Degree Overview: Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Organizational Psychology and Development
Majors Overview April 5, 2015Get information about bachelor’s degree programs in organizational psychology and development and their coursework, career choices, job and wage outlook, and continuing education choices.
Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Organizational Psychology & Development
Schools may offer a bachelor’s degree program in business with an emphasis on organizational psychology as a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.). Schools commonly combine these programs with industrial psychology.
Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a GED certificate or a high school diploma.
Coursework
Apart from traditional courses in marketing, finance, and economics, program coursework typically covers issues in emotions, behavior, and human development as applicable to a business setting. In its approach to business concerns, such as human resource management, evaluation, and training, the curriculum emphasizes the ways of interaction among employees, in addition to personality and group behavior. Core coursework may include topic areas such as the following:
•Strategic management
•Business policy
•Business law
•Finance
•Financial and managerial accounting
•Employee and workplace psychology
•Social psychology
•Human resources management
Career Choices
Once they’ve completed a business degree with a focus on organizational psychology and development, graduates can seek jobs in a wide array of business and corporate settings, such as non-profit organizations, government agencies, and private companies, in addition to recruitment agencies or consulting firms. They may aspire for job titles such as:
•Training and development coordinator
•Occupational analyst
•Human resources manager
•Recruitment specialist
Job and Wage Outlook
Over the 2012 – 2022 decade, job growth rates of 13% have been predicted for human resources (HR) managers (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Over the same decade, specialists are expected to witness growths of 7% (BLS). In May 2012, HR managers brought home an average annual wage of $99,720, while HR specialists earned $55,640 on average during the same year.
Continuing Education Choices
Professionals in this field may be required to hold a master’s degree. Schools may more commonly offer related programs at the master’s degree level. Students seeking continuing education in the field may pursue Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), or Master of Arts (M.A.) programs that include organizational behavior, human resource management, or organizational or industrial psychology as a field of study. Coursework in these advanced degree programs may cover subject areas such as human resource strategies, performance evaluation, psychological research methods, and corporate leadership.
