Adler University’s professor Shawn Ireland said that university training is looking at clearing misconceptions about industrial and organizational psychology. People generally assume that in psychology, experts do psycho analysis or a psychologist is a shrink.
The Vancouver campus program director of the organizational-psychology program said that an important distinction is that the psychologists are trained as clinicians but they do not do any clinical work in organizations. The subject includes examining the interaction of systems and structures which eventually helps in managing and enhancing the performance and well-being of people working in an organization.
The university is looking at creating individuals who not only care about getting a job and making money but also is passionately committed to the mission. Adler University is offering a master of arts and a master’s in industrial and organizational psychology, along with a doctor of psychology in clinical psychology.
Ireland said that the major difference is that the master of arts has a research thesis and the master’s in organizational psychology has a capstone project with each being 2 years’ full time course. Professor Shawn Ireland will be part of the team as a psychologist and will help manage transitions for the professionals. The team will also provide data to authorities to make decisions in non profit or governmental agencies. All of these resources can be accessed through the Adler Connect Portal.
Organizational psychology traditionally focuses on the work environment, health and wellness of employees, and the culture of a company, nonprofit, or government body. But this program has an industrial side that includes research, evidence, and assessment and that is the reason the course requires passionate students. The students (industrial and organizational psychologists) who will be part of the program are sometimes retained when there are company mergers or corporate acquisitions.
