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Applied Social & Organizational Psychology Ph.D. (IU degree)

Offered by: Department of Psychology The Applied Social and Organizational Psychology (ASOP) program is a full-time doctoral degree program with a concentration in Diversity Science.

Why choose this program?

Incredible job opportunities 

  • ASOP is a unique blend of social and organizational psychology training, making graduates competitive for research, teaching, and industry positions.

  • The Diversity Science focus will set graduates apart and prepare them for a diverse workforce. 

  • Occupations range from academia, research, consulting, HR training and development, to diversity and talent management.

Central location in downtown Indianapolis

  • IUPUI is Indiana's premier urban public research institution

  • Indianapolis is the state capital and 14th largest city in the US

  • Indianapolis offers a wide variety of research and training sites for students and all the cultural amenities of urban life

Generous student support

  • Funding and tuition remission available for 4 years for students in good standing

  • Small cohorts (~3 students per year) = personal attention from faculty, support from peers

What will you learn?

Program objectives

The goal of this program is to develop scientists and scientist-practitioners through rigorous mentored research and coursework in statistics, measurement, and research methods. The program requires a full-time commitment for 4 years of study, including completion of required coursework (including a choice of minor), a master's thesis, a preliminary examination to admit a student to doctoral candidacy, and a dissertation.

Graduates will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate mastery of knowledge of the core content areas of organizational psychology (e.g., staffing, human resources and organizational development, work motivation, leadership, and group/team performance) and applied social psychology (e.g., attitudes and social cognition, social stigma, managing a diverse workforce).
  2. Apply the theory, methodologies, and data analytic procedures to conduct research on topics relevant to organizations and society.
  3. Synthesize and critically evaluate psychological theory and research as they relate to human cognition, emotion, and behavior in social and organizational settings.
  4. Apply skills related to the conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation of scientifically based interventions intended to improve organizational functioning and provide evidence-based solutions to societal problems.
  5. Communicate effectively to members of the field and to the general public.
  6. Demonstrate awareness of, appreciation for, and interpersonal skills regarding human diversity.
  7. Behave ethically and professionally in accordance with the American Psychological Association's code of ethics in the conduct of research and in personal and professional settings.

Core faculty

Core Faculty

  • Coming in Fall 2019, Stephanie Andel, Assistant Professor. Ph.D., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, 2017, University of South Florida. Interests: occupational health psychology, employee health and safety.

  • Leslie Ashburn-Nardo, Associate Professor and Program Head, Applied Social and Organizational Psychology Program. Ph.D., Experimental (Social) Psychology, 2003, University of Kentucky. Interests: diversity and intergroup relations, prejudice reduction.

  • Evava Pietri, Assistant Professor. Ph.D., Social Psychology, 2013, Ohio State University. Postdoc at Yale University 2013-2015. Interests: attitudes and social condition, gender bias, and bias reduction interventions.

  • Peggy S. Stockdale, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology. Ph.D., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, 1990, Kansas State University. Interests: Gender and EEO issues in the workplace.

  • Jane R. Williams, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, School of Science. Ph.D., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, 1995, University of Akron. Interests: performance feedback, employee development.

Affiliated Faculty

  • Alan Colquitt, Adjunct Professor of Psychology. Manager, Workforce Research, Eli Lilly & Company.

  • Christopher O. L. H. Porter, Adjunct Professor of Psychology. Professor of Management, Kelley School of Business.

  • Meghan Lowery, Adjunct Professor of Psychology. Consultant, Global Assessment/Workforce Research, Eli Lilly & Company.

Admission requirements

The degrees are conferred through the Indiana University system, and entering students must meet the minimum admission requirements of the Graduate School of Indiana University as well as departmental requirements. Admission to the program is competitive. We currently are able to support approximately 3 students per cohort. 

All applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (bachelor's degree must be conferred prior to Fall registration).

Degree: Applicants preferably have a bachelor's degree in Psychology, but we will consider applicants with bachelor's degrees in similar areas with coursework in social science statistics and research methods).

  • Note: Applicants with graduate degrees (preferably in Psychology or a related social science field) will also be considered.

GPA: Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.2 on a 4-point scale.

GRE: Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination General Test, but the psychology subtest is not required. Only valid GRE scores are accepted; test scores are valid for five years after the testing year in which you tested (July 1-June 30). Strongest consideration will be given to students with subtest scores in the 50th percentile and above.

Prerequisites: Our program has a strong quantitative emphasis. It is highly unlikely that a student would be admitted without a course in statistics. In the rare circumstance that a student is admitted without meeting this prerequisite, the student must pass an approved statistics course prior to Fall enrollment in the program.

International Students
  • English Proficiency Requirements: Nonnative speakers of English must present campus-approved evidence of English language proficiency
Application Deadline: January 1st
  • Review of applications will begin January 1st. For full consideration, please make sure all application materials are received by this date. Please see the Application Instructions. Note: this is a full-time program and students are admitted for Fall enrollment only.

Degree requirements

Coursework

A minimum of 91 credit hours is required for the Ph.D. in Applied Social and Organizational Psychology.

Statistics and Research Methods (4 courses, 12 credit hours)
  • PSY 60000 Statistical Inference
  • PSY 60100 Correlation and Experimental Design
  • PSY 60800 Measurement Theory and the Interpretation of Data
  • PSY 68100 Seminar in Research Methodologies of Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Core courses in Applied Social and Organizational Psychology (4 courses, 12 credit hours)
  • PSY I-647 Attitudes and Social Cognition
  • PSY 57000 Staffing
  • PSY 57200 Organizational Psychology
  • PSY 57600 Human Resource Development
Concentration in Diversity Science (3 courses, 9 credit hours)
  • PSY I-579 Foundations of Diversity Science
  • PSY I-581 Gender Issues in the Workplace
  • PSY I-582 Organizational Diversity and Intergroup Relations
Other Required Courses
  • PSY I-685 Professional Seminar in Applied Social and Organizational Psychology (repeatable up to 8 credit hours)
  • PSY I-595 Teaching Seminar in Psychology (1 credit hour)
  • PSY 69800 Thesis Research (4-8 credit hours)
  • PSY 69900 Dissertation Research (20 credit hours)
Electives (3 courses, 9 credit hours)
  • PSY I-583 Judgment and Decision Making in Organizations
  • Other approved courses
Other Program Requirements
  • Ongoing research engagement with faculty
  • End of semester Student Assessment and Faculty Feedback (SAFF, pronounced "safe") meetings
  • Comprehensive qualifying exams (written and oral) before advancing to PhD candidacy
  • Thesis and dissertation
Choice of Minor (4-5 courses, 12-14 credit hours)
  • Mixed Methods in Data Analytics for Social/Behavioral Sciences
    • PSY 60500 Applied Multivariate Analysis
    • Approved statistics and methods courses from Public Health, Sociology, and Statistics
  • Legal Studies for Social/Behavioral Sciences
    • PSY I-575 Psychology and Law Seminar
    • Law N-836 Legal Process and Legal Methods
    • Approved courses from Law
  • Customized minors as approved by committee

Financial support

Tuition Remission and Health Insurance

  • We are committed to supporting ASOP doctoral students in good standing for four years, providing tuition and student health insurance.
  • The IUPUI Tuition & Fee Estimator can help calculate annual costs. Select 'Science' from the Program dropdown menu for Psychology Department rates.
  • If you are from a qualifying Midwest state, you may be eligible for the Midwest Exchange Program.

Stipend

  • ASOP students in good standing should typically expect to receive competitive stipend support for four years.
  • Sources of stipend support typically involve work positions for 20 hours/week, 10 months of the year, such as:
    • teaching or research assistantships
    • fellowships (e.g., University Fellowships)
    • applied placements in related academic units (e.g., IUPUI Human Resources)

Summer Internship Opportunities

Some students may elect to gain applied experience during the summer. These opportunities are coordinated through program faculty and our numerous area partners. Below is a list of some of the local organizations with whom we have established relationships.

  • Clarian Health Partners                      
  • Indiana Health Physicians
  • St. Vincent Hospital              
  • IU School of Medicine
  • Eli Lilly                                              
  • Public Safety Medical
  • Indiana Historical Society                 
  • British Airport Authority
  • Interactive Intelligence                      
  • Wishard Hospital
  • NCAA Headquarters             
  • Flashpoint Consulting
  • WellPoint                                           
  • Rolls Royce
  • Exact Target                                       
  • Direct Defender         
  • Emmis Communications        
  • Ivy Tech
  • Premiere Consulting Services
  • Performance Assessment Network       

Other Support

  • Professional development support for research and travel
  • Free or reduced fee licenses for major research software, such as SPSS
  • Library resources

Newsletter

We are excited to share new updates and achievements from our faculty and students, as well as introduce our newest cohort, our current students, and our 2018 graduating class.

Read the Fall 2018 ASOP and I/O Newsletter

Purdue School of Science

402 North Blackford, Indianapolis IN 46202 1-317-274-0625
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