Department of Psychology | Baruch College

The goal of the subprogram is to educate students in the general discipline of psychology, with an emphasis on training competent academics and practitioners in the area of human behavior at work and in organizations. The program places a heavy emphasis on developing basic and applied research and analytical skills. Students are expected to be actively involved in research during their graduate training. Current research spans the traditional domains of I/O psychology (Current Student Research Activities; Current Faculty Research Activities). Student and faculty research interests can be found on their individual web pages.

The coursework and research experiences provide thorough training in the basic areas of psychology, research design, and statistics and in all facets of the field of industrial and organizational psychology. The core curriculum is designed so that students who wish to do so will be able to meet state requirements for professional licensure application. The Ph.D. training will prepare students for a variety of academic, consulting, and practitioner career paths.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be sent to The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Applications can be submitted electronically:

http://www.gc.cuny.edu/admin_offices/admissions/index.htm

or by mailing the application materials to:

The Graduate Center of the City University of New York
Office of Admissions
365 Fifth Ave
New York, NY 10016

The deadline for receipt of all application materials by the Admissions office of the Graduate Center is January 1 for the following Fall’s class. Applications that are incomplete as of the deadline will not be considered. There are no Spring admissions.

Additional information about the Graduate Center of the City University of New York can be found at:

http://www.gc.cuny.edu/prospective_students/index.htm

Admissions Requirements

Students may apply with a baccalaureate degree only, or may apply after having taken graduate courses elsewhere.

The admission requirement are:

Applicants need to have completed at least 15 credits in psychology including:
- a course in experimental psychology or research methods
- a course in I/O psychology or an equivalent (e.g., organizational behavior)
- a course in statistics
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for both the General Test and the Subject Test in Psychology.
- The college code of the Graduate Center for reporting GRE scores is 2113.
- Do not submit GRE scores or other application material to the Psychology Department or to Baruch College.
Transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate intuitions attended.
Three letters of recommendation.
A three page maximum statement of the candidate.

A telephone interview may be required prior to admission. This interview allows the admission committee to make a more comprehensive assessment.

Degree Requirements

Course Work: There is a 72-credit course curriculum. Students take 24 credits the first year, 18 credits in years two and three, and 12 credits in the fourth year. Previously earned credits in an I/O psychology Ph.D. program may be transferred in some situations. Credits from a terminal master's degree are not transferred and will not apply to the Ph.D. requirements.

Ph.D. Course Requirements

Master's Thesis: All students are required to complete a master's thesis. A committee chair and two additional committee members are selected who advise the student throughout the process of developing a proposal, obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, implementing the research, and completing the thesis.

Written Comprehensive Examination: After the completion of the master's thesis and all courses, students take a two-day written comprehensive examination covering all facets of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, research methods, psychometrics, and ethical/professional issues.

Dissertation: All students are required to complete a doctoral dissertation. A committee chair and two additional committee members are selected who advise the student throughout the process of developing a proposal, obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, implementing the research, and completing the dissertation. Once the written dissertation is conditionally accepted by the initial committee and by two “outside readers,” a successful oral defense completes the course of graduate study.

Student Funding

Since the inception of the program all students have received some form of financial aid. Students admitted to the subprogram ordinarily receive financial assistance for three or four years, in the form of a Baruch College Graduate Research Assistantship or a University Fellowship, which entails working 20 hours/week as a Research Assistant with an advisor. Supervised research experience is a requisite aspect of the student's training. A limited number of five-year Graduate Teaching Fellowships are also available. Students are also encouraged to teach as Adjunct Faculty during summers and beginning in the fourth year.

Advanced students are encouraged to teach undergraduate courses in the psychology department at Baruch, at other CUNY campuses, or at other colleges and universities in the New York area. All students will have taken a teaching practicum in the first year. When finished with course work, after their fourth year, students typically apply for a variety of part-time internships and other personnel research positions in both the private corporate sector and the public sector of New York City employers.

Respecialization Program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Ph.D.-level psychologists trained in other specialty areas who demonstrate an interest in the practice of I-O psychology. In order for such practice to be performed competently and ethically these psychologists must comply with the American Psychological Association’s Specialty Guidelines for the Delivery of Services by I/O Psychologists, which provides an outline of the requisite “knowledge base.” The Baruch/CUNY I-O program provides this opportunity for qualified psychologists by having them enroll as nonmatriculated students.

Admission requirements include a Ph.D. degree in psychology from a regionally accredited university, including one course each in psychometric theory and research design, and two terms of statistics. A minimum of 36 credits course work is required, and candidates are required to enroll for a minimum of six credits per semester. For further details, please contact Charles. Scherbaum@baruch.cuny.edu.