UQ School of Psychology

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Research & Training in Industrial & Organisational (I/O) Psychology

Research and postgraduate training in I/O Psychology is carried out through the Centre for Organisational Psychology. Postgraduate students in I/O Psychology are affiliated with the Centre during their candidature.

The objectives of the Centre include:

  • To develop the discipline of I/O Psychology by conducting internationally recognised programs of basic and applied research, that advance scientific understanding within the field and train the next generation of academics in the field;
  • To develop the profession of I/O Psychology by providing students with high-quality teaching programs at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels; and
  • By engaging government, industry, and the community in our research and teaching programs.

Faculty affiliated with the Centre are regularly publishing in the top scientific journals within the field. For example, between 2004 and 2008, faculty affiliated with the Centre published 10 papers in the Journal of Applied Psychology, which is the premier journal within I/O Psychology. This places us well within the top 10 I/O Psychology programs internationally.

The aim of the postgraduate training program in I/O Psychology is to provide Masters and PhD level training to candidates who are interested in pursuing a career in research and/or practice.

The following programs are available:

  • Masters of Organisational Psychology. The MPsychOrg program is suitable for candidates interested in pursuing a career in professional practice. The MPsychOrg has been accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and approved by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) College of Organisational Psychologists as a 2-year full-time training program leading to the completion of 6 years of training in psychology. The program includes core courses covering the major content areas of the discipline, electives enabling specialisation in sub-areas, and supervised work placements.
  • Research-only PhD. The research-only PhD is suitable for candidates who are interested in a research career, either in universities or in research institutes.
    • The duration of the PhD is 3-4 years. During this period, candidates work through a structured set of milestones. In the first year, candidates work on their research proposal, and may start collecting data. Once candidature has been confirmed at the end of the first year, candidates then complete the majority of their data collection and may start writing papers in time for mid-candidature review. The final stage of the PhD involves finishing a series of papers and submitting them for publication. The PhD thesis typically consists of a series of manuscripts that have been submitted for publication, plus an introductory and concluding chapter.
    • A range of scholarships are available to cover living costs. Tuition Fee scholarships are also available for international candidates (Australian candidates do not pay tuition fees). Information on scholarships can be found on the Graduate School website.
    • Once enrolled, PhD candidates can apply for part-time tutoring positions. The School does not guarantee tutoring positions, but in the past, most PhD students who have wanted a tutoring position have been offered one.
  • Dual Masters & PhD program. The dual program provides broader training than the research-only PhD. The coursework component of the program provides exposure to all of the major content areas of the discipline, while the placements provide opportunity for supervised practice. The dual program is suitable for candidates wishing to pursue a career in both research and practice, or who wish to gain professional experience before embarking on a research career.

The sections below provide further information on: