PhD: Industrial and Organizational Psychology — Qualitative
PhD: Industrial and Organizational Psychology — Qualitative
journey today.
The PhD in General Psychology: Industrial and Organizational (IO) Psychology degree at Grand Canyon University is designed to teach you how to study human behavior across a number of settings.
This program centers on interpersonal dynamics within organizational frameworks, emphasizing the complex interplay of dynamics in workplace relationships, employee engagement and motivation. You will have the opportunity to gain insights into effective relationship formation and human behaviors, and guiding strategic enhancements in areas like relationship-building, organizational culture and performance.
Scholarly research is at the heart of the PhD in General Psychology: Industrial Organizational Psychology online program. As a student, you will evaluate existing research and consider the application and design used to formulate those principles. You will engage in independent research aimed at understanding cognitive processes in the workplace, including memory, reasoning, intelligence, motivation and learning approaches.
Qualitative Research vs. Quantitative Research
A qualitative degree program involves in-depth analysis of non-numeric data like interviews and observations, focusing on understanding how and why people think, believe and behave the way they do. In contrast, a quantitative approach analyzes numeric data using surveys and experiments to find patterns and statistical relationships. If you are analytically inclined and enjoy working with data, consider the quantitative version of this program.
The PhD in General Psychology: Industrial and Organizational Psychology program includes coursework in the history and theory of general psychology. You will have the opportunity to examine common psychological theories and how they are used to formulate new ideas and practices that can be applied in the workplace.
Designed by the College of Doctoral Studies, coursework in this program will emphasize the following:
Studying these topics can help build a strong background in these key areas of IO psychology:
Psychology of leadership
Social and organizational principles to business and industry
Probability, descriptive and inferential analyses of data and statistical testing
Principles related to personnel and human resources management
Skills You Will Be Taught in This PhD Psychology Program
Throughout the industrial and organizational psychology courses, you will have many resources to support you with your dissertation, including two collaborative in-person residencies. Graduates who intend to pursue licensure will need to complete additional requirements, as this degree alone does not lead to licensure.
Gain vital skills for your IO psychology career path, including:
Leadership evaluation and development strategies
Enhancing organizational culture
Coaching for employee evaluation and culture enhancement
Research interpretation and data analysis mastery
Business acumen for understanding business dynamics
Assessing consumer preferences and market strategies
This degree program is designed to equip you with essential research skills and evidence-based practices for your academic journey in a PhD-level program. As a graduate, you have the opportunity to pursue various career paths, from enhancing your current role to exploring potential opportunities, such as becoming a behavioral expert in the workplace and bringing the methods of psychology to business.
You may also find employment in areas such as:1
Consulting
Management
Healthcare
Manufacturing
Postsecondary teaching level
$147,420
Median annual wage for industrial-organizational psychologists as of May 20232
GCU takes pride in its institutional accreditation, ensuring a legacy of delivering excellence in education, including in industrial-organizational psychology. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968, GCU and its College of Doctoral Studies remain dedicated to upholding rigorous standards and principles in its educational offerings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Obtaining a PhD in industrial-organizational psychology can be a substantial commitment. Prior to enrolling, it's beneficial to review the FAQs and corresponding answers pertaining to the PhD IO psychology field.
Organizational psychology is an intellectually stimulating field that can offer opportunities for scholarly inquiry and practical application. With its interdisciplinary nature drawing from psychology, sociology and organizational behavior, it can help provide a rich framework for understanding human behavior within the context of work environments. While the notion of a "good" field can be subjective and contingent upon individual interests and career objectives, organizational psychology offers opportunities for professional growth and societal impact.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, top-paying industries for industrial-organizational psychology typically fall within the realm of consulting or executive leadership roles in large corporations, local or state government and research.3 IO psychologists had a median annual wage of $147,420 as of May 2023.2 These positions often require extensive experiences from an advanced degree, such as a master’s or doctoral degree, and have expertise in areas such as statistics, research design and topics specific to understanding the relationships between people and workplaces.4
The three major fields of industrial organization psychology are:5
- Industrial psychology: focuses on job requirements, employee assessment, training and evaluation
- Organizational psychology: studies worker satisfaction, motivation, commitment, management, leadership and organizational culture
- Human factors psychology: examines how workers interact with tools and equipment and how to design them for safety and health
Choosing to pursue a PhD degree program may be a step toward realizing your professional aspirations. This path can offer opportunities to pursue advanced research, academic positions and roles within organizations and requires a significant amount of time and resources. Evaluating your goals and the field's potential may help lead you to a fulfilling educational journey.
Industrial-organizational psychology applies psychological principles to work settings, addressing human behavior addressing elements of human behavior, like motivation, leadership and team dynamics. IO psychologists typically contribute to areas such as talent management, organizational consulting and HR, aiding organizations in enhancing productivity and employee well-being through evidence-based strategies.6
Take Your Next Step With GCU
If you are eager to learn more about how psychology functions within workplace environments, a degree in industrial organizational psychology may be right for you.
§ MOU-Alumni 2000 Doctoral-July2025: The Alumni Scholarship for Doctoral Programs is only valid for those applicants who submit a complete application and begin a Doctoral program in July 2025. This scholarship cannot be used in conjunction with any other GCU scholarship or awards and only applies to online and evening programs. Please speak to a university counselor for complete details.
1 American Psychological Association. (2013). Pursuing a Career in I/O Psychology. Retrieved on April 12, 2024.
2 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Industrial-Organizational Psychologists as of May 2023, retrieved on May 14, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as industrial-organizational psychologists, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
3 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, April 3). Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 19-3032 Industrial-Organizational Psychologists. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Retrieved on April 11, 2024.
4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, Feb. 16). How to Become a Psychologist. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on April 12, 2024.
5 PB Pressbooks. (n.d.). Workplace Psychology. Retrieved on April 12, 2024.
6 American Psychological Association. (2022, May). Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Retrieved on April 12, 2024.