Applying to a Graduate Program
If you are considering pursuing a career in industrial and
organizational (I-O) psychology, you should begin thinking about graduate study
as early as possible in your undergraduate career. Graduate programs offer a
variety of advanced degrees in I-O including Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of
Science (M.S.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), or Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.).
Academic requirements vary across the different degree programs, the time taken
to complete programs differs, and each prepares you for a potentially different
type of career in the field. Although you should consult the requirements and
unique features of each program in which you are interested, there are some
general characteristics that differentiate the degrees. The Ph.D. degree
requires the completion of a dissertation and many programs that offer doctoral
education also require that students complete a Masters Thesis prior to
pursuing the dissertation. As a result, students completing Ph.D. programs often
earn either the M.A. or M.S. as part of the requirements for completing the
Ph.D. Doctoral programs are often distinguished by the requirement that students
are actively involved in research projects throughout their tenure in the
program. In contrast, some programs offer only an M.A or M.S. Programs of this
type may or may not require students to complete a thesis or research in
addition to coursework. Programs that offer the Psy.D. generally have a much
more applied focus and less emphasis is placed on active student involvement in
research. Additionally, some graduate programs require the completion of an
applied internship. You should always directly consult a program to learn about
specific degree requirements and time to complete the program. For specific
information about any I-O graduate program, you should consult the Graduate
Training page on the SIOP Web site.
You should start planning your application to graduate
school well in advance of the beginning of your senior year. Some of the common
elements of an application package are GRE scores, college transcripts, letters
of reference, and a personal statement. Application deadlines for programs often
occur in December, January, and February. If you are not organized, you may miss
critical deadlines. In particular, you should give careful consideration to
those individuals who you ask to supply letters of reference. If you delay in
making this decision, you may have difficulty in finding individuals who will be
able to provide the reference.
Another reason why early planning can be helpful is related
to your coursework and research experiences. Ideally, you should have completed
courses related to your area(s) of interest prior to applying so that this
information is included on your transcript. In particular, grades in statistics
and lab courses are often crucial for admission to graduate programs. Dont be
overly concerned about a lack of courses in I-O. Many undergraduate institutions
do not offer I-O courses. You cant take what is not offered. Many graduate
programs will not place too much weight on this. Instead, they are generally
more interested in why you are interested in pursuing an advanced degree in the
field. This can be addressed in your personal statement. Certainly, a high
overall grade point average (GPA) is desirable, as well as a high GPA in your
Psychology courses. In addition, induction and participation in honorary
societies such as Psi Chi and Phi Beta Kappa reflect strong academic
credentials.
For Ph.D. programs, scores on the Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) are a particularly important element of your application. A
cursory review of GRE scores of admitted students in in I-O graduate programs
suggests that verbal scores of 500 or greater and quantitative scores of 600 are
better are common. As with any test of this type, preparation plays an important
role. You should prepare for the test by taking practice exams and getting
familiar with the exam content, item type, and the instruction sets. A number of
companies offer such coaching and test preparation. These services however,
often can be quite expensive and may not be necessary for everyone. Importantly,
GRE scores are a notable part of your application, but they are not the only
criterion that programs use to make admission decisions.
Letters of recommendation are a critical component of your
application and you should choose your letter writers carefully. Most programs
require that you solicit letters from 3 or 4 individuals who are familiar with
your recent academic performance and future academic potential. Ideally, your
letter writers should be faculty members who have interacted with you on a
consistent, personal basis. You want your letter writers to be able to comment
on specific skills and abilities you possess. Often these are characteristics
such as: oral and written communication skills, quantitative ability, maturity,
creativity, ability to work well with others, motivation for graduate study, and
other research skills. In addition, letter writers are often asked to rank the
applicant relative to other students they have observed and about the
applicants ability to succeed in graduate programs. Obviously, the better
your letter writer knows you, the more specific and explicit his or her letter
can be. If your letter writer is someone with whom you took a large course and
only knows how you performed in the course, the letter written on your behalf
will not be able to provide detailed information about your abilities.
A great way of building relationships with prospective
letter writers is through work on independent research projects or honors
theses. If your school offers options for taking independent study credits with
faculty members who are conducting research, you should be certain to take
advantage of these opportunities. The sooner in your undergraduate career you
can take part in these opportunities, the more information your letter writer
will have when you submit your application. In addition to providing
opportunities for faculty members to get to know you, these experiences are also
beneficial because you may interact with current graduate students and, thus,
collect some valuable first-hand graduate information.
When you begin assembling your application materials, think
about what you look like on paper. You will have a better idea of the
programs for which you have the best fit if you make an unbiased, dispassionate
self-appraisal. Remember, what you submit with your application is all that the
program faculty will have about you. If there are particular elements of your
application that are below a programs stated criteria (e.g., low GPA, low GRE
scores), you should be certain to indicate why these data do not accurately
reflect your skills, abilities, or motivation. Your letter writers may also
comment on information they feel is not consistent with your academic
achievement or potential.
Your personal statement should also indicate why you are
interested in pursuing a particular degree and, even more importantly, why you
think the program to which you are applying will provide a good fit for your
abilities and interests. By tailoring your letter to a particular school, you
convey that you have taken the time to consider where you fit best. Particularly
in Ph.D. programs, faculty members are interested in students who are
complementary interests as well as overall academic potential.
Some other general advice:
Talk with faculty members at your undergraduate institution
about your career interests. Not only can these individuals offer direct
guidance related to your career plans, but also they can provide frank feedback
about your probable chance of admission at various programs and assist you in
targeting programs that provide you with the best opportunities.
Take time drafting your personal statement. This is really
your only opportunity to provide the programs to which you are applying direct
information about yourself. You should be certain to convey your interests in
the field and how they developed. Most individuals applying graduate school do
not have specific, concrete career objectives (e.g., an academic v. applied
career) or well-defined research interests. On the other hand, you want to avoid
statements that would indicate absolutely no direction or interests. Instead,
your statement may indicate general areas of interest (e.g., selection,
training, motivation, or leadership) and an idea about which of the programs
faculty members research is of most interest to you. Above all, make sure
that you solicit feedback about your personal statement from several individuals
so that is clear, logical, and free of typographical or grammatical errors.
There are several sources to consult if you are interested
in learning more about the various sub disciplines of I-O psychology. First, you
may wish to consult one of the many available introductory I-O texts. If your
university book store does not carry these titles, you should consult your
library. You can also find texts online at a number of different large,
bookstore Web sites by searching for the title industrial psychology.
Another excellent source of information about the topics commonly studied by I-O
psychologists is academic journals. In particular, the Journal of Applied Psychology and Personnel Psychology are outlets that publish I-O research.
For doctoral programs, direct research experience with a
faculty member is a valuable commodity. The actual content and substantive area
of the research is of less concern.
Contact current students in the programs to which you plan
to apply. Students can provide detailed information about graduate programs that
does not necessarily appear on paper.
Applying to graduate programs can be somewhat costly. Most
programs have admission fees and if you apply to several programs, those fees
can quickly accrue. Some programs offer to waive the fee for some individuals
with economic hardships. If this applies to you, be certain to check with each
program about how to request this accommodation.
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