University of Dubuque to offer master’s degree in organizational psychology

A new master’s program at the University of Dubuque aims to equip students with the training and education to lead in their future workplace and make it better through study and action, university officials say.

The private university announced in a news release it has received Higher Learning Commission approval for its new master of arts in industrial and organizational psychology — a program created “in direct response to labor market demand in organizational effectiveness, consulting in human resources, and workplace leadership,” the release stated.

“We are grateful for the time and energy of UD’s Graduate Curriculum Committee this past academic year and for their oversight in the submission of the institution’s proposal to HLC,” said University of Dubuque associate professor of psychology Amy Baus in the release. “Receiving approval for this distinct graduate program within our tri-state community better meets a supply gap. Currently, there is no other local graduate program in the discipline of industrial and organizational psychology in Dubuque.”

According to the release, students who graduate from the program can become “industrial and organizational practitioners,” who work to improve quality of business and work life. Baus said in the release this could mean studying employee turnover and job satisfaction indicators, addressing barriers to organizational development and the needs of employees in terms of training and skills development, and assisting management in redesigning positions and programs to provide more opportunities to employees.

Requirements to complete the program include 15 credit hours in core courses and 18 in elective areas alongside practical training, the release stated, and classes are available in online, hybrid and in-person formats. If students take two courses in each seven-week session, the program can be completed in 15 months. The first session will begin this fall.

“The master of arts in industrial and organizational psychology complements our current graduate business offerings by being one of the few programs in the region that examines how the intersection of psychology and business can help our students understand what drives people and organizations,” said Ricardo Cunningham, dean for graduate and adult studies at the University of Dubuque, in the release.