Psychology with an emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology Master's Degree

All students are required to meet the general university admission requirements.

Additional Requirements

• Two years of human resource managerial or supervisory experience
• Bachelor's degree in psychology or a related field, or successful completion of psychology and statistics courses
• GRE recommended if your GPA is less than 3.0 in the final two years (last 60 credits) of undergraduate work

Program-Specific Deadlines

• U.S. Applicants: March 1 for best consideration. Final deadline is April 1.
• International Applicants: Feb. 1

Additional Documentation
Your application must include the following:

• Statement of objectives: State your academic objectives, giving specific reasons for the selection of your field of study, contemplated research areas and professional plans. Most statements are three to four paragraphs in length. The objectives allow faculty to:
  
  • determine that your expectations of the MIOP program are congruent with what the program provides
  • review a sample of your writing skills
• Resume/curriculum vitae
• Three professional and/or academic references, including names and emails
• Unofficial transcripts from each institution attended
  
  • Failure to list any colleges or universities from which you received a degree or enrolled in graduate coursework may result in dismissal from the university.
  • If your transcripts are not in English, you must furnish a translation by an appropriate authority.
  • You will be asked for official transcripts after notification of admission.
• If employed, a short letter of support from your employer indicating they endorse your entrance into the program, including the commitment to be on campus the first two summers. Financial support from your employer is not required.

A master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology will provide exceptional career opportunities. I/O psychologists often work under a variety of job titles, and recent graduates report positions such as:

• human resources manager
• workforce specialist
• senior organizational consultant
• recruiter/talent guide
• enablement and training manager
• instructor
• researcher/research associate

Based on data collected by the K-State Career Center, the mean salary for recent MIOP graduates is $87,604 and the median salary is $77,500. The most recent survey data available from the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists (SIOP) indicates the average salary of recent master’s graduates (across programs) is $78,853. The same SIOP salary survey suggests psychologists with a master’s degree tend to see salary increases of roughly $3,500 for each year post-degree obtainment.

As a field, I/O psychology covers a breadth of topics that spans the entire lifecycle of an employee, from recruitment and selection, socialization and development, to evaluation and finally separation. I/O psychology incorporates positive aspects of work (e.g., motivation, prosocial behavior), as well as negative (stress, discrimination).

Compared to an MBA, the MIOP program will take more of a “bottom-up” approach to understanding organizations (starting with employees, ending with teams and organizations), compared to a “top-down” approach (starting with organizational operations and understanding how to align teams and employees with overall strategy).

Among the growing options for I/O master’s degrees, what sets K-State apart from other programs?

• History: K-State began its unique blended approach in 2000 and has been going strong since. Ask us about the early days of distance learning via videotape!
• Cohorts and Class Sizes: You will enter the program with a cohort of 7-14 peers and will be in classes together throughout the program. Summer classes have one cohort per class (8-15 students) and online fall and spring classes have two cohorts per class (16-30 students). This allows you to connect with cohorts above and below, creating strong social support and networking opportunities. Small class sizes also mean access to faculty and staff who can prioritize your individual needs and goals.
• Blended Approach: Our program doesn’t make you pick between online or in-person modality. You can have both! The in-person summer session builds connections, and the online fall and spring courses allow for flexibility. We also offer optional synchronous class times throughout the fall and spring to connect more easily.
• Experienced Faculty: All of our courses are taught by I/O psychologists holding doctoral degrees. Most of our faculty also have applied experience. You will work with one of our faculty on your applied practicum project and are encouraged to be involved in any faculty research you find interesting.
• Applied Emphasis: Our terminal degree will teach you skills you will need immediately on the job. Accordingly, you must demonstrate your skills through your practicum project. Our courses take an applied focus, incorporating many assignments and projects that require you to work with real organizational problems.
• Timeline: You can expect to spend two-and-a-half years from the start of the program to graduation.
• Our Students: The majority of our students are early- to mid-career working professionals. Most students continue working full time while completing the degree. Historically, 66% of our students are female, 23% represent minority racial or ethnic backgrounds and 10% have military experience. Many current students are from the Midwest (Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa) and Texas, but we regularly have students from California, Washington, New York and Florida. As long as you can travel to Manhattan, Kansas, for the summer session, you can live and work anywhere! Our program takes great pride in attracting and supporting students from all walks of life.
• Don’t just take it from us though. Our program has been recognized many times:
  • 2022 – #3 Fortune’s Best Online Master’s in Psychology Degrees
  • 2018 – #12 Best Value Schools’ Best Master’s in Psychology Programs
  • 2018 – #5 Successful Student’s Best Online Industrial Organizational Psychology Programs in the US
  • 2017 - #5 College Value’s Online Top 20 Values