FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University is set to launch a new master’s program in industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology next fall.
Students will learn how to help workplaces across all industries increase efficiency and employee satisfaction using psychological principles. Program director and assistant lecturer Mary E. Ignagni said interest in the field is growing and the program—once offered as a track—will now be a full-fledged degree taught by experienced faculty.
Ignagni said there are misconceptions about I/O psychology, including the thought that it’s only for big businesses. That’s not the case. “Any type of organization that has employees can benefit, from a nonprofit to a for-profit business,” Ignagni said. “The psychologists are there to make the organization function better for its people.”
Industrial-organizational psychologists can help a business in a number of ways, such as ensuring employee satisfaction. For example, they determine if an employee’s skills match up to the job and, if that’s not the case, they find the right position for that employee within the workplace or ensure the employee receives training to do the job effectively.
“Industrial-organizational psychologists bring a lot to the table,” Ignagni said. “We work with human resources to ensure processes are done fairly, and we use research and statistics to show how things should be done.”
The program’s primary goals are to apply a broad range of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge and skills to prepare students for working in a multicultural and global society, as well as integrate and apply the knowledge, skills and ethics of the I/O psychology profession. Students also will have opportunities to engage in evidence-based research studies. The program is designed for those who recently graduated and working professionals and will take one year to complete.
There is a growing need for these professionals, because if people aren’t satisfied at their job they’re going to leave, Ignagni said. Employers would rather retrain existing employees than hire new ones. “It’s cheaper to keep than to hire,” Ignagni said. “Plus, it looks good. People will tell others about their organization and how they are satisfied there.”
“The master's in I/O will be a mix of the scientist/practitioner paradigm, which is fundamental to the field,” Ignagni said “This will prepare our students to either enter or move forward within in the field, the occupational outlook of which is looking good. Projected growth is expected to be 5 to 9 percent through 2026, based on U.S. Bureau Labor Statistics.”
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About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus, which is located about an hour from Manhattan and 2.5 hours from Boston. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. More than 8,500 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education; the Jack Welch College of Business; Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, yet at the same time develops students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives and professions and in their communities. A spirit of service, entrepreneurship and social justice is the essence of who we are and can be seen inside and outside the classroom as students learn how to make a difference far beyond Fairfield. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 384 Colleges–2019 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 267 Business Schools–2018 Edition. It also placed SHU on its lists for “Happiest Students” and “Most Engaged in Community Service,” each of which comprises only 20 U.S. schools. Sacred Heart has a Division I athletics program. www.sacredheart.edu