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Industrial Organizational Psychology
In the Industrial Organizational Psychology (I/O) Psychology specialization, you will learn to apply psychological theories to critical issues in the fields of business and industry. You will become adept at small group theory and team processes, dynamics of leadership and management, and the structure and procedures of organizational development. The application of tests and measurements, and the interpretation of their results as applied to employee selection, performance appraisals, and training evaluations are additional skills that you can expect to learn in our program. The I/O specialization will prepare you to assume leadership positions in industry, government, consulting and education in various fields, such as research, coaching, human resource development, consumer behavior analysis, workplace planning, market strategy, personnel specialist and talent acquisition.
General Degree Requirements
The PhD in Psychology degree requires a minimum of 60 credit hours at the graduate level beyond the master’s degree.
The University may accept a maximum of 12 semester credit hours in transfer toward the doctoral degree for graduate coursework completed at an accredited college or university while enrolled in a doctoral program with a grade of "B" or better.
Completion Period for Doctoral Degrees
Northcentral University allows 7 years to complete all doctoral programs of 60 credits or less. Normal time to complete varies depending upon course take rate and credits transferred in.
Competencies for PhD Programs in Psychology
- Graduate-Level Research Methods Competency - PhD students are required to complete PSY7103, PSY7106, PSY7108, and PSY7109 at Northcentral.
- Graduate-Level Statistics Competency - PhD students are required to complete PSY7107 at Northcentral.
- Computer Competency - Doctoral students are required to have computer skills necessary for completing a dissertation. Students must be able to prepare documents using advanced word processing skills (e.g., creation of tables and figures, headers and footers, page breaks, tables of contents, hanging indents). Students must use computer programs for the statistical analysis of data (e.g., SAS). Students must produce a computer-based presentation (e.g., PowerPoint) for their dissertation oral defense.
Course Length
All new students enrolling in the Business PhD program are automatically enrolled in courses that are eight weeks in length. All eight-week courses are indicated by a "-8" (dash eight) at the end of the course code.
Credit Hours - The PhD program may be completed in 60 credits. Up to an additional 15 credit hours will be allowed as needed to complete dissertation research.
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
PSY7101 | Foundations for Doctoral Study in Psychology | This course is an orientation to Northcentral University and to the essential skills needed to pursue a PhD degree in Psychology. Doctoral level skills, such as academic integrity, time management, effective use of the Northcentral Library, comprehending complex scholarly texts and research articles, and APA form and style in professional communication are also introduced. Students will complete the course with a better understanding of personal goals, strengths, and challenges, and a roadmap to navigate their way to completion of their educational aspirations. |
PSY7102 | Scholarly Writing and Professional Communication in Psychology | In this course, students will learn to formulate ideas, search for and appraise text and online resources, and critically analyze and thoughtfully synthesize research findings. The student will become familiar with various writing and communication formats, such as evaluation reports, proposals, papers, poster presentations, annotated bibliographies, PowerPoint Presentations, scholarly Web sites, and blogs, and practice those appropriate to their degree and career goals. The student will also develop techniques for following APA form and style and avoiding plagiarism. |
Required Courses | ||
PSY7103 | Research Methods | This doctoral-level course focuses on the fundamentals of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches to psychological research. Students gain an understanding of the strengths and limitations of each approach, and how these methods apply to a research topic. The concepts of research ethics, scholarly research writing, and developing a research proposal will also be explored and practiced. |
PSY7104 | Statistics I | This course provides an introductory exploration of statistics for the graduate student. It includes instruction on the calculation, use, and interpretation of descriptive statistics, and introduces inferential statistical analysis. The emphasis of this course is on providing a working knowledge of basic statistical concepts to help the student understand statistical methodology used in psychology, and also more generally, developing a working knowledge of statistical usage in everyday life. |
PSY7105 | Tests and Measurements | Students in this doctoral-level course are introduced to practice and theory of psychological test construction. They learn how to evaluate tests for use in research and examine current issues in test construction. |
PSY7106 | Quantitative Research Design | This course provides students with the skills essential for designing experimental, quasi-experiment, and survey studies; analyzing the data collected in these studies, and interpreting the results of data analyses. Students will explore designs and statistical techniques to use with their envisioned dissertation research. |
PSY7107 | Statistics ll | This course is an intermediate examination of statistical analyses commonly used for research in behavioral and health sciences. It prepares the doctoral student with the skills required to plan, conduct (using SPSS), report, and interpret quantitative statistical analyses. Topics include: basic statistical knowledge, probability theory, exploratory date analysis, assumptions for statistical tests, parametric and nonparametric tests. Specific analyses include: correlation, regression (simple, multiple, and logistic), basic ANOVA and advanced ANOVA techniques. |
PSY7108 | Qualitative Research Design | This course is an examination of qualitative methods for studying human behavior including grounded theory, narrative analysis, ethnography, mixed methods, and case studies. |
PSY7109 | Planning Dissertation Research in Psychology | Students in this course will begin the process of writing a dissertation for a research or professional doctorate. The course will address the University dissertation process and aids to successfully complete a dissertation, including self-care and time management. |
Course Code | Name | Course Despcription |
|---|---|---|
PSY7011 | History and Systems of Psychology | This doctoral-level course presents a history of psychology beginning with the early Greeks. It shows how philosophy combined with developments in natural science and experimental physiology to form the major schools of psychology today. |
PSY7012 | Professional Ethics, Law, and Psychology | In this course, students will learn to formulate ideas, search for and appraise text and online resources, and critically analyze and thoughtfully synthesize research findings. The student will become familiar with various writing and communication formats, such as evaluation reports, proposals, papers, poster presentations, annotated bibliographies, PowerPoint Presentations, scholarly Web sites, and blogs, and practice those appropriate to their degree and career goals. The student will also develop techniques for following APA form and style and avoiding plagiarism. |
PSY7013 | Human Development and Functioning | This is a Doctoral-level study of the psychological development of the individual from conception through late adulthood, examining the processes of change and the influences affecting the developing person including motor, language, social and intellectual skills across the lifespan. |
PSY7014 | Social Psychology | In this course you will examine the social aspect of human behavior. In particular, you will analyze core social motives that have evolved to ensure human survival, and how these are applied in the social situation. You will closely examine theory and research in key areas of social psychology such as attitudes, bias, social influence, aggression, pro social behavior, and the social nature of the self. |
PSY7015 | Biopsychology | This doctoral-level course will introduce the student to psychological test construction, administration and interpretation as well as current research in the area. Commonly used tests to assess cognition and personality will be studied. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
PSY8400 | Industrial/Organizational Psychology | This overview course focuses on the wide variety of topics found within the field of I/O psychology such as employee selection, training & development, job analysis, and motivation. Key theories, recent research and innovative applications within the field will be addressed. |
PSY8401 | Leadership and Management | This course focuses on the research and application of key theories of management and leadership. Distinctions between the practice of management and the construct of leadership will be discussed. |
PSY8402 | Work Motivation and Attitudes | This course focuses on contemporary theories and research surrounding job attitudes and motivation in the workplace. Strategies for increasing motivation and improving job attitudes as well as important issues such as diversity, workplace misbehavior and stress are addressed. |
PSY8403 | Organizational Development | This course provides an overview of theory, research and practice related to the implementation and management of change in organizations. The role of culture, climate and leadership in planned organizational change is explored. |
PSY8404 | Consulting in Business, Education, and Health | Consulting in schools, businesses, and mental health settings requires an array of personal skills, knowledge and information, and techniques. In this course you will learn how to develop the personal skills and understanding of consulting to give you a basis to develop a successful consulting program. |
PSY8406 | Multivariate Statistical Analysis | The central theme of this course is the general linear statistical model and its derivative methods including multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), MANCOVA, factor analysis, discriminant analysis, cluster analysis, linear modeling, path analysis and structural equation modeling. The course covers theoretical, computational, and interpretive issues of multivariate exploratory and inferential statistical procedures. |
Course Code | Name | Course Description |
|---|---|---|
CMP9500P | Comprehensive Exam | In their pursuit of any doctoral degree (PhD, DBA, or EdD) at Northcentral University, students gain expertise in their academic discipline and in one or more specializations that complement their academic discipline. The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination is intended to assure that students have mastered knowledge of their discipline before candidacy status is achieved and research in support of their dissertation is initiated. The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination is taken following the completion of all content and Research courses. This course is graded using Satisfactory (S), In Progress (IP), and Unsatisfactory (U) grading criteria. The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination must be successfully completed with an ”"S” grade prior to beginning any Dissertation Research course. The exam is twelve weeks. |
DIS9501P | Dissertation Research* | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the PhD degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral defense. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least every 28 calendar days. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9502P | Dissertation Research* | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the PhD degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral defense. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least every 28 calendar days. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9503P | Dissertation Research* | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the PhD degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral defense. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least every 28 calendar days. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
DIS9504P | Dissertation Research* | In this course sequence, students work progressively on completing each doctoral dissertation milestone toward the completion of the PhD degree. These milestones include Committee and University approval of a dissertation concept paper, a dissertation proposal paper, an approved IRB application by the Northcentral University Institutional Review Board, the collection and analysis of research data, the preparation and approval of the final dissertation manuscript, and the successful completion of the oral defense. Courses are taken continually and sequentially until all dissertation milestones have been completed. Throughout these courses, students often work independently but are required to be in communication with the Chair of their Dissertation Committee at least every 28 calendar days. These courses are graded utilizing Satisfactory (S) and Unsatisfactory (U) as the grading criteria. |
At Northcentral University, we pride ourselves in being completely transparent when it comes to tuition and fees. We have adopted an all-inclusive tuition model that gives you the cost of your Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology tuition and fees in one flat program rate*. The only additional cost above your PhD Psy program rate is books. Learn more about the NCU’s PhD Psy costs below:
- Per credit cost: $845
- Per 3 credit course cost: $2,535
- Program cost: $50,700-63,375
- Average Book cost per course: $150
- Application Fee: $0
- Technology Fee: $0
- Registration Fee: $0
Click here to learn more about payment and financing options.
*Program rates are subject to change and generally increase at the start of each calendar year.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about our students, it’s that they are motivated and ambitious—but they are also busy! At Northcentral University, we’ve designed our education experience to work with you, not against you, so you can achieve your academic goals without sacrificing the quality, flexibility and support you need to be successful.
- Regionally Accredited
- No Physical Residency Requirements
- One-to-One Teaching
- 100% Doctoral Faculty
- Flexibility of Online Learning
- University Resources
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