California State University – Long Beach

Organizational Psychology Programs at California State University – Long Beach

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California State University – Long Beach appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Master’s in Human Factors and Ergonomics.

California State University – Long Beach offers a Master of Science (MS) in Psychology program that includes options for students who want to study organizational psychology. The first option is in industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology. The university calls it the MSIO program. Students can choose from two versions of this program. One is the applied psychology and portfolio track. It asks students to complete a portfolio that demonstrates the work that they did. The other option is the university’s research track, which has a thesis component.

Students in the applied portfolio track will take Organizational Psychology and Personnel Psychology. They will then take two courses in experimental psychology or statistics and two classes such as:

  • Seminar in Cognition
  • Seminar in Social Psychology
  • Human Factors
  • Computer Applications in Psychology
  • Clinical Interviewing
  • Principles of Group Dynamics
  • Research Cognition and Learning

Students who choose the thesis track will do a research project rather than create a portfolio. Both programs include a practicum also. The university lets students view some of the thesis subjects that others chose.

Also available is an MS in Human Factors program, which the university calls the MSHF program. It focuses on the capabilities of the human mind and how humans can use products and other items in the workplace. Majors study equipment design and other subjects. Graduates can find work in :

  • academic institutions
  • research organizations
  • other places in the private and public sectors

The MSHF program features eight courses that all majors need to take, including:

  • Human Factors’ Methods
  • Computer Applications in Psychology
  • Statistical Design and Analysis of Experiments
  • User Interface Design
  • Systems Engineering and Integration

The program has a practicum in which students can work for employers in Long Beach and across California. They will write a report about what they experienced during their fieldwork and submit it at the end of the term. Majors also need to do a thesis and submit a thesis proposal. The university allows students to pick two electives from a variety of related classes, including:

  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Research Methods
  • Directed Research
  • Writing in Science and Technology.

About California State University – Long Beach

California State University – Long Beach is one of the college campuses in the California State University System. Established in 1949 by the Governor for the education of military students and veterans, it originally served as the Los Angeles-Orange County State College. Just one year later, the college became Long Beach State College. After joining the state system in the 1960s, the campus became California State College at Long Beach. As a full university, it now offers more degree programs and options for students. The university also uses different nicknames, including:

  • Long Beach State
  • Cal State Long Beach
  • CSULB

It is one of seven campuses that worked together to fund and create the Desert Studies Center in the Mojave Desert. More than 38,000 students attend Long Beach State, which ranks as one of the best schools in the west by U.S. News and World Report.

California State University – Long Beach Accreditation Details

CSULB has regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). CSULB can grant financial aid to students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before the next semester. This is what helps graduate students in the psychology programs qualify for federal loans. Those who do internships through the university will have approval for their work from the American Psychological Association (APA) too.

California State University – Long Beach Application Requirements

Cal State Long Beach has specific prerequisites that students need to take before applying to the I/O psychology program. These include:

  • Intermediate Statistics
  • Research Methods
  • Social Psychology
  • Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology
  • Cognition or Psychology of Learning.

Prospective students can start in the fall as long as they apply with all required documents by the first of December. CSULB will give them until December 21 to submit their transcripts, but the department requires that all other documents have a posted date of December second. Those transcripts should show that they took a minimum of 24 credits of upper-level psychology courses too. Other requirements include:

  • a GRE score
  • statement of purpose
  • resume
  • three letters of recommendation

The MSIO program asks for letters from professors and others who are familiar with the student’s work in either industrial or organizational psychology.

The MSHF program has three prerequisite classes that incoming students need to take too:

  • Intermediate Statistics
  • Cognition
  • Sensation and Perception.

This program has a fall start date and an application deadline in the middle of January. Cal State Long Beach then gives students until the third of February to submit their transcripts. They can have their former schools submit their transcripts and then arrange for Long Beach State to receive their GRE scores. This program also asks for a statement of purpose. It will explain what the student wants to get out of the human factors program and what they hope to experience at the university. Students also need to supply a resume and three letters of recommendation.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Long Beach State graduate students all pay the same tuition rate of $8,280 a year. They have the option of living off-campus but they can also apply for on-campus housing. Those who live on the CSULB campus pay an average of $13,938 a year, which includes both their housing costs and a meal plan. Students who are not residents of California will also pay a $396 per credit hour nonresident fee.

All graduate students can get financial aid from the federal government when they use the FAFSA. This includes the more than $20,000 in federal loans that they can borrow every year. They have the option of paying the interest on their loans while they take classes.

Cal State Long Beach hires graduate students to work as both teaching associates and graduate assistants every year. These positions can help students get stipends and other financial support. The university also has information available for students who want to have the government forgive their loans later. Students can find all the information they need online and see how to get financial aid to pay for the organizational psychology programs offered by California State University – Long Beach.

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