Doctoral study in Positive Organizational Psychology trains scholars whose research seeks to enhance and broaden the human experience within organizational settings.
The applications of positive psychology to improving performance and quality of work are immediate and clear. This distinctive program trains scholars to improve organizational effectiveness and individual work life through advanced research in positive psychology. Ideal for those committed to creating socially responsible organizations, the program explores how to meet the challenges of an increasingly diverse workforce in a global economy and community. You’ll have access to a wide array of collaborative research opportunities. From experience sampling methods to quasi-experimental designs, surveys, and interviews, our faculty and students focus their research on lifelong processes and outcomes of behavior as they affect quality of human life.
Program Highlights
Curriculum and graduate seminars provide students with the theoretical, methodological, and practical experience to pursue careers in academia or in a range of high-level research and consulting positions.
CGU leaped to the forefront of positive psychology research in 1999, when Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi founded the Quality of Life Research Center, a nonprofit institute that researches a range of cutting-edge issues in positive psychology and provides a forum for scholars from across the globe to extend their research and studies in the field.
Proximity to organizations in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties provides many employment and educational opportunities for students.
All organizational psychology research graduate students are encouraged to gain practical experience through projects, internships, or jobs, often at CGU’s research centers and affiliates, such as the Claremont Evaluation Center or the Health Psychology and Prevention Science Institute.
All organizational psychology research students who request financial aid receive fellowships. DBOS also regularly hires students for paid teaching assistantships.
DBOS offers a certificate program and professional development workshops in evaluation and applied methods for those seeking continuing education.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Director, Center for Academic & Faculty Excellence
Research Interests
Work stress; work-life issues; workplace victimization and incivility; relational practices and cultures; diversity; positive organizational interventions to enhance well-being and performance.
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)
Social psychology; volunteerism and prosocial action; environmental concerns; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues; sense of community; civic engagement and civil society
Positive Organizational Psychology Core Courses (20 units)
Foundations of Positive Psychology (4 units)
Advanced Topics in Organization Psychology OR Positive Psychology (4 units)
Doctoral Seminar in Organizational Behavior (4 units)
Positive Organizational Psychology (4 units)
Doctoral Seminar in Organizational Theory OR Doctoral Seminar in Organizational Development & Change (4 units)
Positive Organizational Psychology & Related Electives (24 units)
Students are required to take an additional 24 units of Positive Organizational Psychology or related coursework, following an approved plan of study. Choose from:
Doctoral Seminar on Industrial Psychology (4 units)
Positive Psychology Research Practicum (2 to 4 units)
Motivation & Peak Performance (4 units)
Flow: The Psychology of Positive Experience (2 units)
Creativity & Innovation (2 units)
Job Design (2 units)
Good Work (4 units)
Appreciative Inquiry for Organizational Change (2 units)
Organizational Learning: Theory & Practice (4 units)
Organizational Culture (4 units)
Leadership (4 units)
Training & Development (4 units)
Theory & Practice of Consulting (4 units)
Adult Development: Classic & Positive Perspectives (4 units)
The Study of Experience (4 units)
Advanced Qualitative Research Methods (4 units)
Talent Management (4 units)
Interpersonal Dynamics in Organizations (4 units)
Jobs, Careers & Calling (4 units)
Students are also encouraged to take elective courses in the School of Educational Studies, the Drucker School of Management, the Division of Politics & Economics, the Center for Information Systems & Technology, the School of Arts & Humanities, and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences.
Statistics & Methodology (20 units)
Research Methods (4 units)
Directed Research Seminar: Organizational Behavior (two 2-unit courses)
Intermediate Statistics (2 units)
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) (2 units)
Categorical Data Analysis (2 units)
Applied Multiple Regression (2 units)
PSYCH 315 Sequence: 4 additional units of Advanced Methodology
Field/Teaching Experience (4 units)
Supervised Teaching Seminar (4 units) or
Field Placement (4 units)
Transdisciplinary Core Course (4 units)
All PhD students are required to enroll in a transdisciplinary core course from the “TNDY” course sequence during their first three semesters at Claremont Graduate University.
Portfolio
In addition to 72 units of coursework, all students must complete a portfolio that represents a cohesive set of experiences balancing training in their area of specialization.
PhD Completion
PhD qualifying exam
Dissertation proposal
Dissertation and oral defense
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.
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.
For applicants applying to begin in a 2024 term, standardized test scores are not required for this program. Applicants who have taken the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test are invited to submit scores but are not required to do so.
Applicants who feel that their Grade Point Averages do not adequately represent their ability to succeed in a graduate program may find it helpful to submit GRE scores for consideration.
CGU’s school code:
ETS (GRE and TOEFL) 4053
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.
Spring 2025
Priority Deadline – November 1, 2024
Final Deadline (International) – November 15, 2024
Final Deadline (Domestic) – December 1, 2024
Classes begin – January 21, 2025
Summer 2025
Priority Deadline – February 1, 2025
Final Deadline (International) – March 1, 2025
Final Deadline (Domestic) – April 1, 2025
Classes begin – May 19, 2025
Fall 2025
Priority Deadline – February 1, 2025
Final Deadline (International) – July 5, 2025
Final Deadline (Domestic) – August 1, 2025
Classes begin – August 25, 2025
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.
The applications of positive psychology to improving performance and quality of work are immediate and clear. This distinctive program trains scholars to improve organizational effectiveness and individual work life through advanced research in positive psychology. Ideal for those committed to creating socially responsible organizations, the program explores how to meet the challenges of an increasingly diverse workforce in a global economy and community. You’ll have access to a wide array of collaborative research opportunities. From experience sampling methods to quasi-experimental designs, surveys, and interviews, our faculty and students focus their research on lifelong processes and outcomes of behavior as they affect quality of human life.
