The Master of Science in Applied Psychology program (MAPP) focuses on psychology applied to business through both consumer and organizational perspectives. While other graduate programs may focus on one or the other, both are vital to managing the workforce and for effectively engaging with consumers. Our unique program equips you to speak to these challenges through the language of psychology.

We offer students two options for completing our program:

MAPP Residential: Students engage in a 1-year intensive On-Campus experience. MAPP’s residential courses are exclusive to students for that year’s cohort.

MAPP Online: Students from across the country participate in an innovate online program that is completed in four semesters and as few as 16 months. Online students experience the same small class sizes taught by world-class faculty. Learn more here.

Request More Information 

Apply Now

Program at a Glance

On Campus Online
9 Months (Full-Time) 16 Months (Part-Time)
34 Units 34 Units
Start: Fall Start: Fall / Spring / Summer

Program Learning Objectives

    Practical Application

    Learn and be able to apply key psychological theories and concepts to issues facing contemporary organizations, their employees, teams, and consumers.

    Research Implementation

    Be astute consumers of applied research, and be able to design, conduct, analyze and present to a business audience both qualitative and quantitative research that is responsive to business needs and credibly informs business decisions.

    Effective Communication

    Be able to advance organizational goals to internal and external constituencies using written, oral and social media communication.

    Career Adaptability

    Seek new opportunities to apply psychology in the ever-changing, diverse worlds of work and human endeavor and be prepared to think broadly and creatively about potential career applications.

    Featured Courses: 

    Our program includes foundational courses in applied psychology, organizational psychology, consumer behavior and applied research methods.

    Electives provide students an opportunity to specialize in areas such as UX, employee assessment, consumer insights, DEI, talent management, marketing analytics, and more.

    In order to gain direct experience, students also complete an applied internship and an original applied research project.

    Consumer Psychology

    Review of consumer psychology insights to better understand and intervene in consumer, user, and audience behavior.

    Organizational Psychology

    Examination of the psychological factors that impact employee motivation, job satisfaction, teamwork, leadership, and organizational development.

    Cross – Cultural Psychology in Applied Settings

    Examines major theoretical frameworks mapping worldwide cultures, focusing on applying that knowledge in organizations.

    User Experience

    Provides an in-depth review of UX researchers’ social science methods, including qualitative and quantitative approaches.

    Detailed Course List

      Core Courses

      Course Number Course Title
      PSYC 505 Research Methods in Applied Psychology
      PSYC 552 Consumer Psychology
      PSYC 565 Organizational Psychology
      PSYC 550 A Pro-seminar in Human Behavior: Foundations
      PSYC 550 B Pro-seminar in Human Behavior: Application

      Electives

      (Choose Any 2)

      Course Number Course Title
      PSYC 517 Group Dynamics and Leadership
      PSYC 521 Cross-Cultural Psychology in Applied Settings
      PSYC 523 User Experience Research
      PSYC 556 Psychology of Interactive Media
      PSYC 566
      		 Psychology of Employee Selection and Assessment
      PSYC 578 Workshop in Quantitative Methods

      Practicum

      Course Number Course Title
      PSYC 591  Internship in Applied Psychology
      PSYC 592 Treatise Capstone

      Experiential Learning

      Our program is focused on experiential learning, which refers to a process where students learn through practical experience, rather than just through theoretical instruction. This approach can provide students with a more holistic understanding of the subject matter, as they are able to apply theoretical concepts to real-world situations.

      Internship & Capstone Treatise

      All students complete both an applied internship and original applied research project (capstone treatise). The internship experience provides students the opportunity to explore exciting careers and industries while enhancing their work experience and professional network.

      The treatise projects demonstrate the ability to apply psychological theory and research methods to a real world organizational or consumer problem.

      Consulting Projects. Many students opt to conduct consulting projects as part of their capstone treatise requirements. These projects involve working with companies to conduct stakeholder-driven research, giving students the opportunity to experience all stages of a consulting project.

       

      Dublin Summer Internship

      Internationally recognized in 2018 by Go Abroad and in 2019 by the Professionals in International Education, our program offers an optional internship in Dublin, Ireland

      Students gain valuable experience and learn to apply your education to real-world situations in the Silicon Valley of Europe!

      Global Immersion Trip

      Our Spring Break Global Immersion trip is a unique opportunity to provide students with a global perspective. We are committed to providing a rich educational and cultural immersion experience exclusive to MAPP students, exploring topics like cross-cultural leadership, consumer marketing, and organizational change while experiencing the rich culture of the cities visited.

      MAPP professors help travelers gain the most from this trip to deepen student’s understanding of both consumer and organizational trends in across the world through onsite company visits and activities like immersive shopping experiences.