Industrial Psychology majors study psychology as it applies to the workplace: attitudes of employees and employers, organizational behavior, workplace environment and its effects, and much, much more. You’ll study such things as personality, cognition, perception, and human development. You’ll learn about the biological side of behavior (which means you’ll also really know what chemicals aren’t at proper levels in a person with a chemical imbalance). You might be given the option to take relevant business courses, such as management, since you will focus on organizational settings. As an undergraduate, expect to get well acquainted with the basics of psychology in addition to the more specific field of Industrial Psychology. And as with all psychological fields, you’ll be doing a lot of research, experimentation, and documentation. You’ll learn—and use—statistics and other methods for data analysis. You’ll also learn about the great psychologists of the past and present, and how you might use, adapt, contradict, or support their findings with your own ideas.

Preparation

Psychology courses, if your high school offers them, are a great way to learn the basics you’ll cover in college. Science courses like biology and chemistry are very important, as are math courses, especially statistics. And since you’ll most likely be doing some research, hone your reading and writing skills so you can communicate your ideas effectively.