I/O Psychology

Below are a list of questions that we frequently receive about the Maryland I/O program, answered by Graduate students in the program.

Admissions

What type of degree program is offered?
The I/O program at the University of Maryland only offers a full-time, day program leading to a Ph.D. We do not offer a terminal Master’s degree, night classes, or permit completion of the program on a part-time basis. A Master’s degree is earned as progress towards a Ph.D. However, we do not admit students who are only interested in receiving a Master’s degree. In this manner, we are able to keep the faculty to student ratio very small, and we can focus upon doctoral students only.

How do I apply?
If you are interested in applying to the University of Maryland I/O program, please review the Information for Applicants.pdf located at www.bsos.umd.edu/psyc/main/graduate/grad.html.You can also contact the Department of Psychology Graduate Office at (301)-405-5865.

What application materials are required?
The application procedure and required materials are fully described in the application packet that you can obtain at www.gradschool.umd.edu/gss/admission.htm. Briefly, a complete application will include all of the following materials: 1) The on-line Graduate School application, 2) A statement of goals and experiences, 3) Three letters of recommendation (sealed), 4) Official GRE scores to be sent from ETS. The Psychology subject test is recommended but not required. 5) All official transcripts for coursework completed (both undergraduate and graduate). In addition, we suggest that you include photocopies of your GRE scores and transcripts with your application. However, your application will not be complete until the official copies arrive.

What is your application deadline?
The deadline for applications is December 15th for the following Fall semester. We do not have Spring admissions.

How many students are accepted each year?
Each year, we receive approximately 100 applications, and between 3 and 5 students are accepted into the I/O Ph.D. program.

Program Requirements

What courses are students required to take?
Students are required to take a series of courses as minimal requirements for completion of the Ph.D. program. However, most students will take several courses beyond these minimal requirements. The required coursework is as follows:

Can students take coursework outside of the Psychology Department?
Yes. There are a large number of courses offered in the Business School that are pertinent for I/O psychology, and they are often taught by faculty who received their training in I/O psychology. Students from I/O tend to take courses in the Business School (and students from the OB Ph.D. program in the Business School also tend to take courses in our program). In addition to Business School courses, many I/O students take statistics courses from the Department of Measurement, Statistics and Evaluation, and from the Department of Communication. Students can also take undergraduate courses offered at the university.

Are students expected to be involved in research projects?
Yes, whether students work with faculty or engage in independent research projects, students are expected to be actively involved in research. Most students work on several faculty research projects. All I/O students participate in research projects beyond those required for completion of the Ph.D. program (i.e., Master’s thesis and dissertation).

Are students encouraged to start their own research projects?
Yes. The faculty encourage students to initiate and manage their own research projects beyond those conducted for the Master’s thesis or dissertation. Students can complete projects on their own, create research teams, or work with faculty to investigate research questions that they initiated. In many cases, students develop ideas for projects based upon their work with faculty members, yet it is also possible for students who come to the program with their own ideas to follow through on them with research.

What is the comprehensive examination process like?
After students have completed their Master’s thesis and their required coursework, they are required to complete comprehensive exams (i.e., “comps”) before advancing to candidacy for the Ph.D. Most students take these exams in their third or fourth year. Students are required to pick three topics in I/O psychology on which they will become experts. They select a list of pertinent books and articles on each of these topics and submit them to their comps committee for approval. The comps committee is made up of three faculty who write the questions, read the student’s responses, and conduct the oral defense. After receiving approval, most students will then spend the next few months studying for their exams. The actual exams consist of three broad, integrative questions that address any aspect of the chosen topics. Students have a maximum of four hours to respond to each question. One week after the written part of the examination, students have an oral defense, in which they address concerns raised by their comps committee. When a student has completed this process, he or she is said to be “ABD” (All But Dissertation).

Is an internship required/encouraged as part of the program?
Although an internship is not required as part of the Ph.D. program, many students choose to go on an internship in order to gain valuable applied experience. These internships generally last about 9 months, and are often taken with companies located in the D.C. metro area (but it is possible to go elsewhere). Students who want to do consulting or other applied work after they receive their Ph.D.s are strongly encouraged to take an internship. Many students who plan to go into academia choose to spend their time teaching classes, yet it is also possible for students to take an internship and teach. Students are only permitted to do internships after they have completed their comprehensive examinations and have advanced to doctoral candidacy.

Do the faculty encourage students to choose either academia or practice?
Students are encouraged to pursue their own interests and they receive support from faculty, regardless of whether they are interested in academia or I/O practice. Although the coursework and research that students experience are primarily academic, practitioner experience is also gained through applied projects and internships.

Do most students teach classes?
Some students choose to teach classes to gain valuable experience, especially if they plan to search for a job in an academic department. However, students are not required to teach. Furthermore, I/O students are not permitted to teach courses until they have completed their comprehensive examinations and have advanced to doctoral candidacy (i.e., are ABD). Students generally teach undergraduate I/O courses such as Survey of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Field Research in Organizational Psychology, Psychology of Motivation and Attitudes in Organizational Settings, Psychology of Leaders in Work Organizations, Psychology of Organizational Processes, and Psychological Foundations of Personnel Selection and Training.

What do students do during the summer?
During the summer, both students and faculty continue to work and conduct research. We receive funding during the summer, so students are expected to be working throughout the summer months, except for a short vacation. The summer is a great time for students and faculty to get writing and data analysis accomplished, and to plan research projects for the following academic year.

How long does it take to get through the program?
Most students will complete all I/O Ph.D. requirements in approximately 5 years. However, the time it takes to complete the program will vary according to several factors. It is possible to complete the program in 4 years, yet students often take 6 years or more to complete all Ph.D. requirements. These estimates will vary depending upon whether a student takes an internship (generally 9 months), the extent of involvement in research projects, the type of research being conducted (e.g., lab, field, cross-cultural) and personal initiative, among other factors.

Do students work with more than one faculty member?
Students are encouraged to work with more than one faculty member. Working with more than one faculty member permits students to explore research in more than one area, and to explore different research styles. Students are permitted to choose the faculty member that they will work with (they are not assigned). However, many students receive their funding as Research Assistants (RA) for a particular faculty member. Therefore, students tend to work heavily with the faculty for whom they are an RA. In addition to working with I/O faculty, students can get involved with research conducted by faculty in the UMCP Business School.

How much are students fully involved in all stages of the research process?
Students are intimately involved in all stages of research. In most cases, students work closely with faculty members in all stages, including conceptual development, choosing methodology, designing materials, collecting data, entering data, analyzing data, writing up results, presenting results at conferences, and publishing papers.

Do students get involved in applied projects conducted by faculty?
Yes. When a faculty member conducts applied projects (e.g., consulting, applied research), I/O students who work with that faculty member will generally be involved in the project. Students tend to be involved all phases of consulting projects, including traveling to collect data, data analysis, and writing reports. In addition to involvement in faculty projects, it is possible for students to initiate their own applied projects, either through field research required for a Master’s or dissertation, or as a consulting project for an organization.

How would you describe faculty-student relations?
In general, the faculty and the students have very positive relationships. There is a climate of mutual respect in the program. Students are treated as full-fledged researchers when they arrive, and the faculty respect the students’ ideas and work. Furthermore, the students are fully involved in all aspects of the I/O program, from selecting new students to providing input about changes in the program’s requirements. The low student-faculty ratio (less than 4:1) also facilitates the establishment of close working relationships between students and faculty.

Do students get funded while in grad school at UMD?
All current I/O students receive funding in the form of bi-weekly stipends and tuition remission. In recent years, I/O students have received funding at all levels of their graduate education (until they complete the Ph.D.).

What types of funding are available?
Fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships are the most common kinds of financial support. First, fellowships are available for students with outstanding credentials. The Psychology Department is able to nominate a certain number of applicants for University Fellowships each year. These fellowships provide support for 2 years, they permit students to have up to 12 credits of coursework paid each semester, and they come with a stipend for living expenses. Second, many students are funded through Research Assistantships (RA’s). An RA also provides tuition remission (for 10 credits) and a stipend, and students are eligible for State of Maryland health insurance. The recipient of a research assistantship works on one or more research projects under the supervision of a faculty member. Most research assistantships come from grant or contract funds awarded to faculty members in support of their research. Third, many students are funded under Teaching Assistantships (TA’s). A TA carries the same benefits as an RA (tuition remission for 10 credits, stipend, health insurance eligibility). Teaching assistants generally work 20 hours per week helping a faculty member with undergraduate courses. I/O students with TA’s generally help faculty teach undergraduate I/O courses such as Introduction to I/O Psychology and Research Methods in I/O Psychology.

Is it possible for students to work at another job while in graduate school?
In general, no. Because of the demanding nature of the doctoral program, the Psychology Department does not permit students to hold jobs off campus unless they are directly related to the students' education and have been approved by the students' specialty area. In most cases, I/O students are only permitted to work off campus if they take an internship immediately prior to finishing their dissertation.

Do students have to work for a particular faculty member to be funded?
No. A student might have a fellowship the first year, be an RA for a semester, and then be a TA the next semester. Funding is not dependent upon working with a specific faculty member. However, students who receive an RA are expected to assist a particular faculty member with his or her research for 20 hours/week.

Is there summer funding available?
Yes. In general, I/O students receive funding during the summer months. With this funding comes the expectation that students will continue to work on research projects throughout the summer.

What types of activities are there to do in the Maryland and Washington D.C. area?
The University of Maryland, College Park has the benefit of being located right outside of a major metropolitan area. UMCP is only 20 – 30 minutes from downtown Washington D.C., which has numerous free museums, great cultural activities (e.g., theater, festivals, music performances), a large variety of restaurants, and a huge variety of historical exhibits and monuments to explore. UMCP is also within about 30 minutes of downtown Baltimore, and 30 minutes from Annapolis (on the Chesapeake Bay). For sports fans, the proximity of UMCP to these cities means that students have both Baltimore and D.C. sports teams to watch. In addition to the proximity of the school to these cities, opportunities for outdoor activities abound. There are a large number of local, state, and national parks in the area, which provide students with the opportunity to go hiking, biking, camping, canoeing, rafting, climbing, etc. The Appalachian and Shenandoah Mountains are also less than 2 hours away, which is great for winter ski trips. For more information about current activities in D.C., please see http://www.washingtonian.com or the entertainment section at http://www.washingtonpost.com.

What types of activities are there to do on campus?
The University of Maryland, College Park campus offers students a great variety of things to do. For example, students have free access to the Campus Recreation Center that has new exercise equipment, indoor and outdoor pools, basketball courts, racquetball, tennis, an indoor jogging track, and an Outdoor Recreation Center. Students also get free access to UMD sporting events (that include nationally ranked teams in several sports), and free tickets to first-run movies on campus each week. Please see the University of Maryland Campus Life web page for more information: http://www.umd.edu/campuslife.

Do students tend to socialize with each other outside of school?
There are numerous opportunities for students to socialize outside of school. However, the amount of time that you spend with other students will depend upon you. If you are interested in hanging out with other I/O students, you can attend or organize a party, go to D.C. or Baltimore together, play on our intramural sports teams, go camping, or do whatever appeals to you. We usually have about 3-5 parties a semester without the faculty to which everyone is invited (see our “Photo Gallery” for some pictures). However, many students also prefer to spend time with friends or significant others who are not in the I/O program, which is okay too.

What types of social activities do students and faculty do together?
Not all of the fun is had by students alone. The I/O students and faculty tend to get along very well and we often get the opportunity to socialize together, both at school and outside of school. At the beginning of each academic year, all students and faculty go on a retreat to welcome the incoming students and have some great fun. We have recently gone rafting on the Shenandoah River, a trip that included a large number of water fights (most of which were initiated by faculty). We also have several I/O program socials during the year, which are often hosted by a faculty member at his or her house. When we have visitors to the program, the faculty and students will often go out for a nice lunch or dinner together with the visitor. In addition to these events, we have weekly meetings where we meet together as a program to listen to a speaker and snack on food (we share the responsibility of bringing snacks), and we tend to do a lot of informal chatting in the hallways. In sum, faculty-student relationships tend to be very good, and we have opportunities to have fun together.

Is it difficult to find housing?
Housing around the UMCP campus is abundant. Most I/O students live within about 15 minutes of the campus, yet a few people choose to live in D.C. or Virginia. The campus is easily accessible by car, metro, and buses. Graduate students have the option of living in the Graduate Hills/Graduate Gardens communities, which are located right next to campus. These apartment communities have great rates, yet be aware that they have long waiting lists, particularly for August.

How expensive is housing?
Housing prices range depending on where you live and whether you room with people. Housing in or near D.C. is more expensive than near campus. Near campus, one-bedroom apartments range between $500 and $900 a month, and 2-bedroom apartments range from about $800 and $1100. For more detailed information about housing and a great search engine, visit the University of Maryland web site for off-campus housing: www.cacs.umd.edu/OCH/.