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.
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
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:(See disclaimer 1)
Consulting
Management
Healthcare
Manufacturing
Postsecondary teaching level
Median annual wage for industrial-organizational psychologists as of May 2023(See disclaimer 2)
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.
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.
Is organizational psychology a good field?
What is the highest-paying IO psychology job?
What are the three major fields of organizational psychology?
Is a PhD in General Psychology: IO Psychology degree worth it?
What is Industrial-organizational psychology?
To learn more about time to completion and the dissertation process at GCU, visit our doctoral page.
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.
(See disclaimer §) MOU-Alumni 2000 Doctoral-Dec2025: The Alumni Scholarship for Doctoral Programs is only valid for those applicants who submit a complete application and begin a Doctoral program in December 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.
