New psychology graduate program coming to Southeast next fall

Beginning in fall 2016, the psychology department at Southeast Missouri State University will offer classes for its new graduate program in industrial/organizational psychology.

Named "the fastest-growing occupation in the U.S." by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, industrial/organizational psychology is used by businesses to improve worker productivity and satisfaction, recruit and select new employees and solve issues of discrimination and diversity.

Dr. Leslee Pollina, department chairwoman and professor of psychology, said there was a high demand for a psychology graduate program at Southeast, particularly in some of the more practical fields.

"A lot of students would like to be able to get a graduate degree close to home," Pollina said. "We selected the I/O program because it's actually one of the fastest-growing areas of psychology, so it provides a lot of career opportunities and provides generally fairly high-paying jobs. It's something that students can potentially use to build a really good career."

Dr. Jeremy Heider, graduate program coordinator for the department, said industrial/organizational psychology was not the only option considered for the new graduate program.

"We considered programs in industrial/organizational psychology, clinical/health psychology and experimental psychology," Heider said. "We chose to develop an I/O program for a variety of reasons, but the primary one was that lucrative careers are available for practitioners with master's degrees. The other areas typically require doctoral degrees in order to have viable career options."

For students who have an interest in the area, the program will give them the opportunity to get the training and field experience they need to impress potential employers, as well as gaining a solid background in multiple branches of psychology, including courses in social psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, consumer psychology, research methods and statistics and psychological testing. Students also can complete a research-based master's thesis, or they will have the opportunity to intern with different businesses and organizations.

Because of the variety of jobs available to professionals in the industrial/organizational field, Heider said the program will encompass aspects of the various positions to help students focus on what they want to do.

"Our curriculum will be balanced in a way that prepares students for either academic or applied careers," Heider said. "Those interested in primarily academic careers will be encouraged to exercise the thesis option, whereas those interested in primarily applied careers will be encouraged to exercise the internship option."

As the number of jobs in this field continues to grow, the program will provide students with the knowledge and training needed to find a job, Pollina said.

"There's a pretty high demand, not only in this region, but across the country for people with the kind of degree and expertise, so it shouldn't be difficult for them to find jobs at all," Pollina said.

Heider said because of the high demand for industrial/organizational psychology professionals, students who graduate with a master's degree are more likely to earn a substantial salary soon after graduation.

"Because of its rapid growth as a field, a degree in I/O psychology will provide our graduates with relatively lucrative opportunities," Heider said. "Especially when compared to the financial prospects of many other psychological careers."

Interested students will need an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.25, combined graduate record examination scores of 310, letters of recommendation and a personal statement about what they hope to achieve.

Graduate assistantships also will be available for students going into the program, which will provide stipends and tuition remission to help make getting a graduate degree in psychology from Southeast affordable.

The department is working on bringing graduate programs for different areas of psychology to Southeast in the future, and while no details are available yet, students should keep an eye out for announcements.

"I expect that we will have another option coming out relatively soon," Pollina said.

Anyone who would like more information on the program and how to enroll can contact Heider at jheider@semo.edu.