Organizational Psychology

Employment opportunities are extensive for doctoral and master’s degree graduates who can blend training in psychology and social sciences with business and organizational needs. Businesses and other organizations are increasingly turning to people with professional training in this field for designing, supervising, and evaluating programs in organizational development, human resources management, or for other consulting needs.

Admission to OP Programs

Entrance into Organizational Psychology graduate programs requires:

A bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better
Grade of B or better in Introductory Statistics for the Social Sciences (required for admission to doctorate programs and recommended for MA programs)
Grade of B or better in two undergraduate or graduate courses in the behavioral sciences or human resources
Excellent references
A strong interest in some aspect of our field (organizational change, job satisfaction, organization development, human resources, training and development, organizational communications, personnel assessment and selection, or leadership development)
An interview with a faculty member, preferably in person, but telephone interviews can be arranged if necessary
A GRE or Graduate Management Admission Test “GMAT” score is required as part of the application package (except for the PhD in Leadership).

The MAOB degree requires a bachelor’s degree, and three years of work experience. Any waivers of these requirements are at the discretion of the Program Director at the campus where application is made. Final decisions regarding equivalency are made by each campus based on course content rather than course title. The MAOD degree offered at the Los Angeles and San Francisco campuses has the additional requirement of five years of work experience.

The PsyD degree in Organizational Development requires the completion of a master’s degree from an accredited University which includes at least nine units of courses in Organization Development, Organization Behavior, Social or Behavioral Science, or a closely related field. In the case of a master’s degree in other academic fields, before admittance to the PsyD doctorate program, the student will need either several years of work experience in the field or completion of nine units in the MAOB program. Approval of units/courses/work experience will rest with the Program Director.

While undergraduate degrees in psychology, other social sciences, or business are preferred, students are admitted to all programs from a variety of different areas of undergraduate study, although sometimes completion of prerequisite coursework is required prior to enrollment.

Systemwide Associate Dean
Organizational Psychology Programs
Jay M. Finkelman, PhD
Phone: (626) 270-3336
Fax: (626) 284-0554
E-mail: jfinkelman@alliant.edu

Degree Programs

The doctoral and master’s degree programs differ in emphasis across locations, but all stress the importance of combining organizational and social science training, especially directed to the human side of organizations. Organizational Psychology programs differ by location and include:

Doctoral Degrees

Master’s Degrees

Master’s (MA) programs require a minimum of two years of full-time study to complete the required units. Additional semesters will be required for part-time study.

*Industrial-Organizational Psychology: Seamless MA, San Diego - Available for those currently in MGSM’s Undergraduate program.

Full-time doctoral (PhD) programs typically take four years to complete, although some students need additional time for completion of their dissertations. The part-time, post-master’s doctoral (PsyD) program in Organization Development takes about three years.

Doctoral students who have taken appropriate graduate coursework, or who have a closely related master’s degree, may petition to receive credit for some of their previous accredited graduate work according to the policies of each location and program.

Course Workload

All students enter the programs with their own individual academic and professional backgrounds and needs for full-time or extended (moderated) programs. Thus, the exact curriculum of the programs regarding content, sequence, and pace of study may vary.

All programs are semester-based and students generally take 6-18 units per semester; the typical course load is 12-16 units. In addition, in the later phases of their programs they devote 8-40 hours each week to field placement assignments including practica or internships.

The curricula of all Organizational Psychology programs consist of both required and elective coursework. Detailed program descriptions are given in the campus sections that follow. The content of each course is listed by course number in the Course Description section of this catalog.

Classes are scheduled in the late afternoons, evenings, and weekends to accommodate student work schedules or other commitments. Students can also attend all programs on a full-time or part-time basis. Executive format programs are designed as intensive weekend courses and require pre-work assignments, assignments between weekends, and may also include a post-course assignment. The executive format is designed for the working professional.

Organizational Electives

The curricula of all OP Los Angeles and San Diego programs consist of both required and elective coursework. With the approval of their advisor or the OP Program Director, advanced students can choose the elective courses indicated in their program-specific degree requirements (see below) from a number of courses available to doctoral students, including Advanced Seminars in Organizational Studies (ASOS) and selected clinical and business management courses.

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 depending upon program policy. Applicants must provide the full syllabi of 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 before they begin the program. 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 program. Course credit waiver decisions are made in consultation with the Academic Advisor and Program Director. Students enrolling in a master’s degree program may be eligible for up to 9 units of transfer credit for prior coursework completed.

Students who enter the doctoral program with an earned master’s degree in organizational psychology, organization development, or a related field may receive up to 30 units of transfer credit for prior coursework completed, but will still need to take some courses to help them round out their professional development and assist them to prepare for the qualifying/comprehensive examination.

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 for Veterans

The University will evaluate previous education and training for all veterans and eligible persons, grant appropriate credit, shorten the training period proportionately and notify the VA and student accordingly.

The Alliant International University VA number is 31802102.

Areas of Study and Training

Concepts and Theories

In OP programs, students learn about organizational and individual behavior, organization theories, group dynamics, human resources, motivation and training supplements, organizational change, leadership, and principles of organization and work design.

The academic philosophy underlying our graduate programs is the belief that effective practitioners need to have a strong foundation in theory and social science research to draw upon in their professional work.

Our graduates are prepared for professional careers in organization/management consulting, organization development practice, human resources consulting, market research, management and other leadership positions in organizations in which they apply behavioral science knowledge and skills. In addition, some of our graduates pursue faculty positions at institutions of higher education and professional training.

Applied Research Skills

Applied research courses provide students with a basic understanding of statistics and research methods, enabling them to contribute to the profession through applied research and creative program planning. Other courses address both particular content areas and various methods of investigation. Please see the program descriptions that follow in this section of the catalog for detailed information about the applied research activities offered at each location.

For doctoral program students, research training occurs through formal courses in research methodology and design, as well as through the process of designing and completing a supervised dissertation in the PhD programs or a doctoral project in the PsyD program. PhD students choose a dissertation topic and create original research studies under faculty supervision.

Professional Skills

Our Organizational Psychology and Organizational Development degree programs will prepare you to apply the “soft skills” from team building to conflict resolution to assessment, using the latest analytical techniques. You will have opportunities for fieldwork, research projects and work in one of our consulting centers.

Both coursework and field experiences focus on the skills of professional psychology applied to business, government and nonprofit organizations. These courses socialize new students to the profession by introducing its history and the models, characteristics, settings, activities, and standards of present practice.

Through coursework, team projects, and field-based assignments students learn consulting and intervention techniques appropriate to organizations. Advanced courses and seminars allow students to investigate special interest areas, as well as to develop professional attitudes and an awareness and concern for professional ethics and issues.

Field experiences constitute an important part of most programs. Students in the doctoral programs participate in field placements or internships in business, non-profit and other organizational settings, during one or more years of the program.

Personal Growth

Some programs require personal growth experiences as part of the graduate training.

Program Faculty

Students will work with Program faculty who are scholars and practitioners in the field with practical experience in organizational issues. MGSM faculty bring their diverse training and broad-based professional experience into the classroom and are uniquely qualified to mentor students entering and expanding careers in the field. Our core faculty members come from diverse fields including organizational psychology, applied sociology, and management. Courses in theory, research, skill building, personnel management, global organizational issues and development are taught by faculty who are experts in each area and have extensive research and consulting expertise. Advising and academic mentoring are available for all students.

Additional courses (e.g., advanced seminars) are provided by well-known faculty and members of local business, governmental and educational communities who participate as speakers.

Master’s Degree Programs

Organizational Psychology programs at Alliant International University offers several types of full-time and part-time master’s degrees in the organizational area. Part-time organizational master’s programs for working professionals are available on most campuses. Classes in the part-time programs are offered evenings and, on some campuses, weekends. Completion of these programs typically will take from one and a half to three years, depending on the program and the student’s schedule. The maximum time limit for completing the master’s degree is five years.

Doctoral Programs

Doctoral programs in Organizational Psychology at Alliant International University begin with entry at the graduate level and lead to the PhD or PsyD through a sequence of courses, seminars and field experiences integrating theory, research and practice.

In the first and second years, the programs focus on the theoretical and methodological foundations of the discipline. At this level students also receive training in the specific skills of their field, such as consultation, leadership, human resource management, or psychological/organizational assessment and development.

In the third and fourth years, students typically take advanced coursework and seminars in: organizational studies; motivation; professional, legal, and ethical issues; personnel and human resources development; and other topics. This training is combined with field placements or internships in organizational settings. Some programs offer half-time placements averaging 15-22 hours per week; others require a one-year full-time placement in the fourth year. Internships may be paid or unpaid, and may, from the employer’s perspective, be considered a regular job. Placements expose participants to the day-to-day issues encountered by psychologists practicing in an organizational setting. Usually in their third year, PhD program students develop their dissertation topic and PsyD students develop an applied doctoral project.

The PsyD in Organization Development is designed as an executive format and includes 22 units per year over a three year time frame. Field placement may be accomplished in the work setting or through projects outside the students’ workplace.

Students in doctoral programs are required to pass comprehensive and/or competency exams and demonstrate mastery of research skills (see the Graduate Student Handbook for details).

Doctoral Requirements

The doctorate is awarded to students who have completed an OP doctoral program, upon satisfactory evaluation by the faculty of the following requirements:

Completion and successful defense of a PhD dissertation or PsyD dissertation/project.
The equivalent of three to five academic years following admission depending on the program and any credit for previous graduate work. (See program requirements for details.)
Completion of campus-specific and program-specific course and unit requirements as specified in each location section.

Upon a student’s successful completion of the doctoral program, the doctorate is conferred by the faculty and the Alliant International University Board of Trustees. The faculty maintains the traditional academic prerogative to grant degrees based, among other criteria, on their judgment regarding the candidate’s ability to function effectively as a professional at the doctoral level.

Professional Training

All students in the OP doctoral programs gain practical experience through supervised field placements or internships available in a variety of settings including corporations, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and consulting firms. Some students may use their own work settings as a placement option, with the approval of the appropriate campus-based OP Program Director.

Field placements and/or internships occur the third and/or fourth years of study and provide students with hands-on training in organizational systems; diagnosis of organizational problems; and the design, implementation, and evaluation of intervention strategies. Faculty and/or on-site professionals provide field placement supervision. Students’ field placement experiences are thoroughly integrated with academic coursework.

While many students participate in two years of half-time (15-22 hours per week) placements, in some programs students obtain one-year full-time or half-time internships that take place throughout the United States or sometimes abroad. Internships may be paid or unpaid.

Comprehensive Exams in Doctoral Programs

All doctoral students pursuing a PhD degree are required to pass the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Psychology Subject Test, a Writing Proficiency Examination, and a Special Field Examination in the field of I-O Psychology. Students in the Dual PhD in Clinical and I-O Psychology must satisfy the requirements for doctoral competencies examinations set forth by the California School of Professional Psychology, in lieu of the GRE.

Preparation for the exams may be acquired through previous coursework, courses taken at Alliant International University or other institutions, or independent study and self-guided reading. The Writing Proficiency Examination is taken during the first year. It is essential that all doctoral students take the required GRE or competencies examinations within the first two years of their study. Enrollment for students not passing these examinations by the end of their second year is limited to 10 units per semester until the examinations are passed. The Special Field Examination is given in the third year of studies.

PhD Dissertations

Candidates for a PhD degree in Organizational Psychology at Alliant International University are required to complete a dissertation, which is an original research project conceived and executed under the close supervision of faculty. Completion of this requirement demonstrates that the student has learned investigative techniques, has made a contribution to knowledge and has developed skills that will prove useful in assuming a professional role.

A dissertation committee, composed of a chairperson and two or more other members, helps each student to develop the dissertation proposal, reads and passes on the credibility of the final dissertation, and administers and evaluates the student’s oral examination at the end of the process. Specific instructions regarding the dissertation requirements are available at each campus location.

Each doctoral student is responsible for enlisting an OP core faculty member to serve as the dissertation committee chairperson. Students seeking a dissertation chairperson should be prepared with a research question and familiarity with previous research directly related to that topic. Other members of the committee consist of core faculty, or as approved at the program/campus level, adjunct faculty or other doctoral-level professionals with special expertise in the dissertation subject area. All members of the dissertation committee must hold earned doctorates in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Organizational Behavior, or closely related fields. Use of non-core faculty members in PhD dissertation or PsyD project committee roles requires approval by the Program Director.

Some students finish their dissertations by the end of the final year of their coursework. Others, however, continue dissertation work beyond completion of their coursework. Extensions may be granted to students demonstrating sufficient need and continued progress toward completion of the dissertation. The maximum time limit for completing the doctoral degree is 10 years. During each term of an extension, students are required to register for campus-specified doctoral extension units and pay the appropriate tuition. Detailed guidelines concerning dissertation extensions are available from each campus.

PsyD Doctoral Projects

Students in an Organizational Psychology PsyD program complete a PsyD doctoral project. The PsyD project is a major applied undertaking that involves integrating theory and practice and culminates in a written dissertation. In contrast to the PhD dissertation, which is characterized by a focus on research and adding new knowledge to the field, the PsyD dissertation project is intended to evaluate effective practice in organizational consultation or other applied research settings.

Field Placements

A key feature of all doctoral and master’s degree programs offered at OP Los Angeles and San Diego is the integration of courses, seminars, research, and professional training with the students’ field experience. All doctoral students participate in two years of half-time or one year of full-time internships/field placements after passing the Comprehensive Exams. The students in the MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology program complete a semester of practicum during the last year of their program.

Center for Innovation and Change (CIC)

Professionals in every occupation complain that they never learned practical skills in grad school. Not graduates of Alliant. In Los Angeles, MGSM sponsors the Center for Innovation and Change (CIC) so that MGSM students graduate with practical experience that puts them head and shoulders above graduates of other programs. The CIC provides pro-bono and low-cost consulting services to respected organizations in the L.A. area, including Disney, the City of Hope National Medical Center, Goodwill Industries, and the City of Pasadena.

CIC project teams are staffed and led by students and faculty. The CIC allows students to begin honing their consulting skills at a very early stage of their graduate careers. Participation in CIC projects is not required, but is recommended for students with no previous professional experience.

More information on the CIC can be found on MGSM’s website or by contacting Dr. Jonathan Troper, the CIC Director, at jtroper@alliant.edu.

Organizational Consulting Center (OCC)

Our Organizational Consulting Centers (OCC) at the San Francisco and San Diego campuses function as small business units within MGSM. They offer consulting services to businesses and organizations in the private and not for profit sectors and draw upon the expertise and interests of our faculty and students.

Most of the OCC’s client projects deal with issues of performance effectiveness and efficiency of individuals, departments, and entire organizations. Students who are selected to assist with such projects will gain hands-on experience working closely with a faculty member or one of our local consultant affiliates in performing work such as restructuring organizations, team building, culture realignment, leadership development, or coaching services. The type and number of projects vary from year to year and by campus because they depend on the initiative, creativity, personal contacts, and available time of students and faculty who enjoy these types of challenges.

More information on the OCC can be found on MGSM’s website or by contacting Dr. John Renner, the San Diego OCC Director, at jrenner@alliant.edu, and Dr. Barry Grossman, the San Francisco OCC Director at drbbg@hsod.net.

Joint/Dual Programs

Students enrolled in the PhD programs in I-O or Consulting Psychology or the MA in I-O Psychology programs may also complete an MBA/IMBA as a part of their training or earn a concurrent degree in another program. Please contact the program director at Alliant International University – Organizational Psychology Program at the San Diego campus for further information.

Clinical/Industrial-Organizational Psychology: Dual PhD, San Diego
Joint MA in Organizational Behavior / Clinical or Forensic Psychology Doctoral Program
Joint PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology & MBA Masters in Business Administration

Joint PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology & IMBA International Masters in Business Administration
Joint PhD in Consulting Psychology & MBA Masters in Business Administration

Joint PhD in Consulting Psychology & IMBA International Masters in Business Administration
Dual MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology & MBA Masters in Business Administration

Dual MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology & IMBA International Masters in Business Administration

Certificate Program

Organizational Psychology Doctoral Respecialization

Those who have earned a doctoral degree in another field of psychology, education, business, or related fields may apply to respecialize in one of the Organizational Psychology doctoral granting areas at any campus that offers doctoral training. These programs are customized to the individual needs of the students, taking into account what has already been completed in the first area of doctoral specialization. Some candidates for respecialization choose to complete the degree requirements of one of our master’s programs rather than a respecialization certificate. Persons interested in respecialization in Organizational Psychology should contact the campus-based OP Program Director for the campus(es) at which admission consideration is desired to discuss the specific training needs and respecialization options.