Ph.D. Industrial & Organizational Psychology

The doctoral program in industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology at the University of Central Florida (UCF) provides its students with rigorous research training. In addition to completing five advanced research methods courses, our doctoral students are engaged in research throughout their time at UCF. The UCF I/O faculty are all active researchers, who provide each student with ample opportunity to collaborate on research projects beyond our program’s formal theses and dissertation requirements. The I/O program is especially known for its strengths in (a) occupational health psychology (e.g., work stress, the future of work, resilience), (b) groups and teams, and (c) research methods and statistics. The faculty regularly partner with private and government organizations, creating valuable hands-on research opportunities for our I/O doctoral students.

Our program uses a “learning-by-doing” philosophy: Our students learn research skills by doing research. These skills are critical to students’ career success, regardless of whether they plan to use their I/O research training in academic (e.g., university-based teaching and research) or applied (e.g., consulting, government, applied research) settings. Our students receive training in the main substantive areas of I/O psychology, including work motivation, job attitudes, occupational stress, groups and teams, climate and culture, personnel selection, employee training, and performance appraisal. They also complete advanced coursework in research methods, statistics, and psychometrics.