Southern New Hampshire University's online Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration with a concentration in Industrial-Organizational Psychology goes beyond the typical psychology degree. It explores how human behavior relates to organizational goals, and it offers strategies that can help you build an effective workplace. This degree provides a unique blend of psychology and business courses to help you develop skills to solve individual, group, and organizational problems and influence organizational change.

Learn how to:

- Develop business management approaches that align with organizational philosophies

- Help build collaborative relationships with diverse teams

- Problem-solve across functional areas by integrating personal values with ethical, legal and socially responsible business practices

- Explain the implications of global and societal contexts on business decisions

- Recommend strategic and creative business options using data

- Communicate effectively to diverse internal and external audiences

- Use research to learn how to constructively address various business needs

- Examine the ways psychological research and theories inform approaches to workplace issues, motivation, and employee performance

By earning a business psychology degree online, you'll build a solid educational foundation that can prepare you to improve organizational performance and productivity in any company or organization, big or small, public or private. Along with gaining a strong business foundation in marketing, accounting, and finance, in the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration with a concentration in Industrial-Organizational Psychology program online, you'll learn the key concepts of psychology, including scientific investigation, motivation, personality, intelligence, behavioral deviation, perception, learning, and development. Courses are taught by instructors with professional credentials and experience in related fields.

"The concentration in industrial-organizational psychology integrates theories, research, case studies, and practical examples to examine various workplace issues and important concepts like motivation, team dynamics, and supporting high employee performance, said Dr. Barbara Lesniak, senior associate dean of social sciences at Southern New Hampshire University."

This business psychology degree includes 4 main curriculum components:

- General education (42 credits)

- Business core courses (30 credits)

- Concentration courses (15 credits)

- Free electives (33 credits)

Together, the 120 credits that make up your business psychology degree can prepare you for a career in business, a graduate degree in business or psychology, or all of the above. With 33 free electives (the equivalent of 11 courses), the possibilities to customize your degree to your interests and career goals are numerous. Our curriculum is designed with you in mind. The general education courses, such as writing, statistics, and economics often align with many other associate degrees and bachelor's degree programs across the nation. If you haven't already taken them, you will need to complete courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and applied statistics as part of the general education requirements. The business core courses are designed to provide a strong foundation in financial, management, and analytical skills that can help you be successful in any career field you choose.

You'll take business core courses such as:

- Financial Accounting: Learn about the accounting cycle, and how to prepare financial documents in accordance with best practices and industry regulations. Communication skills and analytical skills are emphasized in this course.

- Business Law: Examine the background and foundation of the legal system in the United States and how it relates to business management. Topics such as torts, contracts, and product liability are addressed.

- Introduction to Marketing: Every business degree will touch on marketing skills in some way because meeting the needs of customers and the goals of the organization are everyone's responsibility.

"You may learn to conduct market research, as well as how to promote, distribute and price a variety of products and services. The concentration in industrial-organizational psychology provides a comprehensive overview of various career options. This starts in Introduction to Psychology, which presents basic psychology concepts through the lens of 5 themes: self-care, social justice, emotional intelligence, ethics, and career connections, Lesniak said."

These last 3 in particular have a close alignment with the business world. The concepts show up again in later courses, as well.

Concentration courses may include:

- Introduction to Psychology: This course provides an introduction to the scientific study of behavior. Topics include how to evaluate research, as well as exploration of different areas of specialization within the field of psychology.

- Social Psychology: How an individual's thoughts, feelings, and actions are connected and affected by others is the foundation of this course. Such issues as conformity, prejudice, and interpersonal attraction are covered. The scientific method continues to be emphasized.

- Industrial-Organizational Psychology: The core of this course is to focus on workplace effectiveness through research, assessment, and interventions in the office environment. This is where you'll learn to synthesize your business and psychology studies. You may examine a variety of professional options for the application of your degree.

- Cognitive Psychology: Areas relating to memory, thinking, problem-solving and language are the focus of this class. Topics include the study of memory disorders, learning disorders, and other brain issues.

- Cross-Cultural Psychology: The cultural makeup of an organization can greatly impact patterns of employee behavior. Topics in this course include the formation and reduction of prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping in the business environment.

Finally, your 33 free electives are an opportunity to customize your degree even further. You could choose from across the business and psychology curricula to create the learning experience that helps you best reach your personal and professional goals. To help you meet these goals, every class at SNHU is taught by professionals working in the field.

"Each term the students and I have dynamic conversations about how these topics are not just relevant in the work environment but also how they play a role in our lives, said Dr. Melissa Oleshansky, adjunct instructor of psychology at Southern New Hampshire University. As a clinical psychologist during the day, I share with the class clinical case studies of how work stress impacts the mental health of employees and business owners. I offer a safe and nurturing environment for each student to explore their thoughts."

For many students at SNHU, it's the expertise and support of their instructors that sets the university apart.

"Every instructor I had [in the BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Industrial-Organizational Psychology program] was completely invested in their course," said Jackie Lancaster '19. "They worked in their respective field and shared a wealth of knowledge and experience. Each student was welcome and encouraged to share in class. Instructors responded with positivity and thoughtful conversation to help support students and solidify the curriculum."

Shelbi Sniff, another student of the program, offers a similar sentiment. "All of the instructors have been magnificent to work with," she said. "They respond in a timely manner and are willing to devote extra time for you if needed."

Expanding access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. That's why you can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials:

- Completed free undergraduate application

- Prior transcripts, which we can retrieve at no cost to you

- Test scores are not required as part of your application Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 6 (8-week) undergraduate terms.

$150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)