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Capella University
HAROLD ABEL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

PHD Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Industrial/Organizational Psychology specialization

Courses

Total program credits needed for graduation: 120

Core Courses

45 course quarter credits.

PSY8002
Orientation to Doctoral Learning in Psychology (5 quarter credits)
PSY7110
History and Systems of Psychology (5 quarter credits)
PSY7210
Lifespan Development (5 quarter credits)
PSY7520
Social Psychology (5 quarter credits)
PSY7543
Ethics and Multicultural Issues in Psychology* (5 quarter credits)
PSY7610
Tests and Measurements (5 quarter credits)
PSY7625
Advanced Inferential Statistics** (5 quarter credits)
PSY7630
Qualitative Analysis (5 quarter credits)
PSY7658
Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology** (5 quarter credits)

Specialization Courses

30 course quarter credits.

PSY7615
Data Analysis with IBM and SPSS (5 quarter credits)
PSY7626
Multivariate Statistics: Theory and Application* (5 quarter credits)
PSY7635
Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology*(5 quarter credits)
PSY8711
Principles of Industrial/Organizational Psychology (5 quarter credits)
PSY8720
Psychology of Leadership (5 quarter credits)
PSY8740
Psychology Practices in Personnel and Human Resource Management (5 quarter credits)

Upon completion of all required course work:

PSY9919
Doctoral Comprehensive Examination* (5 quarter credits)

Learners must enroll in PSY9960 a minimum of four times to fulfill their specialization requirements.

PSY9960
Dissertation Courseroom (5 quarter credits each)

In addition, choose one of the following recommended Industrial/Organizational Psychology concentrations, any four of the following listed courses, or any four graduate courses from the School of Business and Technology, excluding introductory and special topics courses, lectures, seminars, practica, internships, and any Capella-designated first course:

For an industrial psychology concentration:

PSY7670
Psychological Principles of Strategic Planning* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8721
Introduction to Business Practices for Psychologists* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8765
Testing and Assessment in Workplace Psychology* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8795
Psychology of Health and Stress in Organizations (5 quarter credits)

For an organizational psychology concentration:

PSY7530
Psychology of Group Dynamics (5 quarter credits)
PSY7550
Process of Professional Development* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8721
Introduction to Business Practices for Psychologists* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8770
Psychology of Motivation and Performance (5 quarter credits)

For a coaching psychology concentration:

PSY7510
Psychology of Personality (5 quarter credits)
PSY8721
Introduction to Business Practices for Psychologists* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8768
Theory and Practice of Psychological Coaching (5 quarter credits)
PSY8770
Psychology of Motivation and Performance (5 quarter credits)

For a consultation psychology concentration:

PSY7670
Psychological Principles of Strategic Planning* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8721
Introduction to Business Practices for Psychologists* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8730
Consultation Psychology (5 quarter credits)
PSY8770
Psychology of Motivation and Performance (5 quarter credits)

OR

Choose four from the following courses:

PSY7510
Psychology of Personality (5 quarter credits)
PSY7530
Psychology of Group Dynamics (5 quarter credits)
PSY7550
Process of Professional Development* (5 quarter credits)
PSY7670
Psychological Principles of Strategic Planning (5 quarter credits)*
PSY8162
Career Counseling Theory (5 quarter credits)
PSY8721
Introduction to Business Practices for Psychologists* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8730
Consultation Psychology (5 quarter credits)
PSY8765
Testing and Assessment in Workplace Psychology* (5 quarter credits)
PSY8768
Theory and Practice of Psychological Coaching (5 quarter credits)
PSY8770
Psychology of Motivation and Performance (5 quarter credits)
PSY8795
Psychology of Health and Stress in Organizations (5 quarter credits)
PSY8990
Independent Readings (5 quarter credits)
PSY8991
Special Topics in Psychology (1 quarter credit)
PSY8992
Special Topics in Psychology (2 quarter credits)
PSY8993
Special Topics in Psychology (3 quarter credits)

OR

Choose any four graduate courses from the School of Business and Technology, excluding introductory and special topics courses, lectures, seminars, practica, internships, and any Capella-designated first course.

Additional Prerequisite Courses

Learners who enroll in this specialization without the academic background needed to fulfill certain course requirements may be required to complete the following courses:

PSY7620
Inferential Statistics (5 quarter credits)
PSY7650
Research Methods (5 quarter credits)

*This course has a prerequisite. Contact an enrollment counselor or refer to the course descriptions for more information.

**This course has a prerequisite that is not listed as a required course, which may increase the total number of courses needed to complete this specialization. Contact an enrollment counselor or refer to the course descriptions for additional course prerequisites.

†It is recommended that learners without the academic background needed to fulfill certain course requirements use their elective courses to satisfy any two additional prerequisites.

Courses without a PSY designation may be worth fewer than five quarter credits. Learners must carefully plan their elective courses to ensure that total credit requirements for the degree are met. Special topics courses in the Harold Abel School of Social and Behaviorial Sciences can be used as an option to complete the total required credits needed for graduation.

Residency Requirement

To support your academic and professional success, residential colloquia provide learning and community-building experiences in a stimulating scholarly environment. For this specialization, you must complete three four-day colloquia (PSY-R8921, PSY-R8922, PSY-R8923).

To learn more, call 1.866.933.5902 or email an enrollment counselor.

Transfer Credits

There are many ways to reduce tuition costs, including transferring credits which can help save time and money. You can transfer up to 50 credits into this specialization.

Sign Up for a Free One-Week Mini Course

Learn more about our online learning experience with a free one-week mini course.

Take a Single Course

You can enroll in any of our online courses without committing to a degree program. Simply sign up for a single course today — whether you're interested in a specific topic or just want to see if online learning is right for you. We recommend speaking first with an enrollment counselor to discuss your goals and ensure the credits you earn now can be applied to a degree program later.

To learn more, call 1.866.933.5902 or email an enrollment counselor.

Concentrations

If you have elective courses in your specialization, you may be able to use them to fulfill both your degree and concentration requirements at the same time. However, completing a concentration may extend your total credits beyond the requirements of your degree. Concentrations available for this specialization include:

  • Child and Adolescent Development
  • Coaching Psychology
  • Consultation Psychology
  • Industrial Psychology
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Program Evaluation and Measurement
  • Psychology Teaching and Instruction