J o h n F K e n n e d y U n i v e r s i t y

ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGYMA PROGRAMThe Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology programeducates practitioners in the field organizational change.The 60-quarter-unit MA program fosters the competenciesthey need as internal or external consultants, managers, andchange leaders to help organizations achieve desired resultsby becoming more humane, diverse, sustainable, and sociallyresponsible.Through academic coursework, a master’s project, and fieldexperience, the program builds student competencies toconduct individual/organizational assessments, design andimplement interventions, and lead and facilitate groups. Itteaches consulting approaches that increase organizationallearning, appreciate diversity, encourage social responsibility,and promote ethical practices. It develops personal aptitudes,inner strength, and mental agility needed to impact corporate,public, and not-for-profit organizations.The program teaches both practice and theory. It aims,in other words, to nurture practitioner-scholars. Effectiveconsulting in today’s organizations requires more than atoolbox of skills. Organizations are becoming more diversein membership, more globally connected, more rapid-paced,chaotic, and complex. Change practitioners need to be ableto:• practice self-observation and be selective in the midst ofchange, confusion, and complexity;• think critically;• assess human systems utilizing theoretical constructs thatsuggest new applications;• know oneself;• establish client relationships; and• utilize all of the above to influence human systems.Aligned with the mission of John F. Kennedy Universityand of the Graduate School of Professional Psychology,the Organizational Psychology program supports studentand faculty learning that integrates practice and theory, selfand relationships, uniqueness and diversity, tradition andinnovation, and foundational knowledge and specialization.The program also provides extensive supervised fieldexperience, ongoing personal feedback, and instruction fromfaculty who excel at the skills they teach.Graduates of the Organizational Psychology program serve ina variety of roles including line and executive manager, teamdevelopment specialist, organizational change consultant,organization development manager, human resource businesspartner, organizational learning manager, project leaders,trainer, leadership coach, mediator, and conflict managementspecialist.Program Goals• To educate organizational change practitioners andset them on a path to growth as critically reflectivepractitioner-scholars who can assist client organizations toachieve desired results and become more human, diverse,sustainable, and socially responsible.• To strengthen student competencies in consulting, organizationalassessment, organizational intervention, group leadershipand development, action research and appreciativeinquiry, and in ethics, diversity, and social responsibility.• To nurture a community of practice in which students,faculty, and alumni reflect on experience, create knowledgethrough dialogue, and discover best practices.Practice ValuesThe MA program in Organizational Psychology educatespractitioners to inspire organizational systems to be humane,diverse, sustainable, socially responsible, and ethical.• Humane organizations are “good places to work” becausethey respect people and relationships and treat people assubjects, not objects; as collaborators, not resources to beused.• Diverse organizations appreciate and respect the cultural,racial, gender, and sexual orientations within the workforceand in the community they serve. They also recognize andharness the power of differences and the contributions ofdiverse perspectives to the decision-making process.• Sustainable organizations make careful use ofmaterial resources because they recognize that thenatural environment is a finite resource that requiresreplenishment. They recognize that people also need toreflect and rest. They know that productivity requiresthe synergy of many systems, each with their ownrequirements.• Socially responsible organizations seek the common good.They recognize their work as a contribution to the community,the nation, and the world beyond. If they are forprofitentities, they seek profit in a way that works for thecommon good.• Ethical organizations respect working agreements, rules,and laws. They are conscious of ethical dilemmas, takethese seriously, intentionally deliberate the issues, and seeksolutions that do no harm.GRADUATE SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 175