Program Training

Guidelines for the Ph.D.

Below is a set of rough guidelines that constitutes reasonable progress toward a Ph.D. degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Purdue University:

First Year

• Orientation into the program
• Basic course work:

  PSY 680A and B -  industrial and organizational survey courses

  PSY 681A and B -  experimental design and method sequence

  PSY 600, 601 -  statistics sequence

• Research experience and research-oriented coursework
• Select major professor, committee members, and general area of interest for master's research; file master's plan of study by the end of the year

Second Year

• Obtain master's degree (write and defend thesis proposal, conduct research, pass oral examination)
• Take additional substantive coursework (e.g., seminars, research courses)
• Begin work in major area of specialization for the Ph.D. degree.

Third Year

• Completion of preliminary exams.
• Additional research experience
• Increase experience presenting at seminars and conventions
• Complete course requirements in your supporting program

Fourth Year

• Complete dissertation (write and defend proposal, conduct research, pass oral examination)

Examination and Special Requirements

The following lists the examinations and special requirements for the master's and doctoral degree.

STUDENT EVALUATION

At the end of each semester, the performance of each graduate student is evaluated by the I/O psychology faculty. Following the evaluation session, the student's major professor will sit down with the student and communicate the faculty evaluation with as much specific feedback as possible so that the student will be aware of the faculty's opinion and will be able to set realistic goals for the following semester.

The evaluation focuses on three major areas: (1) academic performance and degree progress, (2) performing research and/or teaching assistantship duties (if applicable), and (3) research initiative and performance. Because of the high research orientation of the program, research activity weighs at least as heavily as classroom performance in ongoing evaluations of whether a student should continue on for a Ph.D.

MASTER'S DEGREE FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION

This examination is taken after completing the master's thesis, and it usually involves an oral defense of the thesis.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

The preliminary examination is to be taken when the student has completed all or most of the course work for the Ph.D. The preliminary examination consists of two parts. First, there are two four-hour examinations which are administered on two consecutive days. Second, each student is given a week to respond to an integrative question designed to complement his or her particular area of expertise. These exams cover the course areas that are represented in the student's plan of study, but they are not restricted to the material covered in those courses. They include material from all areas of I/O psychology. A substantial portion of the preliminary examination is also devoted to methodological and statistical issues such as measurement, multivariate data analysis, and research methods. The preliminary examination may contain questions relating to the student's related area or areas at the discretion of the representatives from those areas on the student's advisory committee.

Satisfactory performance on all parts of the the preliminary examination constitutes admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. If the student performs unsatisfactorily on any one part of the exam, the student is usually allowed to take that part again.

FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION

The final oral examination is taken after the dissertation has been completed; at least two full terms must elapse after admission as a candidate before the final oral examination is scheduled.