About the Program | SDSU Applied Psychology M.S. Program

About the Program | SDSU Applied Psychology M.S. Program
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About the Program
Our objective is to prepare students for jobs that require the application of psychological knowledge to the workplace or to community settings. Although some students attend our program to prepare them for successful applications to doctoral (PhD) programs, most students accept challenging jobs in public, private, or non-profit organizations upon graduation.
About the Program
Lisa Smith
2026-02-13T11:59:11-08:00
Our Program
Our MS in Applied Psychology program is divided into two tracks, both based on the scientist-practitioner model. In this training model, students engage in rigorous quantitative research in psychology and apply scientific knowledge to problems in organizational settings.
Both tracks require 38 units of coursework, a 300-hour internship, and an independent research thesis. These requirements typically take 2 years of full-time work to complete.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Track
The Industrial-Organizational Psychology track covers core topics in industrial-organizational psychology, such as job analysis, performance appraisal, selection, training, motivation, leadership, stress, job attitudes, and occupational health.
Quantitative Methods Track
The Quantitative Methods track covers core topics in univariate and multivariate statistics in psychological research, including multilevel modeling. Students to choose electives to further tailor their education to match their specific career interests/goals. Electives outside of psychology that fit with this track include linguistics (programming), big data analytics, or statistics.
We accept both recent graduates and individuals who have been in the workforce for a number of years. Some elements of our program that make us stand out:
We are a full-time program, so students are making a serious commitment to their graduate training
Financial support, in the form of assistantships (e.g., being a TA), is typically available, so that students can give their full attention to their graduate studies
Our internships give students the opportunity to apply classroom learning and acquire new skills in an organizational setting
Students apply to work with faculty mentors who align with their research interests.
Upon acceptance into the program, students are matched with a faculty mentor with whom they will work with on their thesis and other research projects
We have four full-time, tenured, research-active faculty who have graduated from prestigious I-O psychology doctoral programs
Faculty Research Labs
Faculty Research
Labs
Both tracks in the MS program have a
mentorship match
model for thesis requirement. Students work directly with a faculty mentor to complete a research project and assist with other research projects in the laboratory. Before applying to the program, learn more about each faculty member’s focus of research and typical projects by reviewing lab websites and past research publications to see if there is a good match. Be sure to mention how your research interests match specific faculty members in your personal statement.
Some helpful advice on choosing a mentor in the quant methods track can be found here
Larissa (Lacie) K. Barber
B.A. University of Missouri, St. Louis; M.S., Ph.D., Saint Louis University.
Research Interests:
Connecting well at work means using technology in a way that promotes sustainable work engagement. How can organizations promote effective work connections for productivity and disconnection to maintain well-being? This lab conducts research on evidence-based solutions for tackling problems with “always on” workplace practices that increase worker stress and burnout given the 24/7 nature of e-work communications. Alternatively, “optimally on” workplace practices allow employees to maximize both their effectiveness at work and well-being.  Typical lab topics include examining issues surrounding work engagement, work inclusion, work recovery, and work-life balance among teleworkers.  This lab also explores effective organizational, leadership, and workgroup practices for creating positive telework experiences.
Lab:
ConnectWell @ Work Lab
Currently accepting new MS students
Jeffrey M. Conte
B.A., University of Virginia; M.S., Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University.
Research Interests:
Personnel assessment & selection, personality, psychological testing & measurement, stress, type A behavior pattern, temporal issues, time management, safety factors at work
Lab:
Personality Measurement Lab
Currently accepting new students
Wiston A. Rodriguez
B.A., San Diego State University; M.S., California State University, Long Beach; Ph.D., The Graduate Center & Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY)
Research Interests:
My research focuses on topics within occupational health psychology such as workplace mistreatment, illegitimate tasks, and the work-nonwork interface. I’m also interested in topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, specifically looking at the unique experiences of minorities (e.g., LGBTQ+ employees) and how those experiences impact work and nonwork outcomes.
Lab:
Wellness and Representation (WAR) Lab,
Currently accepting new students
Jon Helm
B.S.,  M.S., Ph.D., University of California, Davis.
Research Interests:
Develops and refines statistical models that (1) measure psychological constructs, and (2) analyze longitudinal data. Uses both frequentist and Bayesian approaches to estimate novel multilevel and structural equation models designed to either separate psychological constructs from a variety of method effects, or summarize how psychological constructs unfold over time.
Lab:
STATs Lab (Statistical Techniques Applied to Social Science lab)
Currently accepting new students
Lisa M. Kath
B.S. University of California, Berkeley; M.A., Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Research Interests:
My research interests always center on worker well-being, most often in the areas of safety and stress. Most often, I have been studying the well-being of healthcare workers, with a recent focus on their experiences of patient aggression.
Lab:
POWER Lab
Currently accepting new students
Georg (Jörg) Matt
Dipl. Psych., Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat, Freiburg, Germany; Ph.D., Northwestern University
Research Interests:
Tobacco smoke pollution and exposure, secondhand smoke, thirdhand smoke, tobacco control policies; quantitative research methods, quasi-experimentation, field research, evaluation research, meta-analysis, generalizability; measurement, fuzzy set theory, cognitive models of self-reports, fuzzy set models of magnitude estimates.
Lab:
Measurement and Evaluation Research Group (MERG)
Currently accepting new students
Scott C. Roesch
B.S., University of California, Davis; M.A., California State University, Long Beach; Ph.D., University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
Research Interests:
Trait-state models of stress and coping; coping with physical illness, and particularly cancer; cultural, ethnic, and acculturation differences in stress and coping; cross-ethnic measurement equivalence; structural equation modeling, meta-analysis.
Lab:
Stress and Coping,
Not currently accepting new students
David Marx
B.A., U.C. Berkeley; M.A., Ph.D., Harvard University
Research Interests:
Research focuses on several aspects of social cognition including stereotypes, social comparison, and attention. One primary line of research centers on defining and refining stereotype threat.
Lab:
Stereotyping, Education, and Person Perception (STEPP) Lab
Not currently accepting new students
Alumni
Our alumni get jobs at a variety of public and private sector organizations. Here are some companies that have employed our alumni:
Visa
Grossmont Cuyamaca Community College District
Amazon
Spotify
Activision/Blizzard
APTMetrics
Center for Creative Leadership
San Diego City College
Sutter Health
Dell
Aptima
Petco
FEMA
General Atomics
Electronic Arts
SHL
Intuit
Booz Allen Hamilton
Pinterest
Cedars-Sinai
Featured Alumni
Lauren Farahnak, MS
I’m a Senior Manager in Accenture Strategy’s Talent and Organization practice, helping external clients develop talent solutions and experiences to achieve business priorities and optimize performance. In my work, I travel across the US to meet with clients, primarily Chief HR Officers and Talent Management Leads, as well as to attend conferences and development programs. My projects and thought leadership focus on topics such as future workforce skills, talent strategy, digital transformation, employee experience, and strategic workforce planning.
The SDSU I/O Master’s program helped me build knowledge, experience, and confidence to advise clients on a range of talent topics and opportunities. These credentials also provide credibility with clients who have similar backgrounds or who have worked successfully with I/O Psychologists. I am extremely grateful to the program and faculty for setting me up for an exciting, fast-paced career in consulting.
Bryan Aasen, MS
SDSU’s I/O Psychology Master’s program prepares you for a wide variety of career paths in the I/O space. You do much more than soak up information at SDSU’s program- you build critical thinking skills and learn how to apply academic research techniques to the business world.
I currently work as a Senior HR Research and Analysis Advisor at SDG&E. Previously, I worked on Qualcomm’s People Analytics team where I analyzed a wealth of people data including hiring, turnover, performance data, and employee surveys. Before Qualcomm, I had a similar role working for Walmart. The biggest challenge in a role like this is how to take a huge amount of data and condense it into concise, useful insights that business leaders can understand and take action on. The critical thinking skills that I developed at SDSU’s program has been instrumental in my success, and I look forward to where my career takes me next.
Entered program in 2024
Shreya Cho
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Alexandra Nash
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Tina Madani
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Catherine Missler
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Sarah Snyder
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Entered program in 2023
Simran Bhatia
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Maxwell Cain
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Amanda Kellaris
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Sofija Markovic
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Daniela Ortega
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Rianna Roush
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Entered program in 2022
Brianna Camacho
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John Little
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Jennifer Le
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Anaid Cerón Northcraft
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Alexis Rivkin
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Hannah Valley
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Entered program in 2021
Cindy Li
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Stephanie Figueroa
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Brandon Tam
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Andrew Tricarico
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Ezekiel Welsh
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Entered program in 2020
Alexa Samaniego
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Alex Mangialardi
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Cole Monroe
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Cooper McAllister
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Dishanki Nilesh Savla
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Jessica Robison
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Josie Jacobson
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Mathew Bayati
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Entered program in 2019
Julianna Roy
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Kat Dinershteyn
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Shalini Corzine
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Sol Bukin
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Thaddeus Demeke
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Zareena Shefa
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Entered program in 2018
Teodora Vassileva
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Mike Ferguson
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Catherine Huyen
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Rebecca Harmata
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Elizabeth Stewart
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Christian Woodward
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Julie Ton-Vuong
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Entered program in 2017
Amy Tran
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Brandon Himes
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Jahnina Moss
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Lukas Toroslu
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Maria Tolstykh
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Marissa Morrison
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Entered program in 2016
Aaron McKnight
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Brittney Carroll
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Dylan Petze
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Elizabeth Davies
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Saige Riley
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Salvador Rubalcaba
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Entered program in 2015
Caitie Jacobson
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Christine Dilla
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Dustin Abbott
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Joyce Hwang
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Kristy Kay
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Noelle Devlin
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Simona Spiridon
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Entered program in 2014
Alexa Young
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Casey O’Loughlin
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Emily Lydston
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Julia Brown
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Justine Zimiles
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Mark Reynolds
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Nick Eslinger
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Sandra Martinez
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Entered program in 2013
Josh Carlsen
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Zachary Duncan
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Michael Petty
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Sean Tang
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Lisa Wright
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Entered program in 2012
Bryan Aasen
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Sam Courtney
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Jonathan Hussey
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Mike Kirkpatrick
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Elisa Torres
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Tim Wolcott
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Entered program in 2011
Ashlee Asgharzadeh
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Lauren Dlugosz
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Seamus Joyce
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Renee Pires
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Bahareh (Berry) Soltani
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Mary Yama
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Entered program in 2010
Dominique Mansell
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Ian Smith
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Melissa Oates
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Olivia Bustamante
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Fiona Cochrun-Nguyen
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Kate LaMons
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Jacob Mraz
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Dara McIntyre
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Entered program in 2009
Chris Atkinson
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Lacey Wilson
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Morgan Da Costa
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Megan Chappell
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Leah Bressler
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Susan Drobka
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Richard Drake
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Entered program in 2008
Heather Yamashita
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Lindsay Palmer
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Viet Pham
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Sean Foley
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Zack Girgis
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Entered program in 2007
Ryan Mills
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Linsey Dirkes
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Jessika Reliford
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Brandon Roberts
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Tressa Schultze
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Marisa Sklar
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Stephen Vong
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Entered program in 2006
William Huynh
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Meredith Czerwinski
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Jordan Willoughby
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Alice Wastag
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Corinne Boulanger
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Taylor Peyton
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Addie Brewer
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MS Program in Applied Psychology
Department of Psychology
College of Sciences
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4611
About the Program
Overview
Faculty Research Labs
Students & Alumni
Prospective Students
Admissions
Application Process
Path to Graduation
FAQ
Contact
psych.grad.advising@sdsu.edu
619-594-5359
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