MA in Applied Psychology | Industrial/Organizational

Credit Hours

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Next Start Dates: January 19, 2026 | February 16, 2026 | March 23, 2026

Build Effective Business Communities with an Industrial Organizational Psychology Online Degree

Conferring Liberty University’s Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Psychology – Industrial/Organizational (IO) Psychology degree online could help equip you for a career in seeking to understand the intricacies of the human mind and behavior. Our online organizational psychology masters can build upon your passion for helping people build more effective professional communities.

Through our online master’s in IO psychology, you will study the human mind and behavior that affect the inner workings of any industry. You can learn how industries like business, research, ministry, and education have different impacts on the people who work in them. Understanding how people learn and grow is important for creating products and services that meet human needs. With these insights, you can become better equipped to help people work together and build more successful products and services.

A study in psychology is marketable and practical in many different businesses and organizations. Our online master’s in IO psychology degree is a route for you to learn how to become a valuable employee or an effective leader who can help people grow and change for the better. If you want to use insight in applied psychology to solve business problems or develop your human services career, then our online IO psychology master’s degree may be for you!

Your officially conferred degree name will be Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Psychology – Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

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Why Choose Liberty’s Online Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology?

Liberty’s master’s in applied psychology is offered 100% online with each course taught from a Christian worldview. Our goal is to provide students with foundational training in the study of psychology by understanding and optimizing human functioning while glorifying God.

Through Liberty University’s online master’s degree in applied psychology, you can be equipped with the written and verbal skills you need to work toward a career in helping people overcome real-world problems. Our online master’s in IO psychology is taught by a cadre of expert professors who are committed to helping you succeed inside and outside of the classroom. With no set login times and convenient 8-week online courses, you can earn this degree while remaining committed to your job, family, and community.

Each course seeks to bridge psychological understandings with a biblical worldview. You can learn about lifespan development and industrial organization by applying these concepts in real-world settings through practical assignments and projects. Our online masters in applied psychology can better prepare you for many human services and psychology research roles – such as program development evaluators, government social services agents, industrial psychologists, and service coordinators.

In our industrial and organizational psychology concentration, you will study how to apply your knowledge of psychology to understand human thinking and behavior in organizations. This can help you establish better work conditions and structural cohesion in the workplace.

The hiring skills, communication, and professional development training you will receive in the industrial/organizational psychology area of study can help you develop the employee and management structure of a business or organization. With these goals, you can help to enhance performance and satisfaction in corporate business, nonprofit, and ministry organizations.

The time has never been better to pursue your online master’s degree in applied psychology. Don’t delay – partner with us, gain valuable knowledge, and take your career to new heights!

What Will You Study with the Online Master’s in Applied Psychology – Industrial Organizational Psychology?

Liberty University’s master’s in organizational psychology online program is designed to give you the knowledge you need to work with companies and organizations in any industry. You can use this expertise in human behavior to help develop new programs and strategies to make workplaces happier and more effective. Through this degree in industrial organizational psychology, you can learn the research methods and strategies that can help you solve problems in these roles.

The core content of the online applied organizational psychology program provides a basis for evaluating and applying research to help you address real-world problems from a scientific point of view. Students in our online master’s in applied psychology will study advanced concepts in social psychology, cognitive psychology, and other major areas in psychology. In addition, you can learn how these studies integrate with a Christian worldview.

The industrial organizational psychology program of study for our online master’s in applied psychology can help equip you to apply the core concepts of human thought and development. This degree focuses on the study of behavior in workplace environments, leadership skills and techniques, personnel management, and other psychological applications for business.

Additionally, this area of study can help you become an expert in assessing, addressing, and approving changes in organizational structure. You can also develop stronger leadership skills and nurture employee talent.

Potential Career Opportunities

Employment counselor
Hiring manager
Human resource analyst
Social service manager

As a graduate of our industrial psychology degree, you can have a flexible, advanced degree capable of serving you well for years to come. This program can help prepare you for psychology research, hands-on business mental health support roles, and many human resources and healthcare benefits roles in business.

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Tuition & Aid

At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Over the last 10 years, Liberty University’s Online Program has only raised its standard tuition costs by less than 5% – and most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors.

Graduate Full Time	$580/Credit
Graduate Part Time	$645/Credit
Military Graduate	$290/Credit

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Admission Information for Our MA in Applied Psychology – Industrial/Organizational Degree

Admission Requirements

Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.5 GPA is required for admission in good standing. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or at least 12 graduate credits from an accredited institution will be assessed on the basis of the master’s-level degree work.
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application.
Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Unofficial College Transcript Policy

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
Cumulative GPA
A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

Submit your application online or over the phone.

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Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

Active Duty
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/Retirees
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

Tuition discounts – $290 per credit hour for graduate courses
Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder*
8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Frequently Asked Questions for the MA in Applied Psychology

What is industrial organizational psychology?

Often called organizational effectiveness psychologists or business psychologists, industrial/organizational (IO) psychologists work in a very practical branch of human behavior studies. The study of IO Psychology applies the knowledge of human behavior to workplace communities.

By understanding how people work together and function in the workplace, IO psychologists can find ways to make the day-to-day operation of businesses run more smoothly. Their goal is to help employee performance and improve the success of leadership efforts. IO psychologists can make businesses run better in any industry where people need to work together for a common goal.

What does an industrial/organizational psychologist do?

IO psychology is a problem-solving discipline. As an IO psychologist, you will study how people learn, grow, and interact in workplace communities. You can work with individuals and leaders in business, nonprofits, and government agencies to find ways to improve efficiency and workplace satisfaction.

Many IO psychologists work with human resources management and leadership to examine their current workplace health and develop strategies for improvement. Many IO psychologists also work directly with employees and leadership to understand their workplace challenges and stresses in order to provide solutions. With practical solutions that work toward measurable goals, the role of an IO psychologist is very hands-on and direct.

Through this profession, you may examine stresses and challenges in day-to-day work and apply advanced psychology techniques to find effective solutions. This practical study of psychology can help you make business communities happier and more successful.

Do you need a PhD to become an industrial/organizational psychologist?

While a PhD in IO psychology could be your end goal if you want to pursue this unique profession, an MA in IO Psychology is typically all that you need to work as an IO psychologist. Because many companies and organizations work with IO psychologists in a business setting, there are many opportunities for careers outside of a clinical environment. Because most work in this field isn’t in a clinical setting, there are fewer requirements for state licensure or regulated training.

For teaching at a college level in the areas of industrial/organizational psychology, or for clinical settings where you are using grants, many roles will require that you have earned a PhD. If you want to pursue a PhD in IO Psychology, you will need a thorough background in the field. This background can be most efficiently gained through Liberty’s MA in Applied Psychology – Industrial Organizational Psychology degree online.

How do I become an industrial/organizational psychologist?

With an MA in Applied Psychology – Industrial/Organizational Psychology, you can gain the knowledge you need to work in the field. You can have expertise in psychology and human behavior, as well as research and statistics skills, to demonstrate results to clients. With the specific, practical application of psychology to business and organizational problems, you can be a valuable asset in many industries. With the IO psychology master’s program, you can gain the skills and knowledge you need to be an excellent IO psychologist.

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*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

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MA in Applied Psychology – Industrial/Organizational Shape Better Workplaces

Build Effective Business Communities with an Industrial Organizational Psychology Online Degree

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Why Choose Liberty’s Online Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology?

What Will You Study with the Online Master’s in Applied Psychology – Industrial Organizational Psychology?

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Tuition & Aid

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Admission Information for Our MA in Applied Psychology – Industrial/Organizational Degree

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Preliminary Acceptance

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

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Frequently Asked Questions for the MA in Applied Psychology

What is industrial organizational psychology?

What does an industrial/organizational psychologist do?

Do you need a PhD to become an industrial/organizational psychologist?

How do I become an industrial/organizational psychologist?

Are you ready to change your future?

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