Program Overview
The M.S. in Psychology program at West Chester University seeks to advance the discipline of Psychology as an area of scholarly, professional, and scientific endeavor by providing a high quality, designed to prepare students for participation in an increasingly diverse society. WCU offers concentrations in General Psychology and in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Both programs include advanced training in the field of Psychology as well as opportunities for research and internships. Faculty experts teach in both graduate tracks and welcome graduate students as research collaborators, giving students access to practitioners who have research interests in both theoretical and applied psychology.
Tracks
General Psychology
This track is 36 credits and is designed for students interested in research and/or teaching, and prepares graduates for training at the doctoral level. Our program is limited to a small cohort of students each year, and accepted students come to the program with specifically defined educational plans, including career advancement, preparation for study in a doctoral program, or exploration of the field for those who may have a limited background in psychology. Students gain an understanding of research design and experience, the different areas of psychology, data analysis, and psychological measurement. The General Psychology M.S. program does not provide clinical preparation. Students interested in a career that includes clinical preparation should consider the Clinical PsyD program.
Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology
This track is 39-42 credits and is designed for students who plan careers in Human Resource areas of business, industry, government, or other organizations. Students explore workplace motivation and attitudes; employee selection, training, and evaluation; leadership, group and organizational behavior; organizational culture and change management; people analytics and human resource management. Students in the program acquire business, leadership, and psychology skills, and learn to apply psychology to the workplace, use research methods to solve problems, and improve quality of work life.
Students in the program can get creative with electives, internships, and research to create their own personal concentrations based on interest. Concentrations include: selection and placement, training, performance evaluation, leadership development, workplace stress, employee engagement, group/team processes, and organization development interventions
Program Highlights
- Opportunities to work on consulting projects (I/O)
- Diverse internship availability from Washington, D.C. to New York City (I/O)
- Online and evening coursework for busy professionals
- Occupations related to I/O Psych are projected to grow by 14.3% through 2026
- Median salary of $87,330 (I/O)
- Modern computer labs, experimental labs, and state-of-the-art video rooms for research
- Thesis option
- Faculty experts
- Wide ranging faculty research interests
- Opportunities for research collaboration
What can I do with this degree?
Professionals with an understanding of Industrial/Organizational Psychology principles continue to be in high demand in the workplace. Students in the program can acquire business, leadership, and psychology skills to help them advance their career in management or human resources.
Our graduates have gone on to work in management, consulting, human resources, and organization development with a variety of employers including:
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The Hay Group
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QVC
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SAP
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Merck & Co
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WAWA
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TDBank
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Pep Boys
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BP Oil
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PECO Energy
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E.I. DuPont
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Boeing
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LockHeed Martin
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Astra Zeneca
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Price Waterhouse Coopers
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Catholic Health East
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Blue Cross
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First National Bank
At the local level, half of the occupations associated with I/O psychology are expected to grow faster than Pennsylvania’s average rate of job growth. Human Resources, Labor Relations, and Training Specialists are expected to have the highest number of job openings, while Industrial/Organizational Psychologists are expected to have the second-highest percent growth in employment.
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Newsworthy
At the local level, within a 75-mile radius of West Chester University, half of the occupations associated with I/O psychology are expected to grow faster than Pennsylvania’s average rate of job growth.
The three occupations with the highest projected numerical growth at the national, state, and local levels are as follows: o Management Analysts o Training and Development Specialists o Human Resources Training, and Labor Relations Specialists, All Other Human Resources, Labor Relations, and Training Specialists are expected to have the highest number of job openings, while Industrial/Organizational Psychologists are expected to have the second-highest percent growth in employment.