Organizational Psychology: PhD, Los Angeles, San Diego

Program Goals

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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

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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.

Specialized Admissions Requirements

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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

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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).

Specialized Admissions Requirement: Credit for Previous Graduate Work

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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

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Courses are 3 units, unless otherwise indicated.

Concentration and Specialization Curriculum Plans

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Courses are 3 units, unless otherwise indicated.

Electives

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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:
 

• ORG 7438 - Advanced Multivariate Statistics
• ORG 8800 - Advanced Seminar in Organizational Psychology
• PSY 7112 - History and Systems of Psychology
• BUS 6150 - Contributors to Strategic Management
• BUS 6900 - Capstone: Management in a New Age
• MKT 6000 - International Marketing Management

Organizational Psychology Faculty

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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.