Admission Requirements

• Test Scores - Submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). The I/O program will accept scores from any one of these tests.
• Letters of Recommendation - Two letters of recommendation from working professionals who received a bachelor’s degree more than five years ago are suggested to seek out recommenders who can speak to their capabilities and potential as an I/O or HR professional (e.g., supervisors, coworkers, individuals with an advanced I/O degree). Applicants who have recently graduated from a bachelor’s program, should seek out academic recommenders who can speak to their potential for graduate studies.
• Statement of Purpose - Minimally, the statement should address: (a) motivation for seeking a degree in I/O psychology, (b) preparation for graduate studies in I/O Psychology, and (c) expectation of how the degree will positively impact your career. Statements should be kept to approximately two pages.
• Degree - Applicants must also have a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body (the Graduate School requires that applicants upload transcripts from each institution attended). While a degree in psychology or business is not required, applicants with backgrounds in these disciplines may be given preferential treatment.
• Additional Requirements - The Graduate School has additional requirements for applications. Please see The Graduate School  section and/or the website at graduateschool.uncc.edu for additional details.

Admission to the program is competitive. Applicants whose native language is other than English must offer acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (see graduateschool.uncc.edu for what constitutes an acceptable score). Applications should be submitted by February 1 of years that applications are accepted (applications are accepted on an every other year basis).

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 31 credit hours of graduate coursework is required.  Courses will be required during the Summer Session between the first and second year in the program.  Additional details about these requirements can be found in the I/O Psychology Graduate Student Handbook.

Degree Total = 31-36 Credit Hours

Grade Requirements

Students who receive two grades of C or one Unsatisfactory (U) grade during their graduate career are automatically terminated from the program.

Students must complete either a comprehensive examination or orally defend a thesis project.  Failure to pass the qualifying exam or the oral defense after two attempts will result in termination from the program.

Practica and Applied Experiences

Students who desire I/O-related work experiences have a wide range of opportunities for applied experiences. These can occur as part of a formal practicum experience (i.e., internships) or more informally through the UNC Charlotte Organizational Science Consulting and Research Unit. While practicum experiences are not required as part of the program, Faculty and Advisory Board members have connections within the local community to help students find relevant experiences.