Bachelor of Science in
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
No matter what industry, location or workspace around the world, there is a critical need to provide insight into human behaviors within the workplace.
Industrial-organizational psychology contributes to an organization’s success by improving the performance, experience, job satisfaction, hiring processes, training/development, and occupational safety and health of the entire organization, as well as the overall mental health and well-being of its employees. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Bachelor of Science in Industrial/Organizational (I-O) Psychology builds future leaders and scholars who work in every industry at every level, creating science for a smarter workplace.
Diverse industry applicability for future careers in this field is just one of the many reasons why U.S. News & World Report has ranked industrial psychology as the third best science job in the nation today. The Department of Homeland Security has also designated industrial-organizational psychology as a STEM degree program.
I-O psychologists study a wide variety of topics, including motivation and training, group performance and effectiveness, occupational stress, personnel selection and assessment, industry-specific concerns, organizational behavior and more.
Using a scientist-practitioner approach to education, our faculty work side-by-side with students on research and industry collaborations. Students have numerous opportunities to attend professional networking events, present research at scientific conferences and pursue internships.
Embry-Riddle students can opt to join an array of professional associations as well, such as the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American Psychological Association, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the International Society for Air Safety Investigators and the Association for Aviation Psychology, to name a few.
DETAILS
About Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the Prescott, AZ Campus
The Bachelor of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology degree on the Prescott campus prioritizes three key areas of instruction: Faculty Expertise, Student Opportunities, and Intersection of Science & Practice.
Our Psychology faculty are experts in their fields, recognized by their peers in the scientific community. Faculty are actively engaged in research, and impart recent findings and industry concerns to their students, preparing them for careers in the current I-O Psychology climate.
Students in the I-O Psychology program are engaged from day one. Throughout the program, I-O students are able to join Psych Club or Psi Chi (honor society), present at scientific conferences, work on consulting projects with a company, or conduct experiments alongside our faculty. The Embry-Riddle I-O program is a hands-on learning and networking degree that puts you in position to succeed after graduating and make an immediate impact on improving the performance and the well-being of an organization and its members.
Both the Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. News and World Report have identified I-O Psychology as a top growth field for future professionals. The training provided in the I-O Psychology program at Embry-Riddle prepares students to pursue graduate study or immediately enter the workforce upon graduating.
Embry-Riddle has a near 100% placement rate in either employment or graduate study within 6 months of graduation. Graduates from the I-O Psychology program have gone straight into industry as a Training & Development Specialist, Talent Developer, Human Resources Generalist, Consultant, or Research Associate. See SIOP Building Bridges for more information on how earning an I-O psychology degree helps build better, healthier organizations.
As a STEM designated degree program by the Department of Homeland Security (see https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-01188/p-50), the Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology develops scientist-practitioners who apply their specialized knowledge to resolve human and organization problems at work. As one of the 15 recognized specialties in professional psychology in the United States, I-O Psychology contributes to an organization's success by improving the performance, health, safety, and well-being of organizations and their employees. Those with specialized training in I-O psychology address issues of recruitment, employee selection and placement, training and development, performance measurement, diversity, employee motivation, satisfaction, and health, as well as workplace design. The program delivers an effective foundation in human behavior and mental processes as they relate to individual and organizational effectiveness that prepares the student for a wide variety of organizational settings and for advanced study at the graduate level.
The Bachelor of Science in I-O Psychology is housed within the Department of Behavioral & Social Sciences. Using a scientist-practitioner approach to education, our faculty work side-by-side with students on research and industry collaborations. Students have numerous opportunities to attend professional networking events, present at scientific conferences, pursue internships, and engage with future colleagues. Our faculty are active scholars and noted professional experts in their fields, and their primary focus is on the success of the students in the Bachelor of Science program.
The Bachelor of Science degree in I-O Psychology is designed to provide the student the following expertise:
- Knowledge of basic psychological principles and theories, and how those are applied to the study of individuals and organizations. This includes sufficient coursework for graduate study in psychology or related disciplines, if desired.
- Understanding of the breadth of psychological applications beyond traditional clinical roles, including in areas such as teamwork, leadership, human factors in organizations, occupational health, safety, and well-being, employee assessment, and more.
- Ability to understand research processes, techniques, and procedures and to draw appropriate conclusions from the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data.
- Use of appropriate tools to understanding the performance of individuals and organizations from an evidence-based perspective and develop tools to improve both individual and organizational performance.
Degree Requirements
The successful completion of the Bachelor of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology requires a minimum of 121 credit hours. Students will complete a general education core, a math and science core, and a Psychological Science core. Completion of a minor is strongly recommended but not required.
Program Requirements
General Education (37 Credits)
| BIO 120 & 120L | Foundations of Biology I and Foundations of Biology I Laboratory | 4 |
| COM 122 | English Composition | 3 |
| COM 219 | Speech | 3 |
| COM 221 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
| or COM 222 | Business Communication | |
| Computer Science or Information Technology Lower-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Humanities Lower-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Humanities or Social Science Upper-Level Elective | 6 | |
| Math Elective | 6 | |
| Natural Science | 3 | |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
Industrial/Organizational Psychology Core (59 Credits)
| BA 201 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| BA 222 | Business Analytics Tools | 3 |
| BA 319 | Managerial and Organizational Behavior * | 3 |
| HF 300 | Human Factors I: Principles and Fundamentals * | 3 |
| HF 306 | Human Factors III: Performance Processes * | 4 |
| PSY 222 | Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology * | 3 |
| PSY 226 | Statistics for Organizational Analysis and Research ** | 3 |
| PSY 311 | Sensation, Perception, and Cognition * | 3 |
| PSY 320 | Aviation Psychology ** | 3 |
| PSY 322 | Research Design * | 4 |
| PSY 326 | Group and Team Behavior ** | 3 |
| PSY 335 | Physiological Psychology * | 3 |
| PSY 345 | Training and Development ** | 3 |
| PSY 350 | Social Psychology ** | 3 |
| PSY 365 | Abnormal Psychology * | 3 |
| PSY 401 | Psychology of Leadership * | 3 |
| PSY 410 | Personnel Selection and Assessment ** | 3 |
| PSY 494 | Tests and Measurements Theory * | 3 |
| PSY 496 | Capstone in Psychology * | 3 |
Minor/Open Electives (25 Credits)
| Minor/Open Electives | 25 | |
| Total Credits | 121 | |
Notes: Open elective credits required will be calculated, based upon selection of the minor, to complete the minimum of 121 credits requirement for the degree.
| * | Only Offered in Fall |
| ** | Only Offered in Spring |
| *** | UNIV 101 meets open elective or credit in excess of degree requirements. |
All Army ROTC students are required to complete SS 321 - U.S. Military History 1900-Present (3 credits) in order to commission.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology - General
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| COM 122 | English Composition | 3 |
| Computer Science/Information Technology Elective | 3 | |
| Math Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| UNIV 101 | College Success | (1) |
| Credits Subtotal | 15.0 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIO 120 & 120L |
Foundations of Biology I | 4 |
| Humanities Lower-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Math Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| PSY 320 | Aviation Psychology | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 16.0 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 222 | Business Analytics Tools | 3 |
| COM 221 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
or COM 222
|
Business Communication | |
| HF 300 | Human Factors I: Principles and Fundamentals | 3 |
| PSY 222 | Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 311 | Sensation, Perception, and Cognition | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 15.0 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 201 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| COM 219 | Speech | 3 |
| Natural Science Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| PSY 226 | Statistics for Organizational Analysis and Research | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 15.0 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 319 | Managerial and Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| HF 306 | Human Factors III: Performance Processes | 4 |
| PSY 322 | Research Design | 4 |
| PSY 335 | Physiological Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 365 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 17.0 | |
| Spring | ||
| Humanities or Social Science Upper-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| PSY 326 | Group and Team Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 345 | Training and Development | 3 |
| PSY 350 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 15.0 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| PSY 401 | Psychology of Leadership | 3 |
| PSY 494 | Tests and Measurements Theory | 3 |
| PSY 496 | Capstone in Psychology | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 12.0 | |
| Spring | ||
| Humanities or Social Science Upper-Level Elective | 3 | |
| Open Elective | 10 | |
| PSY 410 | Personnel Selection and Assessment | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 16.0 | |
| Credits Total: | 121.0 | |
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Summary
120 Credits
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