Program Requirements
The Graduate and Professional School requires a minimum of 32 hours for a master's degree (M.S.). The MSIOP program is a 33-credit hour program designed to be completed in 16-months. Students are also required to complete an internship and a qualifying exam.
-
Proficiency in methodology and statistics is foundational to graduate study in I-O psychology. Students in the program will complete multiple courses on psychological methods, statistical analyses, and psychometrics in preparation for job roles in people and data analytics.
-
Students close to graduation are expected to have a breadth and depth of knowledge in the discipline, integrate what has been learned, and demonstrate professional application to the field. During their final semester in the program, students must pass a qualifying exam covering core concepts from coursework. The exam serves to assess students' mastery of the field to ensure that students are ready for the applied world. See the MSIOP Program Handbook for more details.
Course Sequence
Classes are typically delivered during business hours from Wednesdays to Fridays.
The curriculum complies with the Guidelines for Education and Training in I-O Psychology as recommended by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). According to the guidelines, graduates completing the I-O psychology program should possess certain competencies (i.e., general knowledge and skill areas, core content, and related competencies) needed to be successful in their I-O psychology careers.
The 16-month program is rigorous and demanding, yet productive and rewarding. Students are challenged and work hard to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in their careers.
-
Year 1, Fall Semester - 3 credit hours
Examine foundational topics in organizational psychology to understand how psychological principles influence the effectiveness of individuals, teams and organizations. Explore key topics such as job satisfaction, motivation, leadership, group dynamics, occupational health, diversity and the work-nonwork interface. Analyze how emotions, attitudes and behaviors shape organizational outcomes and employee well-being. Investigate methodological approaches used to study these phenomena and evaluate their application in real-world settings. Emphasis is placed on integrating theory with evidence-based insights to address contemporary organizational challenges.
Instructor: Ian Hughes, Ph.D.
-
Year 1, Fall Semester - 3 credit hours
Examine the psychological principles underlying effective human resource practices in organizational settings. Focus on evidence-based approaches to understanding and improving personnel functions such as job analysis, recruitment, selection, training and performance evaluation. Engage with foundational theories and empirical research that inform decision-making in personnel psychology. Develop the ability to critically evaluate workplace practices and apply psychological science to real-world challenges.
-
Year 1, Fall semester - 3 credit hours
Explore foundational quantitative methods essential for industrial-organizational psychology. Gain practical skills in designing studies, selecting appropriate statistical techniques and interpreting data to address workplace challenges. Learn to apply methods such as hierarchical regression and ANCOVA in applied settings. Develop proficiency in data cleaning, outlier detection and handling missing data — including advanced techniques like multiple imputations. Build fluency in frequently used statistical software packages and data visualization platforms.
-
Year 1 Fall semester - 1 credit hour
Develop essential professional competencies for success in industrial-organizational psychology. Strengthen career readiness through targeted skill-building in job market navigation, professional identity formation and strategic communication. Explore evidence-based practices in resume and application development, interviewing, networking and job offer negotiation. Gain fluency in presenting data and ideas effectively across multiple organizational roles and industries. Emphasize self-assessment and confidence-building strategies to support early career transitions and long-term growth.
Instructor: Adam Kabins, Ph.D.
-
Year 1, Spring semester - 3 credit hours
Advance analytical expertise in industrial-organizational psychology through hands-on application of complex statistical techniques. Explore methods such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and logistic regression to uncover insights from workplace data. Discuss the design and implementation of organizational surveys, evaluating item quality and data integrity. Strengthen the ability to integrate conceptual knowledge with practical software tools to support evidence-based decision making in professional settings.
Instructor: Yumiko Mochinushi, Ph.D.
-
Year 1, Spring semester
Examine the psychological foundations and evidence-based practices of training and performance management to enhance individual, team and organizational effectiveness. Explore contemporary theories and methods in learning and development, including instructional systems design, adult learning theory and AI-enabled training. Analyze tools such as electronic performance monitoring, learning management systems and 360-degree feedback. Investigate strategies for identifying high-potential employees and aligning performance interventions with organizational goals. Emphasize inclusive approaches that account for adult learners’ experiences and demographics, integrating research from industrial-organizational psychology to inform practical applications.
Instructor: Bisi Atoba, Ph.D.
-
Year 1, Spring semester - 3 credit hours
This course explores the psychological factors that shape employee attitudes, motivation and withdrawal behaviors like absenteeism and turnover. It covers key concepts — job satisfaction, organizational commitment, engagement, stress and work values — and how they affect both employees and organizations. Students examine common tools for measuring workplace attitudes and motivation and learn to use insights from social and organizational psychology to diagnose workplace issues and recommend evidence-based solutions. The course emphasizes connecting theory with practical application to build strong analytical and applied skills for diverse organizational settings.
Instructor: Yumiko Mochinushi, Ph.D.
-
Year 1, Spring semester - 1 credit hour
Develop essential professional competencies for success in industrial-organizational psychology. Strengthen career readiness through targeted skill-building in job market navigation, professional identity formation and strategic communication. Explore evidence-based practices in resume and application development, interviewing, networking and job offer negotiation. Gain fluency in presenting data and ideas effectively across multiple organizational roles and industries. Emphasize self-assessment and confidence-building strategies to support early career transitions and long-term growth.
Instructor: Cheryl Jackson, Ph.D.
-
Year 1, summer semester - 3 credit hours
Full-time internship experience in a departmentally-approved internship training facility.
-
Year 2, Fall semester - 3 credit hours
Gain advanced expertise in psychological measurement and survey design tailored to industrial-organizational psychology contexts. Develop practical skills in designing, implementing and interpreting organizational surveys that address real world organizational needs. Engage with psychometric principles such as reliability, validity, Item Response Theory and bias detection to ensure high-quality assessments. Apply advanced methods such as multi-group confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate and refine organizational assessments. Learn to conduct complex statistical analysis, learning not only the theoretical foundations but also how to conduct these analyses using statistical software. Integrate psychometric theory and analytical evidence to support evidence-based decisions across diverse organizational contexts.
Instructor: Yumiko Mochinushi, Ph.D.
-
Year 2, Fall semester - 3 credit hours
Analyze the psychological foundations and evidence-based practices of talent acquisition and selection in organizational contexts. Examine the role of job and work analysis, testing and assessment methods, and validation procedures in shaping effective recruitment strategies. Explore psychometric principles and ethical and legal considerations that influence employment decision-making. Apply research from industrial-organizational psychology and related disciplines to critically evaluate selection tools used in professional practice.
Instructor: Winfred Arthur, Ph.D.
-
Year 2, Fall semester - 3 credit hours
Analyze the psychological and organizational factors that contribute to effective teams and leadership in complex work environments. Engage with key theories and research on transformational and ethical leadership, followership and emotional dynamics. Explore the wide range of leadership experiences and demographics, design and functioning of high-performance teams, decision-making processes and virtual or multi-team systems. Apply industrial-organizational psychology principles to develop strategies for team building, leadership assessment and intervention planning.
Instructor: Bisi Atoba, Ph.D.
-
Year 2, Fall semester - 1 credit hour
Develop essential professional competencies for success in industrial-organizational psychology. Strengthen career readiness through targeted skill-building in job market navigation, professional identity formation and strategic communication. Explore evidence-based practices in resume and application development, interviewing, networking and job offer negotiation. Gain fluency in presenting data and ideas effectively across multiple organizational roles and industries. Emphasize self-assessment and confidence-building strategies to support early career transitions and long-term growth.
Instructor: Adam Kabins, Ph.D.
-
Year 2, Fall semester
Students who are close to graduation are expected to have a walking-knowledge, understanding, and mastery of all three I-O content areas, namely organizational, personnel, and quantitative methods. The qualifying exam assesses the extent to which students have mastered the three domains
Experiential Learning and Professional Development
Hands-on learning are an essential part of the MSIOP experience and the program places an emphasis on applied skill acquisition and development. Students develop these skills by completing I-O psychology projects for local organizations through coursework and non-coursework opportunities.
-
The local organizations students have completed applied course projects for include the following:
Aggieland Outfitters, American Lumber, Axis Pipe & Tube, Blue Bell Creameries, Brazos County, Brazos Valley CASA, Brazos Valley Food Bank, Brazos Valley Marketing, Brazos Valley Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, CC Creations, Chad Jones Law Firm, City of Bryan, City of College Station, Family Promise, Gessner Engineering, Habitat for Humanity, Kristen Distributing, LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc., Long Hill Company, Mathnasium, Ment Services, MHMR of Brazos Valley, Ply Gem, QuestSpecialty, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas, Scotty’s House, Sexual Assault Resource Center, STGenetics, TAMU HROE Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Students, Texas A&M Engineering Extension, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Twin City Mission, United Way of Brazos Valley, Voices for Children CASA, and Wellborn Special Utility District.
The students’ free service to local organizations was also recognized by the College of Arts & Sciences in this news article.
Example of course projects include:
- Recruitment and applicant selection, and retention analysis, Blue Bell Creameries.
- Leadership assessment and development plan, City of Bryan.
- Path to safety training program development and workshop facilitation, Kristen Distributing.
- Organizational culture-climate survey validation, City of College Station.
- Job analysis, Texas A&M Engineering Extension.
-
Students further acquire real-world experience through applied internships. These allow students to apply the knowledge they have gained during their first year in the MSIOP program. They also acquire work-related experience and sharpen the skills needed for successful future careers in the I-O field.
Projects completed by recent interns include those listed below. To learn more about the nature of each students’ internship experience, visit the students’ page.
- Developed situational judgment test items for the US Air Force.
- Conducted competitor research and current- and future-state analysis for service awards at Goldman Sachs.
- Designed and prototyped integrated AI assistants in partnership with to automate routine HRBP tasks at HP.
- Created data visualizations used in client meetings at KPMG.
- Designed microlearning modules and leadership development program surveys for Frontier Airlines.
- Completed a job analysis of data scientist for Bell Textron.
- Migrated and visualized people metrics data using Power BI desktop for Rio Tinto.
-
A distinguishing feature of the MSIOP program are weekly colloquium series that further complements other program requirements. These colloquia provide unique opportunities for students to learn directly from I-O professionals in applied settings as well as researchers from various I-O psychology backgrounds who are invited as guest speakers. They discuss updates on cutting-edge research and perspective in the discipline. Weekly colloquia are typically scheduled on Fridays from 1:30-3:00PM and all MSIOP students are required to attend and participate in the colloquium series.
-
Although students have the primary responsibility of securing internships and jobs, the program provides them the resources and support they need to be successful. The PBSI 683 instructors and the Program Director work closely with students to prepare job application materials, practice interviewing, and successfully negotiate offers. The program also hosts multiple employer visits, which facilitates internship and job offers for the students. Program faculty also forward internship and job announcements to students and provide advising during their application or offer negotiation process.
Buddy Program
New students often have many questions and concerns prior to matriculating and during their first semester. Buddies play an important role in making the new students feel welcome to the program and University. The MSIOP Buddy Program was created to ease the transition as returning students offer support to new students.
Buddies support new students by establishing contact with assigned student before they arrive, taking the lead in building and maintaining the connection by contacting student throughout their first semester, and offering helpful advice/suggestions/guidance and share experiences with student.
Student Alumni Mentoring
Our mentoring program brings students and alumni together to help students thrive in grad school, facilitate their professional development, and support their I-O career preparation. Each new student is assigned an MS/PhD alumni mentor who volunteer their time to actively listen, offer tips on navigating grad school challenges, and provide general career advice.
Review the program's handbook to learn more about the program of study.
