M.A. Counseling Psychology: Organizational Track

Adults spend approximately one third of their lives at work. The organizations they work for are comprised of a wide variety of people trying to achieve personal and organizational goals. OB track students learn how the workplace impacts the individual, how individuals can influence the workplace to be more productive and a better place to work, and how to deal with the problems and potentials of the people in the organization. Graduates work as consultants, in private practice, in employee assistance programs, and many choose to emphasize their counseling and therapy skills for adults in more traditional venues. Some graduates who work in large mental health organizations have found the OB track helpful in advancing their careers into management or supervisory roles.

OB track students learn to use a systematic model for developing interventions. It begins with a needs analysis, in which the consultant and client gather data to determine the scope of the intervention. The consultant and client jointly develop goals, decide on the intervention, and develop a schedule based on the needs analysis and the client’s resources. The consultant may design a unique intervention or use a variation of an existing one. As the intervention proceeds additional data is gathered to verify that planned change is occurring and the intervention is functioning as planned.

The OB track consists of three courses. OB-I is a general survey of the field, with emphases on leadership, motivation, and organizational and team dynamics and structure. OB-II introduces behavioral and cognitive analysis methods for solving organizational problems and improving individual performance. It then moves into job stress and stressors and mental health issues at work. OB-III is concerned with developing organizational change skills and creating, implementing, or facilitating planned organizational interventions. In the third trimester students complete a field placement with a local organization. This experience supports the integration of theory, research, and practice. Some recent examples of projects include:

The OB track can be differentiated from a program in organizational psychology in that this program is primarily concerned with training generalist counseling psychologists; OB graduates have additional skills in the area of organizational consultation. Organization Behavior and Behavior Therapy students have the same practicum opportunities and requirements.