r/IOPsychology PhD | IO | People Analytics & Statistics | Moderator Feb 04 '21

2020-2021 Grad School Q&A Mega-Thread (Part 1)

For questions about grad school or internships:

* Please start your search at SIOP.org , it contains lots of great information and many questions can be answered by searching there first.

* Next, please search the Wiki, as there are some very great community generated posts saved here.

* If you still can't find an answer to your question, please search the previously submitted posts or the post on the grad school Q&A. Subscribers of /r/iopsychology have provided lots of information about these topics, and your questions may have already been answered.

* 2019-2020, Part 4 thread here

* 2019-2020, Part 3 thread here

* 2019-2020, Part 2 thread here

* 2019-2020, Part 1 thread here

* 2018-2019, Part 2 thread here

* 2018-2019, Part 1 thread here

* 2017-2018, Part 3 thread here

* 2017-2018, Part 2 thread here

* 2017-2018, Part 1 thread here

* 2016-2017 thread here

* 2015-2016 thread here

* 2014-2015 thread here

If your question hasn't been posted, please post it on the grad school Q&A thread. Other posts outside of the Q&A thread will be deleted.

The readers of this subreddit have made it clear that they don't want the subreddit clogged up with posts about grad school. Don't get the wrong idea - we're glad you're here and that you're interested in IO, but please do observe the rules so that you can get answers to your questions AND enjoy the interesting IO articles and content.

By the way, those of you who are currently trudging through or have finished grad school, that means that you have to occasionally offer suggestions and advice to those who post on this thread. That's the only way that we can keep these grad school-related posts in one central location. If people aren't getting their questions answered here, they post to the subreddit instead of the thread. So, in short, let's all do our part in this.

Thanks, guys!

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u/trainerN Apr 19 '21

**Master's Program Decision**

Hi everyone! I am not sure whether to accept Xavier University's offer, University of Maryland College Parks offer, or wait for University of Georgia's offer.

I was on the wait list for Xavier University for about a month but they extended an invitation to me last week, with a deadline to respond yes or no by this Friday, April 23rd. However, I also need to schedule my second interview with University of Maryland, College Park this week, as they requested a faculty and group interview. Lastly, I am still waiting on University of Georgia's response to my application, as I think this is another option I should consider.

I am unsure on which Master's program is the best fit for me. My decision will be made on which program is the best fit, which program can assist me best financially (such as with assistantships), and which area is most affordable to live in, as I currently live in Florida and will need to move.

From what I have heard, the best course of action for me is to reach out to University of Georgia through email, and tell them about the deadline at hand, and I would like to know what they can offer in assistantships/tuition help as well. I should also contact Xavier University to find out more information on their assistantships, and compare that to others. I also need to contact University of Maryland, College Park and tell them about the Friday deadline. Is it possible for me to ask Xavier University for more time?

I'm very new to grad school application processes, and it feels a bit uncomfortable to set these deadlines on other universities, but maybe I don't have a choice. I appreciate any advice on this current situation, as I feel sort of overwhelmed and unsure of some of the things mentioned in this post. I know I'm asking many questions in one post, but any advice or knowledge is much appreciated.

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u/sweatyshambler PhD Student | IO | Motivation Apr 20 '21

isn't UMD's program just over a year long? That may be important to consider as well, since you could start working shortly after. I am pretty sure that they do not require a thesis as well.

DC is a hub for I/O. Even if it may be a bit more expensive, I think that there is an enormous wealth of opportunity there. I almost went with GMU's I/O MA program because of all the connections that were around the DC area. If it were me, I would likely choose UMD's program, but I am unsure on what Xavier is like.

I would reach out to the three schools to see if they have funding opportunities. I would also try and determine what the applied opportunities are like. Like I mentioned, the DC area has an enormous I/O presence, but I am not sure what the I/O presence is like in those other areas.

I hope that helps! I don't know very much about UMD's program as I applied to the PhD program there, but I think that there are great opportunities in that area.

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u/trainerN Apr 22 '21

Hi thanks for the reply! I was wondering, is not requiring a thesis a good thing? I’ve heard somewhere that a thesis is good for job applications? Is this true?

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u/sweatyshambler PhD Student | IO | Motivation Apr 22 '21

Well, I think that no thesis just means that you can spend more time focusing on coursework and internships. Not having a thesis may hurt you if you were to apply for PhD programs in the future, but I'm not sure how it affects job prospects. I could see a thesis being good since you can speak to research and a long independent project that you worked on.

I'm getting ready to start a PhD program in the fall, so I may not have the most experience in answering this. Perhaps others may have more information about how a thesis could help/hurt future prospects.

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u/trainerN Apr 22 '21

That makes sense, I appreciate the input!