Bachelor of Science in
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Whether inside an aircraft, at the office, or anywhere around the globe where people engage in work, there’s a critical need to provide insight into human behavior and how we interact with our jobs, our colleagues, and our world.
Industrial/Organizational psychology contributes to an organization’s success by improving the performance, experience, job satisfaction, and occupational safety and health of the entire organization, as well as the overall 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 second best science job in the nation today.
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 at scientific conferences, pursue internships, and engage with future colleagues.
As a student at Embry-Riddle, you’ll benefit from our intimate class sizes led by direct faculty instruction. Our faculty maintain strong academic and industry connections, affording students the ability to explore unique opportunities to work hands-on with researchers as well as to develop their own independent studies.
ERAU students can opt to join a host of professional associations as well, such as the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the American Psychological Association, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, International Society for Air Safety Investigators, and the Association for Aviation Psychology.
DEGREE 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, internationally 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. Whether it’s joining Psych Club, presenting at scientific conferences, working on consulting projects with a company, or conducting your own experiments alongside our faculty, the ERAU 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 workplace safety and productivity.
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 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. Whether it’s as a Training & Development Specialist, Talent Developer, Human Resources Generalist, Consultant, or Research Associate, our Bachelor of Science in I/O Psychology will place you in position to be a leader in a smarter workplace.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology provides the student with skills and knowledge for a career in workplace psychology/human resources, aviation safety, occupational safety, organizational training or related disciplines, and is normally completed in eight semesters. The program delivers an effective foundation in human behavior and cognition as it relates to safety and organizational effectiveness that prepares the student for a wide variety of organizational settings or for advanced study at the graduate level.
The Bachelor of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology is housed within the Department of Behavioral & Social Sciences. The Department is located in the Robertson Aviation Safety Center where classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices are convenient for daily interaction with other students and faculty. The Department of Behavioral & Social Sciences also provides a unique opportunity on the Prescott campus for students to interact with graduate students and collaborate on research and practice activities.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial/Organizational 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, including the role of psychological constructs and research as they relate to the science and practice of safety. This includes sufficient Psychology coursework for graduate study in Psychology or related disciplines, if desired.
- Understanding of the breadth of application for the discipline of industrial psychology and safety, including personnel selection, group dynamics, leadership, human factors in organizational systems, occupational safety and product safety, as well as aviation safety and air accident investigation.
- 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 safety and organizational effectiveness.
Degree Requirements
The successful completion of the Bachelor of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology requires a minimum of 120 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.
Suggested Program of Study
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Credits | ||
| BIO 120 & 120L |
Foundations of Biology I | 4 |
| COM 122 | English Composition | 3 |
| Lower-Level Computer Science or Information Technology Elective | 3 | |
| Lower-Level Humanities | 3 | |
| MA 111 | College Mathematics for Aviation I | 3 |
| MA 112 | College Mathematics for Aviation II | 3 |
| Physical/Life Science | 3 | |
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 222 | Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology | 3 |
| UNIV 101 | College Success * | (1) |
| Credits Subtotal | 28.0 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| BA 201 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| COM 219 | Speech | 3 |
| COM 221 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
or COM 222
|
Business Communication | |
| Upper-Level Humanities or Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| Physical/Life Science w/Lab | 4 | |
| PSY 226 | Statistics for Organizational Analysis and Research | 3 |
| PSY 326 | Group and Team Behavior | 3 |
| PSY 350 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 365 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| Open Elective | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 31.0 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| BA 319 | Managerial and Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| SF 325 | Human Factors and Ergonomics I | 3 |
| SF 420 | Analysis of Observational Data | 3 |
| PSY 311 | Sensation, Perception, and Cognition | 3 |
| PSY 322 | Research Design | 4 |
| PSY 410 | Personnel Selection and Assessment | 3 |
| Open Elective | 12 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 31.0 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Upper-Level Humanities or Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| BA 420 | Management of Production and Operations | 3 |
| PSY 345 | Training and Development | 3 |
| PSY 401 | Psychology of Leadership | 3 |
| PSY 494 | Tests and Measurements Theory | 3 |
| SF 425 | Human Factors and Ergonomics II | 3 |
| SF 475 | Senior Project | 3 |
| Open Elective | 9 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 30.0 | |
| Credits Total: | 120.0 | |
Notes: Open elective credits required will be calculated, based upon selection of the minor, to complete the minimum of 120 credits requirement for the degree. A student must also complete a minimum of 40 credit hours of upper-level courses. Open elective courses can count toward this total.
* UNIV 101 meets open elective or credit in excess of degree requirements.
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Degree Summary
120 Credits
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