Program Description
School of Psychology, Family, and Community Faculty
School of Psychology, Family, and Community Graduate Programs Website
The Master of Arts (MA) in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (IO) program seeks to develop scholars, professional practitioners, and leaders who will actively engage the community and businesses around them, improving organizations and developing people as part of their jobs.
This master’s degree provides a theoretical foundation for addressing a broad range of behavioral issues in the workplace. It develops professionals within human resources, organizational development, and training fields, and provides organizational leaders with a graduate education that relates directly to their practice as leaders.
The curricula for the master’s program has been structured according to the guidelines for graduate training in industrial-organizational psychology published by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), a division of the American Psychological Association.
The curriculum in this Industrial-Organizational Psychology program satisfies the suggested areas of competence for graduates in industrial-organizational psychology, ensuring that you are fulfilling not only the expectations for master’s- level education, but also fulfill the expectations of experts working in the field.
Admission Requirements
For admission to this master’s degree program, the following are required:
- Online application and $50 processing fee
- A bachelor’s degree
- Degree must be from a regionally accredited institution, with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in all undergraduate work.
- Completion of at least one business, math or social science statistics course, from a regionally accredited institution.
- Completion of at least two courses in psychology, from a regionally accredited institution. One course in business, political science, or sociology (completed at a regionally accredited institution) may be substituted for one of the two required psychology courses.
- Graduate record exam (GRE) (optional)
- Administered within five years of the deadline date for application to the program.
- A combined score of 295 (or 950 on the older version of the test) on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE is preferred.
- Personal statement, typed
- Demonstrating your writing and grammatical skills
- Addressing your career objectives, personal qualifications, experience, and other insights as deemed appropriate by you
- The rationale for seeking the degree and choosing to attend Seattle Pacific
- Letters of recommendation
- Three letters with
- one from a person who has experienced you in a professional setting (i.e., a current or former employer);
- one academic reference from a former professor or instructor; and
- a personal recommendation (not a family member).
- If English is not your first language, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and present a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or an 80 on the internet- based test.
- If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you must provide an official confidential statement of financial support covering each year of intended enrollment. This is necessary in order to issue the paperwork for an I-20 immigration form.
- More information about admission for international graduate students.
Deadline
January 15
Admission Process
The Admissions Committee of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program will conduct a preliminary screening process.
- Finalists will be invited to come to campus for personal interviews.
- Admission to the master’s program depends upon recommendation by the IO faculty and approval from the IO chair.
- The entire process is usually completed within twelve weeks after the final deadline date for applications.
Transfer of Credit
If you have taken graduate coursework at a regionally accredited institution, you may be allowed to transfer credits.
You must provide applicable transcripts and/or syllabi. Each course must be at least 3 graduate quarter credits, equivalent to courses taught in the Organizational Psychology program at Seattle Pacific University and completed within seven years of admission. A minimum grade of B will be needed for transferred work. Any transfer-credit petitions should be submitted only after formal admission to the master’s program.
Contact
