Hector Villarreal

11/06/18
Psych – 4359-03

Graduate Program Informational Interview

I am currently living in Dallas Tx, and one of the main reasons why I decided to move to Dallas
is to pursue the master’s program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. There are two universities
in the Dallas Fort Worth area that offer this program in a traditional campus setting; meaning not online.

The University of Texas Arlington and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology both offer this
program with some similarities regarding the core curses outline. After conducting some research and
gathering information from the face-to-face interviews with, faculty members, students, and admission
counselors from both programs I learned that neither of these programs were the right fit for me.

One of the tools that I use to help me evaluate what requirements to look for when selecting an I/O
program is the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), standard criteria tool
provided on their website. The SIOP website has several other tools to help search for accredited
programs in the U.S. From the point I learned there were only four Universities in Texas; that offered a
master’s program accredited by SIOP, I started to expand my search and look at other programs outside of
Texas.

I read a helpful article published in the SIOP website under the I-O Program Rankings section called
“Ranking I-O Master’s Program Using Objective Data from I-O Coordinators”. In this article, I found
out about a program offered at Salem State University (SSU), located in Salem Massachusetts that caught
my attention for several reasons. I then spent some time gathering general information from their website
before I decided to conduct the graduate program informational interview with the program coordinator at
SSU. I messaged the program coordinator through LinkedIn to schedule a phone interview, and the
following is what I learned…

MSIO Faculty: The program’s faculty consists of five professors who hold doctorates in I-O psychology.
Dia Chatterjee is a tenure track assistant professor who teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses.
She is also establishing the i3 Lab; where she intends to collaborate with students on research. Sophia
Evett, who specializes in the psychology of prejudice, stereotyping and intergroup relations. Sophia
serves as; Co-Chair of the campus climate study working group, member of the Salem State University
institutional Review Board, and chair of the Salem State psychology department. Ashita Goswami, who
has presented research at over 21 conference presentations such as SIOP, OPMA, and many others.
Jeffrey Nicholas, who has been a professor at Salem State teaching I-O for over 25 years, and Hinda
Sterling, who has her own organizational consulting firm.
Hector Villarreal
11/06/18
Psych – 4359-03

Program options available: Students can attend both full and part time. Full time generally
means three courses per fall and spring semester.
Course formats and semesters offered: Courses are offered in the evenings, one session per
course per week (4:30 and 7:00 PM) during the fall and spring semesters. There are two six-
week summer sessions when courses are offered for two nights per week per course (6:30-9:30
PM). There are also several one-week winter and summer “institute” courses where one course
can be completed in one week (5 days, 8:30 to 4:30 PM each day). In addition, a small number of
courses are offered online. No summer, institute or online courses are required for graduation.
Length of program: Students must complete 14 courses (42 credits) to obtain the MS in I/O
Psychology degree. Students attending full time can complete the program in two years (three
courses per semester for four semesters plus two summer and/or institute courses).
Internship: There is a required 300-hour internship in the program. Internships can be paid or
unpaid. The faculty works to help students obtain internships related to their specific interests in
the I/O field. Under special circumstances internships may be completed at a current place of
employment if the internship tasks are related to the I/O field and are substantially different than
the student’s regular work requirements.
Research: There are many opportunities for students to be involved in their own independent
and/or faculty research projects. Completing a research-based thesis is optional. Thesis
completion counts toward the degree credit requirements.
Hector Villarreal
11/06/18
Psych – 4359-03
Hector Villarreal
11/06/18
Psych – 4359-03