About Us
History
Started almost 30 years ago, the I/O Psychology MA degree program has had a long and successful history at UNC Charlotte. The program has traditionally attracted a large pool (over 100 each year) of top applicants who, upon graduation, go on to find success in the field.
Each year, we get numerous calls from people working in HR functions in Charlotte-area companies who are interested in acquiring the knowledge and skills that a degree in I/O psychology provides. Unfortunately, most of these people were not able to enroll in our program given that it was offered as a traditional, full-time (i.e., daytime) on-campus program. It is simply not possible for most people to take two years away from work to obtain the MA degree.
To help meet the needs of this group of people living and working in our community, we now offer the program on nights and weekends. We feel that the program will provide a valuable service to these individuals and to their work organizations.
Please note that while we have transitioned the program to make it more accessible to working professionals, having relevant work experience is desirable, but not a prerequisite of the program.
Advisory Board
The board members, made up of leading I/O psychologists and human resource professionals working in the Charlotte Community many of whom are alumni of our program, provide help with recruiting and providing advice to students, serve as guest speakers and/or workshop facilitators, and as needed, provide reviews and evaluations of the programs’ curriculum to ensure that course content addresses current topics and issues facing I/O psychologists working in the business community. The Board may also play a role in identifying business leaders in the community who can provide information, internships or other guidance to students.
Members of the Board Include:
- Richard Louie: Director, Leadership Development, Ally
- Lauren Bellich: Vice President, Talent & Leadership Practices, Lincoln Financial
- Zoa Ordonez: Organizational Development and Effectiveness Lead Consultant, Wells Fargo
- Heather Gordon: Founder and CEO, HighGround Insights
- Iniya Muthukumaren: People Analytics Manager, RVO Health
- Josh Haynes: Workforce Data Analyst, Press Ganey
Careers in I/O Psychology
The I/O Psychology M.A. degree offers many possible career paths. Some of our alumni continued on to earn their Ph.D., and many went straight into great jobs in the applied world.
To give prospective and current students, alumni, and other community members a sense of the possible jobs they can do with our degree we recorded a brief video about some potential jobs and work settings in I/O psychology.
The list in the video is not exhaustive but it is intended to give you a sense of where you might work, and in what roles, across various experience levels. We are extremely proud of the successes of our alumni! They are having wonderful careers in a wide variety of jobs related to I/O psychology including positions in leader development and coaching, organizational change and development, talent analytics, talent management, talent acquisition, learning and development, and more.
For more information about career paths in I/O psychology, see also the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology’s website.