University of Houston-Clear Lake - Organizational Psychology Degree Programs, Accreditation, Applying, Tuition, Financial Aid

Organizational Psychology Programs at the University of Houston-Clear Lake

The University of Houston-Clear Lake appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Master’s in Human Factors and Ergonomics.

The University of Houston-Clear Lake offers several programs for students who want to study industrial and organizational psychology at the graduate level. One option is the university’s Master of Arts (M.A.) in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. This program looks at some of the problems and issues facing the workforce today and prepares students to find solutions. It includes 12 credits of electives and 24 credits of required courses such as:

Professional Issues in I/O Psychology
Change and Organizational Development
Assessment in Industry and Performance
Appraisal Feedback

The program also features a capstone that lets students:

do a thesis or project
take a seminar course
or do an internship

It is only available on the regional campus in Pearland.

A Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology is available at the University of Houston-Clear Lake with a concentration in human factors. This program looks at how humans interact with machines and how those machines can help them. Majors can focus on ergonomics and look for new ways of keeping workers safe and healthy on the job. Majors need to take 18 credits of applied cognitive psychology courses, including Research Topics in Applied Cognitive Psychology and Human Factors Methods and Analysis.

Though all students must do a practicum, the university asks them to either do an internship or a final research project too. This is available on two campuses and as a human factors certificate program for students seeking a degree from the university.

Also offered is an M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology with a specialization in I/O psychology. It’s designed for students who want to work in a professional environment. It teaches them how to identify the needs of the general workforce and understand the needs of others. It includes both a professional education core and an instructional technology core. Majors take:

Applications of Technology
Research Design and Analysis
Performance Technology
Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology
Learning Theory and Instruction

Students have the option of doing a research project, thesis or internship at the end of the instructional design and technology program.

About the University of Houston-Clear Lake

The University of Houston-Clear Lake is a public university and a branch of the University of Houston System. Often called UHLC, it was founded in 1974, a decade after the University of Houston began offering classes in the area. Those classes provided training and knowledge for locals and others who wanted to work for NASA. Humble Oil set aside 50,000 acres of land for the new university in the growing city of Clear Lake. Clear Lake is still home to the main UHLC campus, but a second large campus is in Pasadena. Students can also take classes on the Texas Medical Center Campus in West Holcombe or the Pearland Campus. On the lists released by U.S. News and World Report, the university ranks as the 24th best public university in the nation and the 74th best college in the western region. UHLC has a total enrollment of more than 9,000 students today.

University of Houston-Clear Lake Accreditation Details

UHLC has accreditation from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) for both its human factors certificate and applied cognitive psychology programs. It also has approval from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) for the program designed for school counselors. The main accreditation held by UHLC comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This is the accreditation that allows students to use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) when they apply to UHLC.

University of Houston-Clear Lake Application Requirements

Students applying to the I/O psychology program must start in the fall and apply by the middle of February. The application for this program becomes available near the beginning of December. Students will apply through the Apply Texas website. It then sends their applications to the university. Once they receive their account information, they can log in and complete the requirements for this program. UHLC asks for a transcript that shows the student took at least nine credits of social science classes. The applicant must have had a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 units they took. Other requirements include a statement of purpose and an updated resume.

The university’s applied cognitive psychology program has different admissions requirements. It has an August first deadline for the fall semester, but this program also accepts students for the spring and summer terms. They will apply online through the university’s website and choose whether they want to study on the campus in Pearland or the one in Clear Lake. Students need to pay a $45 application fee. They then submit both their transcripts and either a GRE score or an official score from another entrance exam. UHLC has the same requirements for students applying to the instructional design and technology graduate program.

Tuition and Financial Aid

At UHLC, graduate students who live in and are from Texas pay $10,035 a year for tuition and fees. They pay an average of $816 for their books too. Students who are not from Texas pay $20,375 every year for their tuition and fees. UHLC offers on-campus housing for graduate students but requires that those students also purchase a meal plan. This will add an estimated $11,180 to their annual costs. The university allows students to take one class or up to eight credits and pay the part-time tuition rate too.

Research and teaching assistantships are available for students who need financial aid. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be enrolled in a minimum of six credits each semester to qualify for one of these jobs. UHLC has an online application that students can use to apply for a position. It asks about the research or teaching experience they have and how they can balance work and school.

These and other jobs pay students slightly more than the federal minimum wage and ask them to work between 10 and 20 hours each week. Graduate students can use both federal and private loans too. To get federal loans and see if they qualify for government grants, graduate students can submit the FAFSA when they apply to the organizational psychology programs at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

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