Psy.D. Business Psychology, I/O Track

CHICAGO • LOS ANGELES • WASHINGTON D.C.

Doctor of Psychology, Business Psychology, I/O Track

Program Overview

The Business Psychology program trains doctoral-level leaders and applied psychologists for corporate, consulting, and other work settings. The curriculum is a unique blend of clinical and organizational psychology integrated with business courses that prepares Chicago School students to use a multi-disciplinary approach to solve individual, group and organizational problems in business environments. The program combines strategic thinking and psychological practice, as well as leadership and business acumen to help them be more effective in their roles as leaders/consultants.

Admission Requirements

Application to The Chicago School’s Business Psychology doctoral program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor or master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in Psychology, the Behavioral Sciences, or Management, and who meets other entrance requirements. For students entering the I/O Track Post-Master’s with a degree in Psychology, the Behavioral Sciences, or Management (MBA), The Chicago School requires 21 hours of the following foundational IO Psychology graduate courses: principles of industrial psychology, selection, two internship courses, performance appraisal, training, and surveys. Students who do not have these prerequisites can complete these courses at The Chicago School.

The school admits students whom it judges to possess sufficient academic aptitude, as well as the emotional and social maturity to function effectively as a professional psychologist. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate work. Factors considered in admission are: GPA from undergraduate and any graduate schools; Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores (Post-Baccalaureate only)  (Please note that you must have your official scores sent to The Chicago School—School Code 1119.) or GMAT scores; successful work history; admission essay(s); and letters of recommendation from academic professors or professional or volunteer experience supervisors. Depending on point of entry, an undergraduate or graduate GPA of a 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission to the school’s Business Psychology doctoral program. Students must submit official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned. It is recommended that transcripts are submitted from all schools where credit was received to enhance their applications.

The Business Psychology program requires 12 semester hours of psychology credit, including two specific courses (statistics or quantitative methods and research methods or experimental psychology) that must be completed prior to enrollment, with a grade earned of “C” or better. Based on the evaluation of these materials, selected candidates may be invited to interview for further consideration of their application. Please see the application for detailed instructions and information regarding application requirements, application deadlines, and letters of recommendation. Applications must be submitted with the $50.00 (USD) application fee in order to be evaluated.

TOEFL, International Credentials, and International Students

TOEFL: If English is not the primary language, the student must submit official TOEFL scores with the application (TOEFL School Code: 7161). International students who received a master’s degree from an accredited United States institution are exempt from this requirement.

International credentials: Applicants with international credentials must obtain and submit an official “course-by-course” evaluation through an evaluation agency such as World Education Services (www.wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators Inc (www.ece.org). In addition to the agency evaluation, ll official graduate and undergraduate transcripts must be submitted.

International students: International students must have a completed application by the general consideration deadline. This will allow sufficient time to obtain the additional documentation required to study in the United States. In addition, once accepted, international students must supply documentation of financial support showing the ability to finance his or her education at The Chicago School. An I-20 visa will not be issued without this documentation.

Applicant Notification

After the initial review of all application materials, and if the Admission Committee so recommends, the candidate will be invited for an interview day with members of the faculty. Interviews are by invitation only and mandatory for full consideration. Post interview, the candidate will be notified of the Admission Committee’s decision regarding his or her application. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission and in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures : Transfer of Credit, Waiver of Courses, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Grading Scale, Grade Change Requests, Degree Completion, Degree Conferral, Minimum and Maximum Timeframe requirements, and Credit Hours per semester for Financial Aid.  Information on the Academic Success Program is located under Student Life 

Earning a Master of Arts in Industrial and Organizational Psychology

A M.A. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology can be awarded following the successful completion of all degree requirements.  At the beginning of the semester in which a student expects to be eligible for the master’s degree, he or she is required to submit online a Petition for Program Completion to the Office of Academic Records.  This petition is a request to conduct an audit to determine eligibility for the degree.  Students who meet the requirements are eligible to participate in the next scheduled commencement.  All students who file a Petition for Program Completion will be charged.

Academic Development Plans

An Academic Development Plan (ADP) is initiated and created by the Department in which the student is enrolled when a student demonstrates deficiencies in competencies that interfere with academic performance, training competence, and/or professional behavior. Academic Development Plans (ADPs) do not constitute disciplinary action, but failure to complete the plan may lead to disciplinary action.

Student Learning Assessment

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TSCPP) is committed to offering the highest quality graduate and undergraduate completion programs in applied professional disciplines. In order to meet the TCSPP standard for academic quality, all programs will develop overall program competencies, learning objectives, assessment instruments, course descriptions, and course learning objectives. Each of these curriculum components must align in order for students to understand how their program will prepare them for the profession and how they will learn what TCSPP intends. 

All academic programs at TCSPP are required to develop, conduct, and report annual assessments of student learning and program effectiveness in compliance with the processes and procedures established by TCSPP.  These assessments provide reliable and valid information to monitor, maintain, and advance the quality of academic programs.  

The Program

Philosophy

The Business Psychology program has adopted a distinctive blend of general psychology and business competencies, aimed at supporting the professional in a competitive market that demands both relational and performance success. It provides students with a broad knowledge of clinical and organizational psychology together a foundation in business principles to allow students to address the wide variety of work settings which leaders and consultants encounter.

The I/O Track of the Business Psychology Psy.D. program requires a foundation in the IO psychology discipline. Students develop an understanding of the way a business functions and grows, learn group and organizational processes and dynamics and gain the essential assessment, intervention, and consultative skills to help leaders and organizations solve problems, enhance performance, and manage the complexities of today’s work environment.

The Business Psychology program prepares students to build their careers and assume professional responsibilities as professional psychologists in the executive ranks, management consulting, strategic HR, and organizational effectiveness positions.

Program Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate comprehension of data and information presented in research articles and ability to pull out relevant information for applied practice.

2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of effective and ethical application of test development, descriptive statistics, data management, basic statistical procedures and program evaluation principles.

3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the role of individual differences in the workplace and the ability to establish and benefit from collaborative professional relationships with others, regardless of differences in background, work roles, and points of view.

4. Students will demonstrate critical evaluation of individual work-related assessment strategies and the ability to design and implement competency-based managerial/leadership assessments

5. Students will be able to collect, interpret and integrate business factors and dynamics that lead to the effective design and delivery of appropriate organizational feedback and interventions.

6. Students will demonstrate sufficient business literacy to effectively assess an organization’s environment (including market conditions, competitive position and options, corporate strategies, stakeholders, organization design and operations) and to appropriately advise the organization on major business initiatives including but not limited to mergers and acquisitions, project management, market repositioning, etc.

7. Students will demonstrate use of open systems thinking and critical analysis to drive problem-solving, planning and facilitation within an organization, with consideration for both business and behavioral perspectives.

8. Students will be able to critically review the work of others, including probing for more information, searching for logic flaws, and the creation of alternative solutions to problems.

9. Students will demonstrate personal integrity and ethical behavior in their professional practice.

10. Students will demonstrate the ability to form effective professional relationships based on attitudes and communication skills that foster respect, trust, open dialogue, and collaboration, regardless of differences in background, education, points of view or position in the organization.

11. Students will demonstrate oral and written communication that is grammatically correct, logical, succinct, consumer-oriented and of professional quality. Students will demonstrate non-defensive, learning-oriented, responses to constructive feedback.

Ethical and Professional Behavior

Business Psychology program students are expected to develop a working knowledge of the ethical and legal issues pertaining to work in the domain of organizational psychology, including, but not limited to, the current APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct for Psychologists; relevant federal, state, and local laws, statutes, regulations, and legal precedents (e.g., the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, 1978); as well as the professional norms, standards, and guidelines relevant to the profession (e.g., Specialty Guidelines for the Delivery of Services by Industrial-Organizational Psychologists, 1981; Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures, 1987; and Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests, 1985).

Learning Format

Students can take the majority of their courses on-campus. For those entering at post-master’s level, the doctorate in Business Psychology is composed of core psychology courses, core business courses, core research courses and elective courses.

For those entering post-baccalaureate, students’ first two years are rooted in the theories and practice of industrial/organizational psychology and required internships. Courses may be delivered in an on-ground, blended, or on-line format

The Business Psy.D.  I/O Track in Chicago is delivered in an on-ground format.  Courses in the on-ground program will be delivered on-ground, blended (which means a portion of the courses are online) or on-line.  The courses meet on the evenings during the week or the weekends.

Internship Requirements

Students entering the Business Psychology doctoral program post baccalaureate are required to fulfill the internship requirements.

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook.

Applied Research Project

Students with experience in the field could complete an Applied Research Project (ARP), in place of the Internship requirements. Students who are allowed to complete the ARP will be required to enroll in two courses over the course of their program. A faculty member will approve and supervise the project through these courses. The criteria for entry into these courses would be: three years of post-baccalaureate work, and the student must be working on a project related to the field of IO Psychology. The student must get approval of the Business Psychology Department Chair to enroll in these courses.

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook.

Thesis Option

Students may choose to complete a thesis instead of completing one of the internship requirements. The thesis option would be comprised of two courses, Thesis I and Thesis II The student must get approval of the Business Psychology Department Chair to enroll in this course. The student must also select a faculty member to serve as thesis advisor. This faculty member will supervise the thesis.

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook.

Comprehensive Examination (CE)

Study in the Business Psychology doctoral program culminates in a comprehensive examination and dissertation completion. Every student is required to pass a Competency Examination (CE). The aim of this assessment exercise is to evaluate the student’s knowledge of theory, research, and practice. This is also an opportunity to assess the student’s ability to demonstrate this knowledge and skill in simulations of work scenarios in order to judge his or her abilities as a future business psychologist. The Comprehensive Examination is taken at the end of the student’s second year in the doctoral program.

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook.

Dissertation

Completion of the dissertation is an essential aspect of Business Psychology students’ academic experience and professional education. It provides the school the opportunity to evaluate the student’s ability to apply Business Psychology theory and research and to think critically and creatively about an applied issue in business psychology.

The dissertation should clearly and concisely demonstrate the student’s command of the research in a specific area of business psychology. In the dissertation, the student will critically evaluate and synthesize relevant research and theory in the topic chosen for study. The student’s dissertation Committee is responsible for determining the appropriateness and acceptability of the dissertation proposal and for final approval of the dissertation.

More specific information is located in the Program Guidebook.