Program Overview
Non-Degree Seeking Students
Transfer Students
Application, Recruitment, and Selection Process
Financial Support and Other University Resources
Living in Portland
Program Overview
What is distinctive about I/O at PSU? Portland State University's Industrial and Organizational Psychology program has been ranked as the No. 1 I/O program nationally in an unprecedented study from the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). Researchers worked to establish rankings based on student perceptions on several criteria, including program culture and reputation, learned skills, perceptions of faculty, and various developmental opportunities. Not only did PSU rank No. 1 overall, but they ranked No. 1 in faculty quality, tied for No. 5 in program culture, and tied for No. 7 in learning practical skills. The full article is available here.
What are the basic program characteristics? The Industrial/Organizational (I-O) Psychology program trains students to apply psychological research in real-world organizational contexts. Our program prepares students for both academic and practitioner settings, through coursework, research, and mentoring. Our program places a strong emphasis on research, but does not emphasize laboratory-based research designs, and few faculty conduct laboratory-based research. Instead, you can find our faculty and graduate students partnering with organizations in the local community and across the country, applying psychological science to improve workplace settings.
Does the I/O program require a Masters Thesis? An Internship? A Dissertation? All students complete both major research projects and applied experiences as part of their graduate training. The graduate program consists of three major milestones. These experiences include an empirical thesis research project, comprehensive exams, and an empirical doctoral dissertation for the Doctoral program. Internships are optional, but highly encouraged in our program. Students are expected to propose and defend their masters thesis within their second or third year, prepare and take comprehensive exams in their third or fourth year, as well as propose and defend their doctoral dissertation for the PhD requirement within their fifth year.
How long will it take me to complete the graduate program? The Doctoral program should take approximately 5 years to complete (3 years after the Masters degree). However, students coming in with a Masters degree may take longer than 3 years to complete the Ph.D. program if they need to complete more of the basic program requirements. Students are typically funded through 5 years, and those incoming with a Masters degree in I-O Psychology are typically funded for 4 years.
What connections does the I/O program have with the local community? Our faculty members have a very strongly applied orientation to research, and as such, work closely with local and national employers, unions, and members of state, local, and federal government. Thus, our program has generated many connections with members of the local community as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest (e.g., Portland Industrial Organizational Psychology Association [PIOPA]). Because of this, our students have had opportunities to complete internships and other applied experiences (e.g., project work) at several local organizations, ranging from small firms and local non-profit organizations to I/O consulting firms and large multinational corporations. Although students often locate their internship positions on their own (e.g., through summer employment or project work), the program assists in the process of matching students to positions. Further, although most internships are completed locally, interested students may complete an internship position at an organization located elsewhere in the country or internationally (students typically locate and apply for such positions on their own, although PSU faculty may advise them during this process).
Is the I-O program accredited? No. There is no formal process for accreditation of graduate programs in I/O psychology. This may change in the future, and prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the web site of the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology (www.siop.org) for more information about this issue.
Can I attend on a part-time basis or through an on-line/distance program? The program presently admits students on a full-time basis. We do not have a separate evening or other part-time program. We do not offer the graduate degree through on-line courses or other modes of distance education. It is important to note that some classes have been offered in a synchronous remote format during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, students should expect to be available to attend classes, meetings, and other events in person if admitted.
Non-Degree Seeking Students
Can I take courses as a non-degree seeking student? Yes, you do not have to be officially admitted to the program to take I/O Psychology courses. You also do not need to formally apply to the Applied Psychology program to take courses as a non-degree seeking student. We encourage community members who are employed but considering a return to school to begin by taking a graduate course. However, students may be required to obtain permission from the instructor.
Do courses taken as a non-degree seeking student count toward the program requirements? Yes. Course credits taken as a non-degree seeking student can be transferred into the program. However, the university has an upper limit on the number of credits taken as a non-degree seeking student that will transfer into the graduate program. Students should visit the the Graduate School for more information about this policy.
Transfer Students
Can I transfer courses from another program/institution for credit toward my graduate degree? In general, courses taken at other institutions may be applied to the graduate degree at Portland State. These typically either take the form of credits directly applied toward the PSU degree or waivers of PSU requirements on the grounds that they were met at a prior institution. However, students typically cannot count credits taken toward a completed degree at another institution. Prospective applicants should note that the transfer review process takes place after students have been admitted to the PSU I/O program. We typically do not conduct preliminary reviews of student transcripts.
Can I transfer my Masters Coursework or Thesis to count toward the PSU I/O doctoral degree? Students who completed a Masters program that did not require an empirical research thesis will be required to complete the equivalent of a thesis research project at Portland State University. Students who complete a Masters degree in another area of psychology or in an area outside of psychology still have to complete our required course sequences, unless they can show that they completed sufficiently similar course work in their prior program. Although the department will help students with general questions about these issues, we do not conduct formal/binding reviews of course credit issues until after students are formally admitted to the program.
Application, Recruitment, and Selection Process
When is the application deadline? The general application deadline is December 15 for students to start the next fall term. Students are expected to have turned in complete applications by that date. Incomplete applications may not be reviewed during the application process. The program does not conduct mid-year (Winter/Fall) admissions or otherwise conduct preliminary reviews of graduate applications.
What criteria does the program use to evaluate applicants? The I/O program evaluates the following criteria during the selection process:
- Fit with the Program as indicated by the applicant’s personal statement. The application process requires a personal statement of approximately 500 words. Longer statements are acceptable, but excessively long statements are discouraged. The program strongly considers the degree to which the applicant’s personal goals and professional interests match those of the I/O Program, as well as the extent to which the applicant’s stated research interests fit with those of specific faculty members. Thus, applicants should have a basic awareness of the types of training provided by I/O psychology programs, as well as the nature of professions in I/O psychology (for more information see www.siop.org). Moreover, although admitted students often work with more than one faculty member, prospective students are selected and recruited to work with one primary advisor. Thus, the match between the applicant’s professional/research interests and those of the primary advisor are strongly weighted in the application process. In addition, applicants should explicitly discuss their experience with writing and statistical analysis skills, if applicable.
- Prior Academic Performance as indicated by prior undergraduate/graduate transcripts (i.e., GPA). The I/O program does not require prerequisite courses, but does consider the nature of the applicant’s past performance in courses related to research methods, psychological assessment, and statistical analysis.
- In some years, we have required the Graduate Record Exam. Please see our general application page for information on whether the GRE is required in a given year. When required, most successful applicants average above 146 on the Math GRE and 156 on the verbal GRE test. The GRE Psychology Subject Test is not required.
- Prior Research Experience as indicated by the student’s personal statement, letters of reference and other supporting information provided by the student. Research experience in industrial/organizational psychology is strongly desirable. However, many successful applicants have research experience in other areas of psychology or in related fields.
- Letters of Reference. Students are expected to provide three letters of reference. We prefer these letters to be from faculty who can speak to the student’s potential for success in graduate training in industrial-organizational psychology. However, letters from non-faculty are acceptable.
- Prior Work Experience as indicated by the student’s personal statement, letters of reference, and other supporting information provided by the student. Past work experience in I/O psychology or a related field is desirable but not required. Given the nature of work in I/O psychology, most successful applicants do not have past I/O psychology work experience.
How do I select a faculty advisor for the program? We strongly encourage prospective applicants to review faculty’s websites to determine if their research interests align with your own. In addition, not all faculty are accepting graduate students from year to year, so please check the PSU website. Please find more information here.
Can I work with multiple advisors in the program? Yes! Although students will generally work most closely with one faculty advisor, collaboration with other faculty members is common. Some graduate students are co-advised by two faculty members, although one faculty is usually the primary advisor.
Do I have to have a degree in psychology to get into the program? A degree in psychology is not required for admission into the program. Successful applicants may come from many different backgrounds (e.g., sociology, political science, communication, business, public health). However, as noted above, the program expects applicants to demonstrate an awareness of the field of I-O psychology. Therefore, we strongly encourage all students, including those from psychology backgrounds, to take the time to learn about the field of I-O psychology prior to applying to the graduate program.
Do I need to have specific classes in psychology to get into the program? No, the program does not have prerequisite courses that are formally required prior to admission. The program does expect students to have some prior course work in psychological research methods and statistical analysis (other programs such as business, sociology, etc. are acceptable for this purpose). Performance in such courses or whether an applicant has any prior coursework in these areas may be considered as part of the application process.
Do you conduct interviews with applicants? Once applicants have been narrowed down to a shortlist, the program conducts interviews by phone or video conference. These interviews are largely informational but are used as part of the screening process for applicants as well as to help applicants decide whether PSU will meet their educational goals. If selected, the program will typically invite the top applicants to a recruitment weekend in late February or early March. Prospective students will have the opportunity to travel to Portland State University to meet the faculty and graduate students as well as visit Portland. Note that recruitment has been conducted virtually in the past couple of years due to COVID, however, we hope to resume our in-person recruitment visit in the near future.
How many students do you admit each year? The I/O program typically admits approximately 3-6 students per year out of approximately 60-120 applicants. The number of students admitted varies each year, depending on individual faculty needs and capacity, departmental needs and resources, and the quality of the applicant pool.
Does the program hold an open house? No, the program does not hold an open house. However, the Psychology department does offer a visiting weekend to select prospective applicants in late February or early March. Applicants will have the opportunity to visit Portland and meet the faculty and graduate students in the program.
When do you notify applicants that they have been accepted or rejected? The applicant review process begins in mid-January. The initial applicant pool is narrowed to a shortlist by late February or early March. Select students will be invited to a recruitment weekend at Portland State University. Initial admissions offers are typically made after the recruitment weekend in March, with an April 15th deadline for students to accept offers from the department. The department also may make additional admissions offers depending on how many students from the initial round accept our admissions offer. We attempt to send out official rejection notices as soon as possible during the application cycle, but the exact time varies from year to year as well as whether the applicant makes the shortlist of prospective students.
Does the program give feedback to unsuccessful applicants? In general the department does not provide formal feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
Can unsuccessful applicants reapply to the program? Yes. Of course, unsuccessful applicants should be advised that an application that is not successful in one year is not likely to be successful during the next application cycle without some changes.
English is not my first language, what do I need to know about the application process? Visit the Office of Admissions for more information about Portland State University Policies and procedures concerning English Language Proficiency.
What other advice do you have for International students?
- Please note that the University requires international students to demonstrate a yearly income of $28,060 (as of June 2005) to cover the cost of living, tuition, etc. to be able to obtain a student visa. Students who obtain graduate assistantships typically would receive a full-time tuition waiver, bringing the remaining amount down to $17,260 (as of June, 2005). A substantial portion of the remaining $17,260 would be covered by the stipend associated with the assistantship. The student would be expected to demonstrate the ability to cover the difference between total amount required and the amount covered by the assistantship.
- The University does not have provisions to waive the application fee for international students.
- Please visit the International Student Services office for more information and resources for international students.
Financial Support and Other University Resources
What types of financial support/assistantships does the program offer? Most admitted students are offered funding in the form of research/teaching assistantships or fellowships. These positions cover full-time tuition during the 9-month academic year and include a stipend to offset basic costs of living (the amount varies from year to year). The assistantships typically involve .30 to .49 FTE (i.e., approximately 12 to 20 hours a week of work) that may be distributed across a mix of teaching and research duties. The approximate student stipend, before taxes, is about $1,800/month (pre-Master’s) and about $2,000/month (post-Master’s) throughout the academic year (September - June). Although not guaranteed, students often receive summer funding. The department does not make a contractual promise to offer students assistantships for any particular number of years. In general, students making good academic progress through the program and demonstrating acceptable performance in their assistantship duties will continue to receive assistantships while they are enrolled in the program.
Do I have to complete a separate assistantship application? All I/O program applicants are automatically considered for assistantships, there is no separate application process.
What other types of financial support are available? Students who are admitted to the program may apply for other forms of financial aid, scholarships, fellowships, travel awards, etc. offered by the Psychology Department or by the University. For basic financial aid information (e.g., loans) students should contact the Financial Aid office.
Does PSU offer health insurance? The graduate assistantship does not include health insurance. However, graduate students can purchase health insurance from the university. Visit the Center for Health and Counseling for more information. https://www.pdx.edu/health-counseling/
Living in Portland
What is it like to live in Portland? Portland is known for its amazing natural surroundings, exceptional food, and clean energy efforts. Portland has much to offer in the way of music, theater, cuisine, and sports!
Where do graduate students live? Most students live off-campus, in a variety of Portland’s neighborhoods. Portland is divided into six sections: Southwest, Northwest, Southeast, Northeast, South, and North Portland. Each area has a slightly different feel to it, and graduate students live all over. Many students live in apartments or rent rooms in houses.