Consulting Psychology Specialization register for PSY 9421 - Consulting Psychology Internship: Individual/Group  (2 units).

Concentration and Specialization Curriculum Plans


Courses are 3 units, unless otherwise indicated.

Electives


2 courses required - 6 units

Elective options for Doctoral students include all electives for PhD students in Organizational, Clinical, or Forensic Psychology or in Business, Management, or Leadership, with Program Director approval, and for which the student has completed prerequisites.

The availability of these elective courses will vary from semester to semester and from campus to campus. Sample electives include the following courses:
 

Organizational Psychology Faculty


Nicholas Aramovich, PhD, Assistant Professor and Interim Program Director, San Diego

Sherry Camden-Anders, PhD, Associate Professor and Program Director for MA Organizational Behavior and Organization Development PsyD, Fresno

Nurcan Ensari, PhD, Professor, Systemwide Program Director, Program Director, Los Angeles and Director, I/O Psychology Certificate Program - Istanbul Bilgi University

Mary J. Fambrough, PhD, Associate Professor, San Francisco

Bernardo Ferdman, PhD, Distinguished Professor, San Diego

Dary Fiorentino, PhD, Assistant Professor, Los Angeles

Dale Glaser, PhD, Principal Lecturer, San Diego

Kathryn Goldman-Schuyler, PhD, Professor, San Francisco

Calvin Hoffman, PhD, Principle Lecturer, Los Angeles

John Kantor, PhD, Associate Professor, San Diego

Toni A. Knott, PhD, Associate Professor and Director, Field Placement, Fresno

Patricia Denise Lopez, PhD, Associate Professor, Los Angeles,

Rodney Lowman, PhD, Distinguished Professor, San Diego

Jyotsna Sanzgiri, PhD, Professor and Program Director, San Francisco

Jonathan Troper, PhD, Assistant Professor and Director, Center for Innovation and Change (CIC), Los Angeles

Lynne Valek, PhD, Visiting Associate Professor, Fresno

For a detailed description of program faculty background and research interests, please see the alphabetical listing of faculty  in the California School of Professional Psychology.

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