San Jose State University

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Organizational Psychology Programs at San Jose State University

San Jose State University appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Master’s in Human Factors and Ergonomics.

San Jose State University has two graduate degree programs in organizational psychology. The first is a Master of Science (MS) in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology program. It teaches students about the theories used in I/O psychology. It can prepare them for the research they will do in this field and show them how to apply their skills. Their thesis work can cover a range of topics such as:

  • job analysis
  • training development
  • employee management
  • team building
  • organizational development

I/O majors generally need to start in the fall and take two courses along with an elective. Seminar in Industrial/Organizational Psychology is one of the first classes they take. It ensures that majors have an understanding of the topics that affect this area of psychology. They will take three courses during the second term, including Seminar in Personnel Psychology. It looks at how hiring managers weed through applications and what they do during interviews. In the fall of the second year, students will do an internship as part of a supervised fieldwork requirement. They can work for leading companies in and around San Jose such as:

  • eBay
  • Adobe
  • Intel
  • Pacific Gas and Electric

The program also includes a thesis but has a format that allows students to complete all of their requirements in just two years.

Another useful program is the university’s MS in Human Factors/Ergonomics. Students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 as they take nine credits of electives and 17 units of required courses. Required classes include:

  • Motor Learning
  • Seminar in Human Factors
  • Experiment Design for Human Factor Ergonomics
  • Human Factors Experiments
  • Human Factors and Ergonomics Professional Seminar

Electives can come from other departments at San Jose State University and include:

  • Process Improvements in Healthcare
  • Advanced Exercise Physiology
  • Interactive and Interface Design
  • Seminar in Motivation
  • Usability Evaluation and Testing

Majors must also do a human factors or ergonomics thesis.

About San Jose State University

San Jose State University is one of the public universities in the California State University System. It opened in 1857 as one of the normal schools in California dedicated to the education of teachers. California legislature then stepped in and transformed the school into the California State Normal School, which saw more than 50 young women graduate in the following years.

The education program became so popular that the school then became the State Teachers College at San Jose and State Jose State College. It also operated as California State University, San Jose before finally becoming San Jose State University. It’s commonly called SJSU and San Jose State. It now enrolls more than 27,000 undergrads and an additional 5,400 post-graduate students every year.

San Jose State University Accreditation Details

Students looking for accreditation details about SJSU will find that it has program and regional accreditation. Its regional accreditation comes from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) through the Senior College and University Commission. This is the accreditation that students can use with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to make sure that they qualify for federal aid.

The university’s human factors program has accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) too.

San Jose State University Application Requirements

SJSU looks for students who prepared for the I/O psychology program during their undergrad years. They should take a minimum of 30 credits of units of psychology work, including at least one class in industrial and organizational psychology, ergonomics or human factors. The university recommends that they take classes such as:

  • Organizational Behavior
  • Human Resource Management
  • Computer Applications in Psychology

Students may enter this program with a business degree as long as they have a strong background in psychology.

San Jose State will accept students who have a bachelor’s degree and 30 credits of psychology classes. It does not require that they have degrees in psychology. They also need a minimum grade point average of 3.0 across all the psychology classes and the last two years of the undergrad courses they took. Students can view an online checklist that shows all the documents they need to submit. This includes:

  • an application
  • cover sheet
  • resume
  • statement of purpose

Though the university asks for official college transcripts, the department requires two letters of recommendation. This program also asks for a photocopy of an official GRE score.

The human factors and ergonomics program accepts students with undergraduate degrees in:

  • psychology
  • industrial design
  • occupational therapy
  • related fields

It requires that they have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students who maintain the same GPA in this program can become candidates to earn a graduate degree from the university. SJSU asks that they apply through the Cal Apply website, which also allows them to apply to similar programs available at other state schools. The application allows them to upload their transcripts and any other documents that the program may ask for after reviewing their applications.

Tuition and Financial Aid

All SJSU graduate students in the industrial and organizational psychology and human factors and ergonomics programs pay the same tuition rate of $9,286 annually. This covers all of the campus fees and the tuition they pay to take six or more credits. Campus housing is available for $16,946 a year. This includes their room costs and a meal plan that gives them 21 visits to an on-campus cafeteria every week. Students pay $80 to $190 in loan fees every year too.

To get a federal loan, a student just needs to complete the FAFSA and use the SJSU school code. The government allows them to borrow $20,500 a year in a graduate program at a regionally accredited school but has a maximum amount that a student can borrow while in school. With the university’s graduate student travel awards, students can get up to $1,500 in stipends that cover any conventions or special events they want to attend that relate to their fields of study. They can also get fellowships and some scholarships. San Jose State University offers help for students who need these funds online that allows them to apply for funding when they apply to the organizational psychology programs.

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