Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am in my 30s and have a software engineering background. I hear that there is age discrimination in the field and have more of an interest in psychology so I have been thinking about pursuing this degree. I was looking into obtaining some type of joint data/tech position in the social sciences. Or perhaps stay in tech but pursue more of a business oriented direction. The degree costs a good chunk of change (approx. 3k per class, 10 classes) so I want to make sure this would be a good investment before pursuing. Not sure that my employer would pay for any of it. I have considered the MBA but they are so common these days and I think the I/O Psych degree would be more interesting. Would there be any value in this degree or would I be wasting my time and money?
Personally, I think this would be a great thing to get an MS in, it can be applied to nearly every field and adding psychology to anything is almost guaranteed to keep you employed. Many are most likely to tell you that you would be wasting your time and money, but don't listen to them. It is your time, your money, your life; not theirs.
It is possible to get funding for MS degrees, in particular if you are in a program with a thesis/research component. You may need to pay out of pocket your first year (or half of the year), though. Not sure what your situation is, but as an MS student you can work as an RA or TA (amongst other jobs), which couldl potentially cover the full costs of tuition. There are even funded MS programs: not too common, but not as rare as most believe.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,565 posts, read 81,147,605 times
Reputation: 57772
Large organizations are constantly working on improving their effectiveness with reorganization, analyzing their processes, and even by examining and improving their hiring practices/interview questions. With my degree in Psychology and graduate work I have had two good jobs, one as a management analyst and now as a manager where I have been doing this kind of work to some extent. Promoting and managing change for improvement is rewarding work. Having some years of work experience in the business and then adding the MS puts you in a better position than someone right out of college.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2009), career opportunities for people with graduate degrees in psychology are expected to grow approximately 12% by 2018.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2009), career opportunities for people with graduate degrees in psychology are expected to grow approximately 12% by 2018.
More specific to I/O psychology.
Quote:
Employment of industrial-organizational psychologists is projected to grow 53 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. Organizations use industrial-organizational psychologists to help select and keep employees, increase productivity, and improve office morale. However, because it is a small occupation, the fast employment growth will result in only about 900 new jobs over the 10-year period...Even industrial–organizational psychologists, despite much faster-than-average employment growth, are expected to face competition for positions due to the large number of qualified graduates. Industrial-organizational psychologists with extensive training in quantitative research methods and computer science may have a competitive edge.
Personally, I think this would be a great thing to get an MS in, it can be applied to nearly every field and adding psychology to anything is almost guaranteed to keep you employed. Many are most likely to tell you that you would be wasting your time and money, but don't listen to them. It is your time, your money, your life; not theirs.
It is possible to get funding for MS degrees, in particular if you are in a program with a thesis/research component. You may need to pay out of pocket your first year (or half of the year), though. Not sure what your situation is, but as an MS student you can work as an RA or TA (amongst other jobs), which couldl potentially cover the full costs of tuition. There are even funded MS programs: not too common, but not as rare as most believe.
You make some good points. I will have to look into the funding. Thanks for the post!
Large organizations are constantly working on improving their effectiveness with reorganization, analyzing their processes, and even by examining and improving their hiring practices/interview questions. With my degree in Psychology and graduate work I have had two good jobs, one as a management analyst and now as a manager where I have been doing this kind of work to some extent. Promoting and managing change for improvement is rewarding work. Having some years of work experience in the business and then adding the MS puts you in a better position than someone right out of college.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I have noticed based on my own experience and the experience of others I have spoken with that many organizations do not know how to interview people and end up asking the wrong questions. This is especially an issue in the tech industry.
It might be good to talk to job placement at the school and find out the likelihood of employment, also check with the chair of the department. How many graduates have they placed? What is the reputation of the School/program at the University? Is the program accredited? As it relates to tuition, I would run from student loans. Just pay your way and as someone said look for scholarships and grants- deliver pizza. Or also, work backwards. Identify the specific position you want and find out by reading ads, what preparation is needed. All the best!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
