About Our Students
Another strength of the
program is the quality of our students. In fact, some of the best learning comes
from the discussions among the students both in and out of the classroom, which
is a benefit of the highly collaborative climate among the students and faculty
of our program. This type of environment leads not only to a healthy learning
environment—it leads to many lasting friendships as
well.
Where do we draw such top-quality students from? Sitting next to you in one of our recent classes would be students from throughout the southeast, nationally, and internationally. That means you could benefit from perspectives as varied as Canada, Venezuela, Australia, Japan, Turkey, Great Britain, India, Poland, all the states of the southeast, and many other states across the U.S.
One student (now alumnus), Faydra Hanchey, was recently on a local television show discussing the I/O program at MTSU and why she chose to come here. Click here to see a video clip of Faydra. You will need QuickTime in order to watch the video clip. If you don't have a recent version of QuickTime, a free version can be downloaded at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qt/.
Each year we admit about 10-12 new students to a program that requires a two-year full-time commitment for the Master's degree in I/O Psychology. We usually draw 60-80 applications that meet our minimal qualifications. Of those admitted, the typical average scores are: GPA 3.6, GRE-Quantitative 600, GRE-Verbal 470, and GRE-Analytical Writing 4.5 to 5.0. Of course, some of our students scored a little below those averages and some scored higher, but those are the group averages for our admitted students in recent years.
Many of our students seek assistantship support as well. While acceptance into the program does not automatically guarantee an assistantship, the prospects are good for finding one shortly after joining the program. Generally, most who have applied for an assistantship have received one during their first year in the program. Students most often get an assistantship from the Psychology Department, although we have also had success finding additional assistantship opportunities elsewhere on campus. That's not all...our students can also find paid positions on consulting projects and internships during their time here.
Many of our students come here immediately after completing their undergraduate degree. However, some of our students entered the workforce following their undergraduate days and now want the career opportunities our I/O Master's program provides. We are well-suited for either type of student who is willing to make a full-time commitment to the program. Here, "graduate student" is a full-time job, and we find that this approach enables our students to progress on as efficiently as possible to a successful I/O career.
You'll find our students keep active well beyond the classroom. We have a major emphasis on getting out and "doing" I/O, not just reading about it. That means our students get experience with a number of real-world applied projects before they graduate. It's certainly one of the reasons why our graduates have such success entering the job market and advancing quickly. How do we know? Our placement rate has hung around 100% for the last few years, and our alumni tell us their experience here has been vital to their success.
There are a number of other ways our students get involved in professional organizations and network with I/O and human resource professionals. This kind of networking also helps students find jobs upon completion of their degree.
You can learn more about our students, and get their perspective on life in our program, from our I/O Program Newsletter. Our students created the newsletter to share their views and other news about our program. Check it out!
If you are interested in becoming one of our students, contact us for more information or see how you can apply today!