Departments & Programs
Department of Psychology
Graduate Programs
The department offers Indiana University Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree programs. At the M.S. level, a program is offered in industrial/organizational psychology. At the Ph.D. level, programs are offered in addiction neuroscience, applied social and organizational psychology and clinical psychology.M.S. Program
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
The Industrial/Organizational Psychology M.S. program is designed to prepare individuals for positions in industry or for entry into an industrial/organizational doctoral program. Students are familiarized with the scientist-practitioner model, which emphasizes both research and the application of problem-solving skills to organizational problems. Students in the Program are taught analytic methods for diagnosing work-related problems, developing solutions, and evaluating the effectiveness of those solutions. The curriculum focuses on both the traditional personnel psychology areas of selection, training, compensation, and performance evaluation as well as topics of organizational psychology, such as decision-making, motivation, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. The M.S. degree must be completed on a full-time basis and typically takes two years to finish. A minimum of 30 credit hours is required, including departmental core, area core, and elective courses.
Ph.D. Programs
Addiction Neuroscience
The Addiction Neuroscience Ph.D. program is designed to promote a comprehensive understanding of the neurobiological bases of behavior, with an emphasis on the behavioral and neurobiological aspects of drugs of abuse and addictive behaviors. General goals of the Program are to develop knowledge and expertise in the neurobiological mechanisms of behavior, develop skills in applying methods of behavioral neuroscience research to the problems of alcohol and drug abuse and addiction, and train competence in communication and teaching of knowledge and research skills. Students will obtain broad training in the combined disciplines of the neurosciences (e.g., behavioral and developmental neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and neurobiology) and the behavioral sciences (e.g., experimental psychology, cognitive psychology, learning, experimental design and analysis, and animal models of drug abuse and addiction). A minimum of 85 credit hours (post-baccalaureate) are required, plus approval of the plan of study by the student’s advisory committee. The Program intends to train students seeking careers in research and/or teaching in academic environments, medical institutions, pharmaceutical firms, and governmental agencies.
Applied Social and Organizational Psychology
The Applied Social and Organizational Psychology (ASOP) Ph.D. program subscribes to the scientist-practitioner model and is designed to train researchers and practitioners to address societal and organizational issues using theories and methods from social and industrial/organizational psychology. Graduates will be prepared for the unique challenges associated with today's increasingly global and diverse workplace through the infusion of diversity throughout our curriculum as well as an innovative concentration in diversity science. Diversity science utilizes social science methods to examine the creation and maintenance of group differences as well as the consequences (e.g., psychological, organizational, and societal) of those differences. The ASOP curriculum integrates aspects of social and industrial/organizational psychology, including attitudes and social cognitive processes, staffing and development, and organizational issues at the micro, meso, and macro levels, with a heavy emphasis on quantitative methods and supervised research. Students must also complete a 12-14 credit hour minor (e.g., in Mixed Methods in Data Analytics for Social/Behavioral Sciences or a customized minor as approved by faculty committee). Graduates will be prepared for faculty positions in social or industrial/organizational psychology or related subdisciplines of psychology or management. In addition, they will be prepared for management, consulting, diversity specialist, or research positions in profit, not-for-profit, or governmental agencies. The program is full time, requires a minimum of 91 credit hours, and is expected to take approximately five years to complete.
Clinical Psychology
The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program is designed to integrate the assessment and intervention strategies of evidence-based clinical psychology with health/rehabilitation psychology's emphasis on optimizing the adaption of people with chronic, disabling medical conditions. The program addresses the psychological and social consequences of physical and mental conditions. As scientists, we study behaviors, experiences, and attitudes of people with disabilities and illness; develop and assess theoretical models that attempt to understand how behavior, health, and illness interact; and develop and evaluate treatment approaches. As practitioners, we assess individuals and their environment, plan and implement psychosocial interventions, and monitor their progress over time. The program emphasizes the acquisition of the methods, theories, and knowledge of behavioral science along with the practitioner skills of clinical psychology. As a program, we offer specialization training in three areas within clinical psychology: clinical health psychology, diversity science, and dual diagnosis (i.e., severe mental illness/psychiatric rehabilitation and substance use). Within these areas, there is a strong emphasis on research, and the program adheres to a clinical science model of training. Graduates of the Program will be qualified to assume positions as academics, evaluators, researchers, trainers, planners, consultants, and direct clinical service providers. Full-time study and a minimum of 90 credit hours (post-baccalaureate) are required, and it is expected that it will take six to seven years to complete the program. The program includes a diverse training in psychology, including a psychology core, statistics and measurement, ethics and diversity, clinical psychology internships and practica, and an empirical thesis and doctoral dissertation.
Financial Support
Financial support for eligible graduate students at both the M.S. and Ph.D. levels is available through teaching and research assistantships and fellowships. Full assistantships require 20 hours of work per week and include salary, full tuition remission, and health insurance.
Admission Requirements
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Undergraduate training in psychology, mathematics, and the sciences is highly desirable though not required; we will consider applicants with bachelor's degrees in similar areas with coursework in social science statistics and research methods. To be competitive, applicants should have: (a) an undergraduate (and graduate if applicable) grade point average of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale, (b) three favorable letters of recommendation, ideally from faculty or others who can speak to the applicant's preparation for graduate level work in psychology, (c) a personal statement expressing an interest in industrial/organizational psychology, and (d) relevant research experience, preferably in psychology or a related social science.
Addiction Neuroscience
This Ph.D. Program is designed for individuals interested in academic or research careers studying addiction neuroscience. Successful applicants typically have: (a) an undergraduate and graduate grade point average of 3.20 or higher on a 4.00 scale, (b) three favorable letters of recommendation, and (c) a personal statement expressing an interest in addiction neuroscience. Students with undergraduate degrees in psychology or the life sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, or neuroscience) are encouraged to apply, although other degrees along with appropriate coursework will be given full consideration on application.
Applied Social and Organizational Psychology
A bachelor's degree in psychology is highly desirable, but we will consider applicants with bachelor's or graduate degrees in similar areas with coursework in social science statistics and research methods. To be competitive, applicants should have: (a) an undergraduate (and graduate, if applicable) grade point average of 3.20 or higher on a 4.00 scale, (b) three favorable letters of recommendation, ideally from faculty or others who can speak to the applicant's preparation for graduate level work in psychology, (c) a personal statement expressing an interest in applied social and organizational psychology, and (d) relevant research experience, preferably in psychology or a related social science.
Clinical Psychology
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is required. Admission to the Ph.D. Program is competitive and only under unusual circumstances will students be considered for admission if they do not meet the following minimum standards: (a) an undergraduate and graduate grade point average of 3.20 or higher on a 4.00 scale, (b) three favorable letters of recommendation, and (c) a personal statement expressing an interest in the field of clinical psychology. Prior research experience is strongly recommended. Except in unusual circumstances, students admitted to the program are expected to have completed at least 15 credit hours in psychology. Although there are no specific undergraduate course prerequisites for program entry, students without coursework in research methods, statistics, and abnormal psychology will likely be at a disadvantage when taking some of the required courses and may be asked by their instructors to complete some remedial activity prior to enrolling in the graduate course (e.g., reading an undergraduate text or taking an undergraduate course).
Admission Information
Students are admitted only for Fall enrollment, and the deadline for receipt of application materials is specific to each graduate program:
- Addiction Neuroscience (Ph.D.): December 1
- Applied Social and Organizational Psychology (Ph.D.): December 15
- Clinical (Ph.D.): December 1
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology (M.S.): February 1
Students interested in information about admission to graduate programs in psychology should visit the Psychology Department webpage here for information on admission requirements and application instructions. Questions may be emailed to the graduate program coordinator at gradpsy@iu.edu.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of 8 credit hours can be transferred into the M.S. program, and a maximum of 30 credit hours can be transferred into one of the Ph.D. programs. Transfer hours will be accepted only if they are appropriate and judged acceptable by the student’s plan-of-study committee.
Temporary Student Status
A student may enroll in some graduate courses without formal admission into a Psychology graduate program. However, the student must be admitted by the IU Graduate School Indianapolis into the Graduate Non-Degree Program. No more than 12 hours of credit may be applied to an advanced degree program if an individual is later admitted as a regular graduate student. However, if an application to a regular degree program is approved during the session in which a person is enrolled for the 12th credit hour as a non-degree registrant, all credits taken before and during that term will be eligible for inclusion in a plan of study for a degree program. For inclusion, the courses must be appropriate to the degree program and acceptable to the department and the graduate school. No course in which a grade of less than B (e.g., B-) has been received will be permitted in a plan of study if the course was taken while the student was enrolled as a non-degree registrant. Non-degree registrants may be required to secure consent from each of the departments in which they would like to register for courses.
Research Facilities
The Department of Psychology has extensive laboratory and computer facilities to support faculty and student research. More than 8,000 square feet of laboratory space in the School of Science complex is devoted to research in the areas of clinical psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and social psychology. Separate animal quarters and modern laboratories are also available to support research in neuroscience. Internship and practicum sites are available at the Indiana University School of Medicine/Indiana University Health and numerous other organizations in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
Research Interests of Faculty
Major research interests of faculty include social psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, diversity science, measurement theory and development, program planning and evaluation, clinical psychology, health psychology/behavioral medicine, psychiatric rehabilitation, psychopathology, behavioral and psychopharmacology, developmental neuroscience, behavioral genetics, neurochemistry, animal cognition, and substance use/addiction. A more detailed listing of faculty research interests is available from the Department of Psychology.
