William James College

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Organizational Psychology Programs at William James College

William James College appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology Online.

William James College offers programs for all types of psychology majors through its campus in Massachusetts. It has an Organizational Psychology Master of Arts (OPMA) program that is available in two formats. Students in the first format will take only online classes. Those in the second format will take online classes and do some residency work. The college asks that they spend two weekends working on the campus with their peers and professors after they finish taking two different required courses.Students can enroll part-time and finish in two years. Full-time students will usually finish the program in 11 months.

The OPMA program includes a field project that awards students six credits. They must do at least 80 hours of fieldwork to complete this requirement. The program also includes 24 credits of other courses. It does not include a thesis because students will gain more practical experience through their field projects. Some of the OP courses they take include:

  • Leadership and Use of Self
  • Consulting Skills and Participatory Action Research
  • Appreciative Inquiry

To complete the talent acquisition concentration, students can replace those three courses with:

  • Talent Acquisition and Management
  • Business Strategy and Organizational Life Cycle
  • Performance Development
  • Management Psychology and Training

Though the college has just one OP program, it offers some related programs that might appeal to students. There is a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Services for undergrads.  Master of Arts programs include:

  • Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health
  • Advanced Graduate Studies in Psychology

Students can also earn doctoral degrees in school, leadership or clinical psychology.  They can get a certificate in executive coaching or school climate and social and emotional learning. Most of these programs are available online or in blending learning format as well as a traditional format.

About William James College

William James College is a private college in Massachusetts that primarily offers graduate and post-graduate programs. Founded in 1974, the college created an education system that students still follow today. Instead of asking that they simply take classes, it includes some fieldwork. The idea is that students can learn effective skills in the field that will both help them in their careers and in  their classes. Known as the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology for many years, it later became William James College or WJC. The college now has a campus in Newton, Massachusetts and offers both online and hybrid programs.

WJC is a graduate college, which means that it focuses on the education of graduate students. It added a bachelor’s program in recent years, but many of these students actually transfer into the program after taking general education courses from another college or university. Students can earn degrees from four departments, including:

  • the Department of Clinical Psychology
  • Department of Counseling Psychology
  • Department of Organizational and Leadership Psychology
  • Department of School Psychology

It also offers continuing education programs for nontraditional students. WJC is a very small college with an enrollment of just 600 students.

William James College Accreditation Details

WJC earned regional accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Accreditation of this type is what allows WJC to accept students who transfer from other schools and to design financial aid packages for all of its students. Some of its psychology programs, including its doctoral options, have APA accreditation too.

William James College Application Requirements

Students applying to the organizational psychology graduate program have until April 3 to submit their applications for priority acceptance. Deadline is July 10 for general acceptance. Those deadlines only apply to those who want to start in the fall. The deadline for the spring semester is November 28 because the college does not have a priority deadline for that semester. It requires that students have a bachelor’s degree and recommends that they have at least two years of professional experience. WJC has an online application that both doctoral and graduate students can use.

Prospective students must pay $60 when applying for one program and $75 when applying for two. Both doctoral and graduate students must meet the same requirements. Doctoral students should have both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree or have transcripts that show they took some graduate classes. The requirements for these programs include three letters of recommendation from either professional or academic references and a resume. WJC asks for an essay and official transcripts too. Students applying to the doctoral program will also supply a score from the General Records Examination (GRE). They must take this test within five years of applying to the college.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Organizational psychology majors pay a rate based on the formats that they choose. Those enrolled in the online/hybrid program will pay $1,000 per credit hour. Students enrolled in the traditional program pay $1,200 per credit hour. The college charges a $230 fee for students taking summer classes and increases this fee to $460 during the fall and spring semesters. Most of the other graduate programs charge $880 per credit hour up to the same rate that the OP program charges. Those in a doctoral program will pay the same amount in fees every semester but will also pay $1,425 per credit hour.

WJC recommends that students apply for financing when they apply to the college. Veterans can use any of the education benefits available through the GI Bill programs. Students may qualify for the college’s federal work-study program or for a teaching assistantship. Assistants can only work for the college if they are graduate students. They typically work one semester at a time and can earn up to $1,500 each session.

Undergrads who file the FAFSA may receive need scholarships from the college, but all types of students can also apply for any of the college’s other scholarships. Those who qualify for multiple scholarships may find that their total financial aid packages do not include some types of federal aid. William James College will provide students with their aid packages and let them know how much their aid did not cover before they start any of its programs in organizational psychology.

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