Industrial-Organizational Psychology (MA, PhD)

Applying to the Industrial-Organizational Psychology Programs

To be considered for admission into the Industrial-Organizational Psychology (MA) program or the Industrial-Organizational Psychology (PhD) program, you must apply online. Find the help you need with the admissions process of the program of your choice through Graduate Admissions. 

Admissions checklist requirements:

• Industrial-Organizational Psychology (MA) program
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology (PhD) program

If you are an international student, also refer to International Graduate Students information about additional admission requirements. 

Master’s degree admission requirements

For admission to this master’s degree program, the following are required:

• Online application and $75 processing fee
• A bachelor’s degree
  
  • The degree must be from a regionally accredited institution, with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in all undergraduate work.
  • Completion of at least one business, math, or social science statistics course from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Completion of at least two courses in psychology, from a regionally accredited institution. Preferred, one course in business, political science, or sociology (completed at a regionally accredited institution) may be substituted for one of the two required psychology courses.
• Official transcripts
  
  • Official transcript(s) from any college or university that granted you a degree or degrees, and from any institution attended since that time.
• Graduate record exam (GRE)
  
  • Administered within five years of the deadline date for application to the program.
  • A combined score of 295 (or 950 on the older version of the test) on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE is preferred.
  • We consider graduate admissions holistically. The GRE is currently a strongly recommended component of the application. However, we understand that some individuals may have had barriers to taking the GRE this year due to COVID. If you have taken a GRE, please submit your score. If you have not yet taken a GRE, we will consider the other aspects of your application for a holistic review regarding your preparation for graduate school.
• Personal statement, typed
  
  • Demonstrating your writing and grammatical skills
  • Addressing your career objectives, personal qualifications, experience, and other insights as deemed appropriate by you
  • The rationale for seeking the degree and choosing to attend Seattle Pacific
• Letters of recommendation
  
  • Three letters with (1) one from a person who has experienced you in a professional setting (i.e., a current or former employer); (2) one academic reference from a former professor or instructor; and (3) a personal recommendation (not a family member).

Admission process

The Admissions Committee of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program will conduct a preliminary screening process.

• Finalists will be invited to come to campus for personal interviews.
• Admission to the master’s program depends upon recommendation by the I-O faculty and approval from the I-O chair.

The entire process is usually completed within twelve weeks after the final deadline date for applications.

Transfer of credit

If you have taken graduate coursework at a regionally accredited institution, you may be allowed to transfer up to 12 quarter credits.

You must provide applicable transcripts and/or syllabi. Each course must be at least three graduate quarter credits, equivalent to courses taught in the Organizational Psychology program at Seattle Pacific University and completed within seven years of admission. A minimum grade of “B” will be needed for transferred work. Any transfer-credit petitions should be submitted only after formal admission to the master’s program.

Doctoral degree admission requirements

For admission to this doctoral program, the following are required:

• Online application and $75 processing fee
• A bachelor's degree, minimum
  • From a regionally accredited institution, with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in all undergraduate work.
  • A minimum of one statistics course in business or social science is preferred. Three courses in psychology must be completed (at a regionally accredited institution) prior to admission to the program. One course in business, political science, or sociology (completed at a regionally accredited institution) may be substituted for one of the three required psychology courses.
• Graduate record exam* (GRE)
  
  • Administered within five years of the deadline date for application to the program.
  • A combined score of 300 (or 1100 on the older version of the test) on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE is preferred.
  • We consider graduate admissions holistically. The GRE is currently a strongly recommended component of the application. However, we understand that some individuals may have had barriers to taking the GRE this year due to COVID. If you have taken a GRE, please submit your score. If you have not yet taken a GRE, we will consider the other aspects of your application for a holistic review regarding your preparation for graduate school.
  • *If you have significant qualifications and exceptional recommendations but fail to meet the GPA or GRE minimum scores, you may still be considered for admission to the doctoral program.
• Personal statement
  
  • Demonstrating your writing and grammatical skills.
  • Addressing career objectives, personal qualifications, experience, and other insights as deemed appropriate by you.
  • The rationale for seeking the degree and choosing to attend SPU
• Three letters of recommendation
  
  • (1) One from a person who has experienced you in a professional setting (i.e., a current or former employer); (2) one academic reference from a former professor or instructor; and (3) one personal recommendation (not a family member).

Admission process

The Admissions Committee of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program will conduct a preliminary screening process.

• Finalists will be invited to come to campus for personal interviews.
• Admission to the doctoral program depends upon recommendation by the I-O faculty and approval from the I-O program director.

The entire process is usually completed within eight weeks after the final deadline date for applications.

Transfer of credits

Students who have taken graduate work at a regionally accredited institution may be allowed to transfer up to 12 quarter credits, and students who have been granted a master’s degree from a regionally accredited university in psychology, organizational psychology, business administration, or a related field may be allowed to transfer up to 30 credits. A maximum of 20 credits may be transferred toward the elective requirement.

You must provide applicable transcripts and/or syllabi for any course you wish to transfer. Each course must be at least three graduate quarter credits, equivalent to courses taught in the Organizational-Psychology programs at Seattle Pacific University, and completed within seven years of admission. A minimum grade of “B” will be needed for transfer work. Any transfer-credit petitions should be submitted only after formal admission to the doctoral program.

International students

In addition to the SPU general and the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program’s additional admission requirements, international students must also submit:

• An official confidential affidavit of financial support covering the first year of intended enrollment. Without this document, SPU cannot issue an I-20 immigration form.
• Students holding undergraduate or graduate degrees from colleges, universities and/or seminaries located outside the U.S. are expected to have their transcripts evaluated by a professional credential agency. Such an evaluation is required before an application for admission to SPFC can be granted and before any graduate credits taken elsewhere can be applied to a SPFC degree.
• If you earned an undergraduate degree in a country other than the United States, or your degree is in progress, an official course-by-course credential evaluation must be submitted from a NACES member-recognized credential service. Acceptable credential services include, but are not limited to, World Education Services (WES) and Foundation for International Services (FIS).
• In addition to the evaluation report, we also require official transcripts and diplomas to be submitted, in English. International applicants are responsible for all costs associated with this service.
•  English language proficiency: If you do not speak English as your first language, you must also submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 600 on the TOEFL paper or 250 on the TOEFL-CBT, or 100 on the TOEFL-iBT is required. ACE scores will not be accepted.