Master’s in Organizational Psychology Program Guide

With a master’s in organizational psychology, you can help business leaders optimize employee satisfaction and business efficiency.

Employee satisfaction, motivation, and well-being are essential to business success. Building a positive culture depends on the work of organizational psychologists, who can create an environment for success by identifying and resolving issues in productivity, efficiency, recruitment, and talent development.

After earning a master’s in organizational psychology, you can pursue a career in human resources, consumer behavior research, conflict resolution, or many other fields.

Organizational psychology is a subfield of psychology that analyzes human behavior in the workplace. Organizational psychology, sometimes called industrial and organizational psychology, uses psychological concepts and scientific objectivity to optimize business functioning.

Organizational psychologists may specialize in one area, like HR, employee satisfaction, or customer behavior, or work across multiple business and industrial operations areas.

As an organizational psychologist, you can apply psychological principles to individual, group and organizational behavior to find solutions for problems at work. You can also research or solve problems related to recruitment, selection and placement, training and development, and performance measurement.

Organizational psychologists also examine workplace motivation and reward systems, employee quality of life, work-life balance, and company culture. Businesses may apply organizational psychology to marketing and consumer behavioral research.

As an organizational psychologist, you can support meaningful change to improve the lives of individuals while driving the success of organizations. Pursuing a master’s in organizational psychology opens diverse career opportunities in a growing field.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that jobs for industrial organizational psychologists will increase by 6% between 2022 and 2032, higher than the national average.

Choosing between organizational psychology programs depends on your educational goals. For example, you can narrow the options by deciding whether to earn a degree online or in person. Then, look at asynchronous vs. synchronous programs to fit your schedule and learning style.

Of course, the total cost is always a major consideration. Carefully look at programs and their specific learning models and experiences to find one that fits your career goals and lifestyle.

Amy Quarton, associate instructor at Maryville University, offered the following advice on choosing an organizational psychology program:

“The decision to earn a degree online or on campus depends (in part) on your career goals. If you want to be a consultant, look for programs that offer hands-on development opportunities, such as applied projects and one-on-one mentoring.”

“If you want to be a professor and contribute to the academic literature, look for programs that offer research and teaching assistantships, opportunities to present your work at symposiums and conferences, or scholarships for your contributions.”

Organizational psychology is a psychology degree concentration. However, within organizational psychology, you can choose additional specializations such as:

Tuition and fees for master’s programs typically cost around $40,000 for two years of study. The average cost per year of graduate study was $20,510 in 2020-2021, according to the National Center of Education Statistics. Public universities cost less, with an average tuition of $12,600, while private universities had a higher average tuition of $29,930.

In addition, you’ll need to cover room and board and personal expenses. The exact cost of a master’s degree varies by the program you choose and whether it is online or in-person. Scholarships, grants, and work-study programs can reduce overall costs.

To apply for a master’s in organizational psychology, you will first need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Most psychology master’s degrees require a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. You can apply with an unrelated bachelor’s degree if you take additional psychology courses.

Colleges consider your academic performance, work history, and recommendations from colleagues or professors. As part of the application process, you must write a statement of purpose and discuss your educational goals, which factor into your final acceptance.

Some programs require GRE test scores, and others may request an interview. Admission requirements vary from program to program, but many schools require a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75.

The job prospects for professionals with a master’s in organizational psychology are good. You can pursue diverse careers with both nonprofit and for-profit corporations of all sizes. With an increasing awareness of the need for psychological techniques to build a healthy work environment, you can help organizations to make meaningful changes.

The BLS predicts 6% growth from 2022 to 2032 for all psychologist careers. However, the median salary for organizational psychologists is much higher than the average for all psychologists. In 2022, organizational psychologists earned a median salary of $139,280, compared to a median salary of $85,330 for all psychologists.

You can advance a career in organizational psychology with experience, measurable results, and additional certifications. Amy Quarton, associate instructor at Maryville University, offered advice on building skills as an organizational psychologist:

“Many people choose to continue building their skill sets through one or more of the following activities: attending a regional or national conference, presenting their work at a regional or national conference, joining a professional networking organization and taking advantage of the programs (e.g., seminars and job boards), completing continuing education courses on campus or online, earning additional certifications (e.g., in project management or human resources management), and/or earning additional graduate degrees (e.g., a Ph.D. or MBA).”

However, you can also gain experience in an organizational setting before becoming an independent consultant. Quarton explained this career opportunity: “I think it is common for undergraduate and graduate students to be interested in pursuing a career as an independent consultant. Before they “go out on their own,” though, they often seek out experiences as either an internal consultant working for a larger company or an external consultant working within an existing firm.”

Earning a master’s degree in organizational psychology opens diverse career paths, from understanding consumer behavior to driving organizational change. If you’re passionate about helping people while driving business growth, a career in organizational psychology could be right for you.

However, unless you opt for a research position, organizational psychology careers involve communication and regular interaction with diverse groups of people. It might not be the best fit if you prefer to work alone.

Before pursuing a degree in organizational psychology, carefully consider your career goals and interests to choose a program that can best prepare you for your next steps.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges. Page last reviewed March 27, 2024.