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Organizational Psychology (PsyD)

Doctor of Psychology

Build Thriving Work Environments.

The Doctor of Organizational Psychology (PsyD) program is designed to meet the growing demand for experts who can cultivate thriving work environments and positive company cultures in today’s rapidly changing workplace. Created as a practical, application-oriented alternative to traditional, research-heavy PhDs, this program equips you to solve real-world organizational problems. Drawing from psychology, human resources, management, and more, the PsyD program prepares you for impactful leadership roles with advanced knowledge and practical skills.

CGU is home to the largest Organizational Psychology programs in the world and is recognized as a leader in Positive Psychology. Our new PsyD leverages this strength to provide an innovative applied doctorate with concentrations in:

  • Industrial Organizational Psychology (I-O Psych)
  • Positive Organizational Psychology (POP)

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Program Benefits

Our PsyD program fills a gap in doctoral education by offering hands-on expertise with comprehensive evaluation and statistical training. Through applied coursework, you will learn from executive leaders in the field and industry partnership opportunities such as: Microsoft, Kaiser Permanente, Disney, and many more. The PsyD program prepares you to gain a competitive edge in the job market and become a leader in organizational psychology.

Program Highlights

  • Career Advancement: Equip yourself for high-level roles enhancing organizational effectiveness and culture.
  • Experiential Learning: Gain hands-on experience with leading organizations like Microsoft and Disney.
  • Expert Faculty: Learn from our large group of top research faculty and industry executives with real-world insights.
  • Flexible Scheduling: Balance your studies with work and family through online and in-person classes.
  • Unique Concentrations: First and largest Positive Organizational Psychology program globally and the only Industrial Organizational Psych doctoral program in California.

Career Paths

Graduates of this program will be ready to excel in leadership roles that significantly enhance organizational effectiveness and employee well-being. Common job titles may include Director of Training and Development, People Analytics Specialist, Human Resource Business Partner, Chief People Officer, and Vice President of Global Talent.

Ideal Candidates

Our PsyD program is designed for:

  • Working professionals seeking advancement through a flexible and practical doctoral program.
  • Recent master’s graduates that want deeper specialization in organizational psychology.
  • Career shifters from related fields such as counseling, social work, or education seeking a doctoral degree without the heavy research focus of traditional PhD programs.
  • Recent psychology graduates who want to enhance their credentials and employment opportunities.

Program At-a-glance

  • 72 units

    required units

  • Doctor of Psychology

    degree awarded

  • Hybrid

    modality

  • Fall

    program start

  • 3-4 years | full time*

    estimated completion time

    5-8 years | part time

    estimated completion time

Areas of Concentration

  • Industrial Organizational Psychology

    This concentration aligns directly to the competencies outlined by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and prepares you to tackle workplace challenges on both individual and organizational fronts. Curriculum and training includes workforce planning, diversity, equity, and inclusion, recruitment and selection, talent management, leader development, attitudes and motivation, and much more.

  • Positive Organizational Psychology

    Developed in one of the nation’s premier institutions for Positive Psychology, this concentration prepares you to improve organizational effectiveness and individual work life through empirically supported best practices in the field of Positive Organizational Psychology.

Faculty

  • Portrait of Rebecca Reichard

    Becky Reichard

    Full Professor

    Research Interests

    Development of those not typically represented in leadership roles (e.g., women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+), Psychological mechanisms underlying the process of leader development (e.g., feedback, goal striving, self-views, implicit theories, leader development readiness), Development of leadership through experiences outside of the work context (e.g., global, sports, volunteering, crisis)

  • Jessica Diaz Portrait

    Jessica Diaz

    Director, Human Resource Management
    Assistant Professor

    Research Interests

    Organizational behavior, employee experience, psychological safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion, leader development, statistics and methodology

  • Stephen Gilliland

    Stephen Gilliland

    University Professor

    Research Interests

    Organizational Justice, Employee Attitudes and Motivation, Leadership

  • Stewart Donaldson

    Stewart I. Donaldson

    Distinguished University Professor
    Executive Director, Claremont Evaluation Center
    Executive Director, The Evaluators' Institute (TEI)

    Research Interests

    Positive Organizational Psychology, Health/Well-Being & Positive Functioning Across Cultures, Program Design & Re-Design, Culturally Responsive Theory-Driven Measurement & Evaluation

  • Portrait of Michelle Bligh

    Michelle Bligh

    Executive Vice President & Provost
    Professor of Organizational Behavior

    Research Interests

    Leadership, Organizational Culture, Charismatic Leadership

  • Portrait of Tiffany Berry

    Tiffany Berry

    Dean, School of Social Science, Policy & Evaluation
    Full Research Professor

    Research Interests

    Educational Program Evaluation, K–12 Educational Curricula, Comprehensive School Reform

  • Michelle Sloper

    Michelle Sloper

    Associate Professor of Evaluation Practice

    Research Interests

    Positive youth development, evaluation capacity building, evaluation use, continuous quality improvement, expanded learning programs

Affiliated Faculty

  • Paola Alvarez

    Research Interests

    Training and Development, Coaching

  • Dana Mayhew

    Research Interests

    Human Resources

  • Sheilesha Willis

    Research Interests

    Cultivating Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Organizations

Curriculum

The PsyD curriculum integrates statistics, methodology, and evaluation with significant hands-on experience through applied projects with leading organizations. With concentrations available in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Positive Organizational Psychology plus 22 units of electives, you can customize your education to match your career goals. A mix of online and flex courses accommodates working professionals, allowing you to balance career, family, and study while enjoying our unique campus culture.

Degree Requirements

Coursework

  • Concentration Core Courses: 16 units
  • Stats and Methods: 16 units
  • Evaluation: 6 units
  • Concentration Related Electives: 22 units
  • Practicum and Capstone: 8 units
  • Transdisciplinary Course: 4 units

Practicum

You will complete two practicum courses and aligned projects.

  • Year one: Complete an applied project while taking directed practice, a course designed to support project completion and build applied skills.
  • Year three: Complete advanced practice, which helps scaffold your capstone project. (see below)

Field Training

Take TDNY 440 (Professional Practice for Inclusive Excellence) to complete your field placement. You are encouraged to use your field placement organization for either your first year project and/or your capstone project.

Capstone

Address a real organizational psychology issue faced by a real client. Upon completion of the project, you will present your work to a panel of practitioners and academic scholars in a capstone defense.

Portfolio

Complete an applied and practitioner-driven portfolio that will equip you with applied and translational skills essential to compete in the workforce. The portfolio will include the following:

  • Practice-Based Thesis completed collaboratively during Practicum course to serve as sumary report of your applied project.
  • Technical Report: evidence-based practice review on I-O Psychology
  • TNDY 440 Professional Practice for Inclusive Excellence + field experience
  • (3) items aligned to your career goals. Examples include: present at a practitioner conference, submit a paper in a practitioner outlet, design and deliver a training, executive coaching certification.

Competencies & Learning Outcomes

  • Apply Ethical, Legal, and Diversity Standards (SIOP 1, 3): Graduates will adhere to ethical and legal guidelines in the practice of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, demonstrating a commitment to professional integrity and responsible conduct.
  • Employ Effective Measurement, Research Methods, & Statistical Procedures (SIOP 5, 6, 9): Graduates will understand and use a range of quantitative and qualitative methods and statistics to understand and measure complex workplace dynamics. Graduates will be proficient in measurement and assessment procedures for a variety of selection and organizational development initiatives.
  • Apply Psychological/Organizational Behavior Principles to Organizations (SIOP 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 17, 20): Graduates will demonstrate the ability to apply organizational theories and principles to address complex workplace challenges, including talent management, organizational development, and performance enhancement.
  • Facilitate Training and Organizational Development (SIOP 19, 23, 24): Graduates will be able to train employees and implement and evaluate organizational development initiatives designed to improve organizational effectiveness.
  • Facilitate Effective Selection & Job Evaluation Procedures (SIOP 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22): Graduates will have a deep understanding of talent acquisition, development, and retention strategies, enabling them to optimize workforce planning and talent management initiatives.
  • Employ Professional and Consulting Skills (SIOP 4, 16): Graduates will communicate effectively, perform a range of consulting and project management skills, and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams. Graduates may work as consultants to organizations seeking expertise in areas such as performance management, employee well-being, and leadership development.

Application Guidelines

University Requirements
Application Fee

$80 (fee is non-refundable)

Official Transcripts

Undergraduate/graduate

Applicants must submit a sealed, official transcript from every undergraduate and graduate institution that has granted the applicant a degree. Electronic transcripts sent to admissions@cgu.edu are also accepted. For undergraduate coursework, applicants are required to submit proof of a completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Unofficial copies of transcripts are accepted for review purposes, but official copies will be required upon admission.

Applicants currently earning a degree that will be completed prior to attending CGU are required to submit a transcript showing work in progress for evaluation purposes. Once the degree has been granted, a final official transcript documenting the degree conferred must be submitted to CGU.

International applicants are advised to review the International Transcript Guidelines for additional information on submitting international transcripts.

English Proficiency Exam

Required (international applicants only)

A valid score on one of the following examinations TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson PTE, Duolingo English Test is required of all non-native English-speaking applicants. The examination is not required for the following applicants:

  • Citizens or permanent residents of countries where English is the sole official language of instruction, e.g., Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada (except Quebec), England, Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobago, Uganda, and Wales (see the CGU Bulletin for a complete list of accepted countries).
  • Applicants who hold an undergraduate or advanced degree, or will have earned such a degree prior to enrolling at CGU, from an institution in the US or in countries where English is the sole official language of instruction (see above).
  • Applicants who have successfully completed an academic English pre-master’s or intensive graduate bridge program from a nationally recognized, regionally accredited four-year college or university in the United States in the last two years, with submitted evidence of successful completion, and subject to curriculum approval.
  • CGU allows for an English proficiency waiver if the applicant has received, or will receive prior to enrollment at CGU, an undergraduate or advanced degree from an institution where English is one of the primary languages of instruction for the majority of courses in the student’s program. To receive the waiver, documentation must be provided by the applicant to show that English is the language of instruction at their university/college.

CGU’s school code for the TOEFL exam is 4053.

International applicants are encouraged to visit our International Applicants page for more information, including score requirements.

Resume

Applicants must submit an up-to-date copy of their resume.

Program Requirements
Statement of Purpose

Please submit a 2-3 page statement of purpose that details your academic and/or professional achievements, your specific areas of research interest within your desired field of study, why you are a strong candidate for graduate studies at CGU, and your career goals.

Academic Prerequisites

3 years of work experience is preferred.

Letter of Recommendation

2 letters required

When filling out the online application, please enter references acquainted with your potential for success who will submit a written recommendation on your behalf. In most academic departments, references from faculty members who can speak to your academic ability are preferred; applicants with substantial work experience may request professional references. Please do not enter family members as references.

You will be required to input information for your recommenders (whether they are submitting online or not) in the “Recommendations” section of the online application. Please follow the directions in this section carefully before clicking on “Recommendation Provider List” to input the names and contact information for each recommender. You will have an opportunity to indicate if the reference writer will be submitting online. These reference writers will receive an email from CGU with instructions on submitting an online recommendation.

Recommenders who are indicated as offline will not receive an email from CGU with instructions to submit. These reference writers can submit via traditional mail and should use the supplemental New Student Recommendation Form. Recommenders can also email their letter of recommendation to the Office of Admissions at admissions@cgu.edu.

Download the Recommendation Form

Interview

Required

Upon review of your application, you may be invited for an interview, which is required for admission. An admission decision will not be issued until the interview is complete.

Key Dates & Deadlines

CGU operates on a priority deadline cycle. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit complete applications by the priority dates in order to assure maximum consideration for both admission and fellowships.

Once the priority deadlines have passed, the University will continue to review applications for qualified candidates on a competitive, space-available basis. The final deadlines listed are the last date the University can accept an application in order to allow sufficient time to complete the admissions, financial aid, and other enrollment processes.

Fall 2025
Priority Deadline – February 1, 2025
Final Deadline (International) – July 5, 2025
Final Deadline (Domestic) – August 1, 2025
Classes begin – August 25, 2025

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Cost & Aid

Tuition and Fees

ESTIMATED TUITION (CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, NON-RESIDENTS, INTERNATIONAL)
Program 72 units
Tuition per unit* $2,020

*Based on 2024-2025 tuition rates.

 

STUDENT FEES (PER SEMESTER)
$245 Student Fee
$150 Technology Fee
International Student Services Fee*: $661 fall semester, $776 spring semester
**Applies to all international students (F-1 visa only) who are registered in coursework, doctoral study, or continuous registration. The fee is assessed each fall and spring semester for annual ISO accident and sickness plans and administrative fees. Subject to change.

For estimates of room & board, books, etc., please download CGU’s Cost of Attendance 2024-2025.

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