I/O Psychology — Accelerated 5-Year Bachelor's to Master's Program
Description
Earn two degrees in five years:
- Bachelor of Arts with a major in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- Master of Arts with a major in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
±«Óãtv's Industrial/Organizational Psychology Accelerated 5-Year Program combines the breadth and foundational education of the bachelor’s degree in I/O Psychology with the specialized and applied program of the master’s degree in I/O Psychology to prepare students as individuals and as professionals. Students receive instruction in the fundamental components of a high quality undergraduate education from highly qualified and experienced full-time and adjunct instructors. The graduate program uses best practice in presenting content and providing actual or simulated field experiences and real world projects, to enhance student preparedness for transitioning to career employment.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology is one of the fastest growing areas of study in the past decade. It applies knowledge and theory from various disciplines of psychology, as well as sociology, management science and law. Our approach is to help students develop as individuals by offering an integrated educational experience grounded in the core curriculum that focuses on building skills and knowledge. Our goal is for students to learn to work individually and with others both in the discipline and across disciplines to critically analyze and solve the practical issues in a complex modern work environment. Students will develop key skills in this program including problem solving, the ability to make analytical judgments and the application of theory to practice in interdisciplinary contexts.
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Admission to the Program
Qualifications for the Industrial/Organizational Psychology Accelerated 5-Year Bachelor's to Master's Program:
- Enter the accelerated/5-year option as a full-time incoming freshman;
- Have a high school ACT composite score of 24, with a minimum of 22 in each section;
- Have a high school grade point average of 3.4 overall on a 4.0 point scale; and
- Place into appropriate-level freshmen math and writing courses at ±«Óãtv.
±«Óãtv students enrolled in another ±«Óãtv major can transfer into this program up to their first term as a junior if they maintained a minimum grade point average of 3.25 each term throughout their undergraduate program.
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Program Requirements
- Must maintain full-time status throughout undergraduate and graduate segments.
- The bachelor’s degree must be completed in four years and the master's degree must be completed in the fifth year.
- All undergraduate and graduate requirements must be met.
- May take up to four graduate classes in the senior year (maximum two a term).
- Must maintain at least a grade point average of 3.25 each term throughout the undergraduate program.
- May experience different financial aid packages for onsite and online graduate programs.
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How It Works—Save Time and Money
The student pays full-time undergraduate tuition during the first four years and regular graduate tuition for the fifth year. One economic benefit to the student is that the cost of the first 12 graduate credits (two courses in the fall and two courses in the winter) has been covered by the normal undergraduate tuition, meaning that no additional costs are incurred in the fourth-year-full-time tuition rate. Since the graduate program will be reduced by the four graduate courses taken while an undergraduate student, the graduate program can be done faster and more economically. Certain financial aid benefits are also applied to the entire five-year program usually resulting in more cost-savings.
The student MUST maintain full-time status during the first three years. Depending on the program and the student’s incoming record such as AP Credits, full-time status usually means 15 to 18 credit-hours per semester. This will result in the student having 102 to 108 credits entering the senior year. During the senior year, students must remain full-time, finishing their undergraduate degree while taking up to 12 credits of graduate work. A maximum of 12 graduate credits are allowed in the undergraduate portion of the program (six credits in fall and six in winter). For freshmen, this program MUST be completed in five years from start to finish. If the student does not finish within the five years, the program reverts to the costs associated with earning a master's degree outside of the five-year program and other financial aid benefits may be lost. Students who transfer into the program MUST maintain full-time status until the completion of the program.
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Degree Information
For specific information on each degree, please refer to the catalog entry:
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Sample 5-Year Program
(Note: Full-time status must be maintained in all semesters)
- First Year: 36 undergraduate credits
- Second Year: 36 undergraduate credits
- Third Year: 36 undergraduate credits
- Fourth Year:
- First Semester: 9-12 undergraduate credits, six graduate credits
- Second Semester: 9-12 undergraduate credits, six graduate credits
- Fifth Year
- First Semester: 9-12 graduate credits (depending on program)
- Second Semester: 9-12 graduate credits (depending on program)
Program Contact Information
Undergraduate Program
Associate Professor and Program Director: Linda Slowik, Ph.D.
Reno Hall, Room 244
McNichols Campus
Email: slowiklh@udmercy.edu
Telephone: 313-993-1623
Fax: 313-993-1166
Graduate Program
Professor of Psychology and Program Director: Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster, Ph.D.
Briggs Building, Room 221
McNichols Campus
Telephone: 313-993-1137
Fax: 313-993-1166