MAI/OP - Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Students at a table

36-credit-hour program offered in seven-week-per-course format; program combines 15 credits of core courses, 18 credits of elective courses, and options to complete practicum requirements. Enrolled graduate students may seek specializations from UD’s graduate curriculum, if they choose

The Master of Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology Program
The Master of Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology program offers students a distinct focus on human behavior within today’s contemporary work settings, which include but are not limited to business, industry, labor, public (including non-profit), academic, community, and health organizations. Students enrolled in the program engage in curriculum which addresses recruitment, selection and placement, training and development, performance assessment, workplace motivation and reward systems, quality of work life, structure of work and human factors, organizational development, and consumer behavior.

Graduates are equipped to:

  • Identify training and developmental needs to improve work environments.
  • Interpret design and optimization of jobs, work, and quality of work life for human beings.
  • Compare and contrast training programs and their effectiveness for the work environment.
  • Design criteria to assess performance of individuals and organizations.
  • Evaluate consumer preference, customer satisfaction, and market strategies.

Graduates will develop competencies in the following areas: research development, consulting, project-management, data analysis, competency modeling, recruitment, performance appraisal, training, work motivation, and human factors.

Career positions related to the study and practice of industrial/organizational psychology can be relevant but not limited to any of the following areas: human resources, administrative and service managers, project managers, and team leads within applied experience roles, such as community development, computer information systems, digital art and design, economics, human services, and product/service design.

Careers related to the study of industrial and organizational psychology are relevant to but not limited to any of the following:

  • Human Resources
  • Commercial or Industrial Design
  • Administrative and Service Management
  • Project Management
  • Applied Experience Positions (Community Development, Education, For-Profit, Government, Healthcare, Nonprofit, Service Sector)

*Note that a graduate student’s previous content area of study is less important than their supervised experience(s) for this type of graduate program, which enhances reasoning, quantitative and qualitative perspectives, comprehension, and organizational skills.

Program Highlights

  • 36 credit hours minimum
  • At 2 courses per 7-week session, many students finish in about 15 months
  • At 1 course per session, plan for about 25 months
  • Use research and data to solve people-and-performance problems
  • Improve talent decisions, learning, and workplace performance with practical tools
  • Apply ethical, values-driven judgment in workplace decisions

Program Admission

The successful University of Dubuque applicant has these credentials:

  • Bachelor's Degree: A bachelor's degree in any discipline. Students from outside the US may substitute a bachelor's equivalent (these vary from country to country).
  • Language proficiency: Applicants who are not from a country where English is the official language or have not studied or worked in institutions where English is spoken as the primary language may be required to take an English Language proficiency assessment. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency by achieving a TOEFL IBT score of at least 213, an IELTS score of 6.5, or a Duolingo score of at least 105.

For additional information, contact the following:

University of Dubuque 
Office of Graduate and Adult Studies 
2000 University Avenue 
Dubuque, IA 52001 
Phone: 563.589.3664
Email: GradStudies@dbq.edu