hybrid

Organizational Psychology (PsyD)

Hybrid Program

Build Thriving Work Environments.

The Doctor of Organizational Psychology (PsyD) program is designed to meet the growing demand for experts who can cultivate thriving work environments and positive company cultures in today’s rapidly changing workplace. Created as a practical, application-oriented alternative to traditional, research-heavy PhDs, this program equips you to solve real-world organizational problems. Drawing from psychology, human resources, management, and more, the PsyD program prepares you for impactful leadership roles with advanced knowledge and practical skills.

CGU is home to the largest Organizational Psychology programs in the world and is recognized as a leader in Positive Psychology. Our new PsyD leverages this strength to provide an innovative applied doctorate with concentrations in:

  • Industrial Organizational Psychology (I-O Psych)
  • Positive Organizational Psychology (POP)

Program Benefits

Our PsyD program fills a gap in doctoral education by offering hands-on expertise with comprehensive evaluation and statistical training. Through applied coursework, you will learn from executive leaders in the field and industry partnership opportunities such as: Microsoft, Kaiser Permanente, Disney, and many more. The PsyD program prepares you to gain a competitive edge in the job market and become a leader in organizational psychology.

Program Highlights

  • Career Advancement: Equip yourself for high-level roles enhancing organizational effectiveness and culture.
  • Experiential Learning: Gain hands-on experience with leading organizations like Microsoft and Disney.
  • Expert Faculty: Learn from our large group of top research faculty and industry executives with real-world insights.
  • Flexible Scheduling: Balance your studies with work and family through online and in-person classes.
  • Unique Concentrations: First and largest Positive Organizational Psychology program globally and the only Industrial Organizational Psych doctoral program in California.

Career Paths

Graduates of this program will be ready to excel in leadership roles that significantly enhance organizational effectiveness and employee well-being. Common job titles may include Director of Training and Development, People Analytics Specialist, Human Resource Business Partner, Chief People Officer, and Vice President of Global Talent.

Ideal Candidates

Our PsyD program is designed for:

  • Working professionals seeking advancement through a flexible and practical doctoral program.
  • Recent master’s graduates that want deeper specialization in organizational psychology.
  • Career shifters from related fields such as counseling, social work, or education seeking a doctoral degree without the heavy research focus of traditional PhD programs.
  • Recent psychology graduates who want to enhance their credentials and employment opportunities.

Program At-a-glance

  • 72 units

    required units

  • Doctor of Organizational Psychology

    degree awarded

  • Hybrid

  • Program Entry

    Fall

  • 3-4 years | full time*

    estimated completion time

    5-8 years | part time

    estimated completion time

Areas of Concentration

  • Industrial Organizational Psychology

    This concentration aligns directly to the competencies outlined by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and prepares you to tackle workplace challenges on both individual and organizational fronts. Curriculum and training includes workforce planning, diversity, equity, and inclusion, recruitment and selection, talent management, leader development, attitudes and motivation, and much more.

  • Positive Organizational Psychology

    Developed in one of the nation’s premier institutions for Positive Psychology, this concentration prepares you to improve organizational effectiveness and individual work life through empirically supported best practices in the field of Positive Organizational Psychology.

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Regina Burch

Assistant Director of Admissions

909-607-9421

Faculty

  • Portrait of Rebecca Reichard

    Becky Reichard

    Full Professor

    Research Interests

    Development of those not typically represented in leadership roles (e.g., women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+), Psychological mechanisms underlying the process of leader development (e.g., feedback, goal striving, self-views, implicit theories, leader development readiness), Development of leadership through experiences outside of the work context (e.g., global, sports, volunteering, crisis)

  • Assistant Professor Jessica Diaz

    Jessica Diaz

    Director, Human Resource Management
    Assistant Professor

    Research Interests

    Organizational behavior, employee experience, psychological safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion, leader development, statistics and methodology

  • Stephen Gilliland

    Stephen Gilliland

    University Professor

    Research Interests

    Organizational Justice, Employee Attitudes and Motivation, Leadership

  • Stewart Donaldson

    Stewart I. Donaldson

    Distinguished University Professor
    Executive Director, Claremont Evaluation Center
    Executive Director, The Evaluators' Institute (TEI)

    Research Interests

    Positive Organizational Psychology, Health/Well-Being & Positive Functioning Across Cultures, Program Design & Re-Design, Culturally Responsive Theory-Driven Measurement & Evaluation

  • Portrait of Michelle Bligh

    Michelle Bligh

    Interim Executive Vice President & Provost
    Professor of Organizational Behavior

    Research Interests

    Leadership, Organizational Culture, Charismatic Leadership

  • Portrait of Tiffany Berry

    Tiffany Berry

    Dean, School of Social Science, Policy & Evaluation
    Full Research Professor

    Research Interests

    Educational Program Evaluation, K–12 Educational Curricula, Comprehensive School Reform

  • Michelle Sloper

    Michelle Sloper

    Associate Professor of Evaluation Practice

    Research Interests

    Positive youth development, evaluation capacity building, evaluation use, continuous quality improvement, expanded learning programs

Affiliated Faculty

  • Paola Alvarez

    Paola Alvarez

    Research Interests

    Training and Development, Coaching

  • Dana Mayhew

    Dana Mayhew

    Research Interests

    Human Resources

  • Sheilesha Willis

    Sheilesha Willis

    Research Interests

    Cultivating Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Organizations

Curriculum

The PsyD curriculum integrates statistics, methodology, and evaluation with significant hands-on experience through applied projects with leading organizations. With concentrations available in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Positive Organizational Psychology plus 22 units of electives, you can customize your education to match your career goals. A mix of online and flex courses accommodates working professionals, allowing you to balance career, family, and study while enjoying our unique campus culture.

Degree Requirements

Coursework

  • Concentration Core Courses: 16 units
  • Stats and Methods: 16 units
  • Evaluation: 6 units
  • Concentration Related Electives: 22 units
  • Practicum and Capstone: 8 units
  • Transdisciplinary Course: 4 units

Practicum

You will complete two practicum courses and aligned projects.

  • Year one: Complete an applied project while taking directed practice, a course designed to support project completion and build applied skills.
  • Year three: Complete advanced practice, which helps scaffold your capstone project. (see below)

Field Training

Take TDNY 440 (Professional Practice for Inclusive Excellence) to complete your field placement. You are encouraged to use your field placement organization for either your first year project and/or your capstone project.

Capstone

Address a real organizational psychology issue faced by a real client. Upon completion of the project, you will present your work to a panel of practitioners and academic scholars in a capstone defense.

Portfolio

Complete an applied and practitioner-driven portfolio that will equip you with applied and translational skills essential to compete in the workforce. The portfolio will include the following:

  • Practice-Based Thesis completed collaboratively during Practicum course to serve as sumary report of your applied project.
  • Technical Report: evidence-based practice review on I-O Psychology
  • TNDY 440 Professional Practice for Inclusive Excellence + field experience
  • (3) items aligned to your career goals. Examples include: present at a practitioner conference, submit a paper in a practitioner outlet, design and deliver a training, executive coaching certification.

Competencies & Learning Outcomes

  • Apply Ethical, Legal, and Diversity Standards (SIOP 1, 3): Graduates will adhere to ethical and legal guidelines in the practice of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, demonstrating a commitment to professional integrity and responsible conduct.
  • Employ Effective Measurement, Research Methods, & Statistical Procedures (SIOP 5, 6, 9): Graduates will understand and use a range of quantitative and qualitative methods and statistics to understand and measure complex workplace dynamics. Graduates will be proficient in measurement and assessment procedures for a variety of selection and organizational development initiatives.
  • Apply Psychological/Organizational Behavior Principles to Organizations (SIOP 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 17, 20): Graduates will demonstrate the ability to apply organizational theories and principles to address complex workplace challenges, including talent management, organizational development, and performance enhancement.
  • Facilitate Training and Organizational Development (SIOP 19, 23, 24): Graduates will be able to train employees and implement and evaluate organizational development initiatives designed to improve organizational effectiveness.
  • Facilitate Effective Selection & Job Evaluation Procedures (SIOP 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22): Graduates will have a deep understanding of talent acquisition, development, and retention strategies, enabling them to optimize workforce planning and talent management initiatives.
  • Employ Professional and Consulting Skills (SIOP 4, 16): Graduates will communicate effectively, perform a range of consulting and project management skills, and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams. Graduates may work as consultants to organizations seeking expertise in areas such as performance management, employee well-being, and leadership development.

Application Guidelines

Requirements Summary

Item Description
Application Fee $80
Official Transcripts Yes
Letter of Recommendation 2
Statement of Purpose Yes
Resume Yes
Interview Yes
Other Requirements Written English exam

Key Dates and Deadlines

CGU operates on a priority deadline cycle and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit complete applications by the priority dates in order to assure maximum consideration for both admission and fellowships.

Spring 2024
Priority Deadline – November 1, 2023
Final Deadline (International) – November 15, 2023
Final Deadline (Domestic) – December 1, 2023
Classes begin – January 16, 2024

Fall 2024
Priority Deadline – February 1, 2024
Final Deadline (International) – July 5, 2024
Final Deadline (Domestic) – August 1, 2024
Classes begin – August 26, 2024

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Cost & Aid

Tuition and Fees

ESTIMATED TUITION (CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, NON-RESIDENTS, INTERNATIONAL)
Program 72 units
Tuition per unit* $2,020

*Based on 2023-2024 tuition rates.

 

STUDENT FEES (PER SEMESTER)
$245 Student Fee
$150 Technology Fee
International Student Services Fee*: $661 fall semester, $776 spring semester
**Applies to all international students (F-1 visa only) who are registered in coursework, doctoral study, or continuous registration. The fee is assessed each fall and spring semester for annual ISO accident and sickness plans and administrative fees. Subject to change.

For estimates of room & board, books, etc., please download CGU’s Cost of Attendance 2022-2023 .

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