For students who are eager to gain skills that will make them competitive candidates in the I-O Psychology job market, our accelerated programs are the ideal solution.
Application Deadline
Fall: May 1
This program only admits students for Fall start terms.
Update: For Fall 2026, the deadline for all students has been extended to August 1
As a qualified UMBC undergraduate student, you may apply to the Accelerated Program in your junior or senior year, earning up to six credits toward a future graduate certificate or nine credits toward a future master’s degree. You will benefit by shortening the time to degree completion, experiencing the cost savings of taking graduate courses at undergraduate tuition rates, having flexible learning options (many courses taught in evening or in hybrid format), and gaining practical knowledge and skills.
At a Glance
Delivery
Hybrid
Locations Offered
- Shady Grove (Rockville)
Key Benefits:
- Earn your bachelor’s and master’s or certificate in as little as five years.
- Enhance your career potential.
- Apply in the future to a UMBC graduate program with a $50 graduate fee waiver.
- Pay toward your first graduate semester with UMBC’s $1,000 Alumni Scholarship.
Accelerated Program Admissions Requirements
In order to be eligible for the accelerated graduate certificate or master’s degree option, you must meet the following requirements:
- Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. If less than 3.0, admission consideration based on Graduate Program Director’s discretion.
- Be a Psychology junior or senior at UMBC, and be admitted at least one semester prior to completion of a bachelor’s degree.
- Completed the following prerequisite courses:
- PSYC 346: Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- AND/OR be enrolled in the undergraduate Industrial-Organizational Psychology Certificate
Accelerated Program Application Process
- All accelerated program application materials will be submitted through UMBC’s Docusign platform. Complete the following steps to submit your application through Docusign:
- Contact GPD before applying, Elliot Lasson (elasson@umbc.edu)
- Complete the Graduate School Accelerated Program Application Form.
- List Kris Kaarid, kkaarid1@umbc.edu, as the Graduate Program Coordinator, and Elliot Lasson, elasson@umbc.edu, as Graduate Program Director.
- Attach your unofficial undergraduate transcripts to the Docusign form.
- If you are a transfer student, include transcripts from the previous institutions you attended.
- Three recommendation letters from current UMBC undergraduate faculty. These recommendation letters need to be emailed directly to Dr. Elliot Lasson (elasson@umbc.edu), graduate program director, for review.
- A formal assessment from the student’s assigned undergraduate academic advisor is required. See assessment form here. Through completion of this form by an applicant’s undergraduate academic advisor, Dr. Elliot Lasson, I-O Psychology program director, will automatically receive a copy of the assessment once submitted.
Complete the form below to start receiving more information about the program and access to our virtual open house!
After Accelerated Program Admission
Once admitted to the Accelerated Program, review the course schedule and complete the Approval for Undergraduates to Take Courses for Graduate Credit form to request permission to enroll in the graduate-level courses you plan to take in your first semester as an Accelerated Program student. This form must be resubmitted each semester you plan to take graduate-level courses as an undergraduate.
One semester prior to the completion of your bachelor’s degree, submit an application to the Graduate School. The Graduate School application fee is waived for Accelerated Program students (contact the Graduate School if you do not have the fee waiver code).
Once admitted to the Graduate School, complete the Graduate School’s Credit Transfer form to transfer the graduate-level courses you took as an undergraduate to the graduate program. You may transfer up to six credits toward a graduate certificate or up to nine credits toward a master’s degree. Only graduate courses completed with a B or higher are eligible to be transferred.
Course Selection
- As an undergraduate student in the Accelerated Program, you may take six to nine graduate-level credits that may be double-counted toward your undergraduate degree.
- Review your course selections with your undergraduate advisor to ensure the graduate-level courses will count toward your undergraduate degree.
- The following courses are eligible for undergraduates in the Accelerated Program to complete:
This course covers a general survey of industrial psychology, including such topics as personnel selection and evaluation, job satisfaction, environmental factors, and current research on individual behavior in complex organizations.
*Note that this course serves as a pre- or co-requisite for all M.P.S.: I/O Psychology courses.
This course gives students the background and the basic understanding of statistical theory and techniques required in the field of industrial / organizational psychology. The course provides an overview of descriptive and inferential statistics, with emphasis on statistical techniques used in the practice of industrial / organizational psychology, including analysis of variance and multiple regression. Students are also introduced to the advanced topics of analysis of covariance, factor analysis, reliability analysis, discriminant analysis, and path analysis.
Additional core/elective courses may be available if you have already completed necessary prerequisites.
Accelerated Program Academic Standards
Once admitted to the Accelerated Program, you must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher. If you earn a C or lower in a graduate-level course while in the Accelerated Program, that course cannot be transferred to a master’s degree or graduate certificate. You may be removed from the Accelerated Program if your GPA falls below 3.0, if you receive more than two C grades, or if you receive any D or F grade. Consult your undergraduate advisor to determine if any grades received in graduate-level courses will affect your ability to complete your undergraduate degree.
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