The new program, coordinated by Sheryl A. Youngblood, Ph.D., trains students in two ways. The industrial aspect, also known as personnel psychology, involves human resource planning, job analysis, development of employee testing, selection and placement programs, the design of performance appraisal systems, job evaluation for equitable compensation, the integration of legal issues in personnel policies, and the design and analysis of training and development programs.
Organizational psychology is concerned with human factors and working conditions.
It focuses on how productivity and organizational behavior is influenced by structural characteristics and quality of work life issues, such as team dynamics, employee attitudes, job satisfaction, leadership behavior, job design, conflict, union-management relations, organizational career development, personality characteristics and stress in the workplace. The degree with combined classes from the psychology and business programs will make the graduate highly marketable. It is a very unique opportunity that is not offered at other universities. Positions in human resources are numerous, including specializations in occupational analysis, employee relations, job development, benefits, recruitment, training, industrial relations, placement, labor relations, market research and employee assistance. In addition to the communication arts minor, students of this interdisciplinary program take business classes.