What You'll Do in an Industrial-Organizational Psychology Career As an industrial-organizational psychologist you'll bring cutting-edge assessment techniques and personalized success strategies to work environments. Whether you act as a professor, researcher or consultant, you'll get the satisfaction of knowing you're improving people's work lives while increasing your organization's (or your client's) productivity and effectiveness.  Your master's degree from an industrial-organizational psychology online course will prepare you to be a catalyst for growth within organizations. As a consultant, you'll work with companies to improve their workers' productivity, teamwork and attitudes. You may work through a consulting company or on your own. But if you're after more consistent employment, you can use your industrial psychology degree to get hired in-house by a larger company or research firm, working in human resources, employee relations, and organizational/management development, to name a few.  Earning your industrial psychology degree online, is just the beginning of a diverse and multifaceted career. The kind of work you do depends on the needs of your clients and/or your company, but some of the tasks will include the following activities: - Organizational development
- Executive coaching
- Job analysis and recruitment
- Diversity and work-climate training
- Work-life balance initiatives
- Employee incentive plans
- Performance reviews
- Compensation changes
- Conflict resolution
- Psychometrics
- Questionnaires and research
Why Industrial-Organizational Psychology is Hot Businesses are working hard to reestablish their edge in the marketplace after the recent recession, and even government and non-profit organizations have been forced to adjust the way they operate to the new economic realities. If you want to be in the right position to catch the upswing of the rebounding economy, getting your master's degree from an industrial-organizational psychology course online may be the answer. When companies struggle and employees lose fervor, industrial-organizational psychologists can help to assess the situation and recommend critical changes that impact employee satisfaction and company success. How Long Industrial-Organizational Psychology Has Been Recognized Careers in industrial psychology have existed ever since enterprising psychologists started applying their practice to the workplace. Since the American Psychological Association (APA) recognized them as "Division 14, Industrial and Business Psychology" in 1945, the profession has gone by a handful of names. But as of January 2010, the Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP) voted to keep the current name indefinitely. Why Taking an Industrial-Organizational Psychology Online Course is Smart Online degrees are everywhere right now. Industrial-organizational psychology online courses teach you the background of psychology and sociology, as well as practical human resource skills, government compliance and business. Your master's degree in industrial organizational psychology will take one to two years to complete; some programs will emphasize hands-on experience through internships and assessments, while others may be more research based to prepare you for a doctoral program. If you plan on entering the workforce as a consultant, the online industrial-organizational psychology graduate program you choose should provide you with access to local companies so you can get experience working with real issues people face in the workplace. Right now, your best option is to work all the way up to a doctorate degree. It may take additional time to complete, but you'll secure higher caliber positions and significantly better pay. The SIOP found that industrial-organizational psychologists with doctoral degrees have experienced pay growth yearly since 2003 and make an average of $33,000 more per year than their counterparts with master's degrees. Perks of an Industrial-Organizational Psychology Career Because of the measurable success you'll be able to bring to companies, you'll be well paid for your work in the field. In 2008 the US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the mean annual industrial-organizational salary was $86,460, with the highest earners working in the scientific research and development industry. A helpful survey conducted by SIOP in 2006 found that you can earn the highest industrial-organizational salary if you work in the pharmaceutical industry or live in the Boston, New York or San Francisco areas, with New York industrial-organizational psychologists earning median salaries of $137,000 to $179,500 in 2006.  Red Hot Online Psychology Degrees Home
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