Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Industrial/Organizational

The Department of Psychology offers a doctoral degree in psychology with specialization in industrial/organizational psychology.

A degree will be awarded to a student who, besides fulfilling the general requirements, has met the following specific requirements:

Fulfill admission requirements of the Graduate School and department requirements as follows:

• completion of master’s degree including 30 graduate credits;
• attainment of a graduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.25;
• completion of Graduate Record Examination General Test;
• securing of three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with applicant’s academic work;
• submission of a brief personal statement of professional goals and reasons for choosing the field of I/O and The University of Akron;
• submission of a vita outlining educational and professional experiences.

Application materials must be received by December 15.

Major field:

• a minimum of 90 graduate credits including a 30-credit master’s program.
• completion of Ph.D. core courses in the student’s specialty area: industrial/organizational. Core courses are specified in the Department of Psychology Graduate Student Manual. The student is required to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA in core courses and overall courses;
• completion of additional required and elective courses to be planned in conjunction with the student’s faculty advisor and subject to approval by the industrial/ organizational committee.

Written comprehensive examinations:

• satisfactory performance on doctoral written and oral comprehensive examinations in the student’s major area of industrial/organizational psychology (refer to the department’s graduate student manual).

Dissertation research:

• completion of PSYC 899 Doctoral Dissertation; (minimum 12 credits);
• satisfactory performance on final examination and defense of dissertation research.

Other requirements:

• refer to the department’s graduate student manual for other requirements or guidelines;
• complete and fulfill general doctoral degree requirements of the Graduate School.

Doctoral language requirements or appropriate alternative research skills and techniques may be prescribed by the student’s advisory committee, depending upon the career plans of the student and upon the academic and/or scientific requirements of the dissertation.