CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., Dec. 5, 2014 – Students at Southeast Missouri State University will have the opportunity to enroll in a new industrial organizational psychology graduate program beginning in fall 2016.
“We saw the need for master’s level training in psychology in this immediate region,” said Dr. Leslee Pollina, chair of the Department of Psychology and professor of psychology at Southeast.
Industrial organizational psychologists study human behavior in the workplace with the focus of making the workplace a psychologically healthy place to work.
Students with a graduate degree in industrial organizational psychology could work for an organization or firm, or they could do consulting. Industrial organizational psychologists primarily look at employee satisfaction and policies or procedures that improve employee productivity.
The new program is the only one of its kind in the immediate region, and it is unique to the area. Industrial organizational psychology is the fastest-growing area of psychology with job opportunities expanding by as much as 26 percent between 2010 and 2018, and is an area that provides high-paying jobs for graduates. In addition to attracting psychology students, this program also is designed to appeal to students who received degrees in business or communication.
“Our primary goal was to have something that would be useful for people in the region as we work on developing economically,” said Pollina. “They could have a really important impact on the region.”
According to Pollina, faculty members for the program are currently being recruited. The faculty hired will assist with marketing the program to students as well as recruiting them to enroll in the program.
“Demand for graduate programs has been steadily growing at Southeast, and we are always evaluating the potential for new academic programs that serve our students and the employers seeking to hire our graduates,” said Dr. Charles McAllister, vice provost and dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Southeast.
According to Pollina, the new graduate program in industrial organizational psychology is beneficial because it gives students an additional opportunity to develop a career that is productive for them. It will also ultimately contribute to the growth and development of business in the area.
“This is something that is really meaningful to us, and we are really excited about having this opportunity to grow and do something worthwhile for the region,” said Pollina.