School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences Claremont Graduate University

Claremont Graduate University Offers Behavioral Sciences Degrees

Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is a private all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, about 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Founded in 1925, Claremont Graduate University is a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium of 5 distinguished undergraduate institutions (Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Scripps College, Pitzer College) and 2 graduate institutions (GGU and Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences).

School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences Overview

Since the late 1960s, Claremont Graduate University School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences (SBOS) has been a graduate education leader in applied psychological science and evaluation. Known for its small classes and high academic standards, the CGU School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences and its programs of study were developed to train behavioral and organizational scientists, psychologists, evaluators, and human resource professionals for non-clinical positions in research, teaching, or administration in a variety of settings such as academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private-sector businesses. A central theme of the curriculum builds on the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences' pioneering application of non-clinical psychology to social science knowledge, concepts, and methods that further the understanding of social issues through research and practice.

Master's and PhD degrees in psychology are awarded, with concentrations in applied social psychology, organizational behavior, evaluation and applied research methods, applied cognitive psychology, positive psychology (developmental and organizational), and health behavior research.

All graduate students in both programs participate in fieldwork, research, and paid internships. Doctoral students must show proficiency in their particular areas of interest by accumulating a portfolio of professional achievements.

Applied Cognitive Psychology Concentration

Master's and PhD degrees in the Applied Cognitive Psychology concentration are designed for students seeking a strong curriculum of cognitive research on important contemporary issues. Students have access to faculty resources from across the Claremont Colleges Consortium. Students prepare for careers in both academic and applied settings, acquiring backgrounds in the theories and research that define the traditional and contemporary areas of cognitive psychology.

Evaluation and Applied Research Methods

The master's and PhD degree concentrations in evaluation and applied research methods prepare students for leadership positions in evaluation and applied science.

Health Behavior Research Concentration

The master's and PhD concentrations in health behavior research prepare graduates in the application of psychological science and evaluation to promote health and prevent disease, and to improve public health in diverse and global communities.

Organizational Behavior

The master's and PhD degree concentrations in organizational sciences train future leaders, change agents, scholars, and educators to use psychological and organizational theory and research to improve organizational effectiveness and the work life of all individuals.

Positive Psychology

Students and faculty members in both the master's and PhD concentrations of positive psychology focus their coursework and research on life-long processes and outcomes of behavior as they affect the quality of life, using experience sampling methods, traditional experimental designs, surveys, and interviews.

Positive Developmental Psychology

The master's and PhD degree concentrations in positive developmental psychology focus on areas of human functioning that contribute to flourishing and well-being and those aspects that make life worth living -- joy, flow, responsibility, performance, and achievement. Students examine systemic and successive changes that occur across their lifespans and apply social science knowledge, concepts and methods to important social issues through research and practice.

Applied Social Psychology

The master's and PhD degree concentrations in applied social psychology emphasize the development of methodological and statistical skills early on, which quickly positions students to excel as researchers. Small interactive seminar-style classes survey the foundations of social psychological theory and contemporary research, and explore the core areas of attitudes, interpersonal processes, group processes, and intergroup relations.

Psychology and Law

The psychology and law master's and PhD degree concentrations address aspects of the legal system ranging from eyewitness testimony to jury selection, and from pre-trial interrogation practices to the death penalty. Students may focus their studies in this area by enrolling in the Applied Cognitive Psychology program (undergraduate or master's background in cognitive psychology required) or the Applied Social Psychology program (undergraduate or master's background in social psychology required).

MA in Public Policy and Evaluation

The master's degree concentration in public policy and evaluation is designed for individuals who want to become agents of social change. Rigorous training in evaluation science gives future policy-makers the investigative, ethical, and psychological tools to make a difference. Graduates are qualified to become leaders in government, business, research, and wherever public policy is formed.

MA of Public Health/MA in Applied Psychology Dual Degree

In conjunction with the CGU School of Community and Global Health (SCGH), SBOS offers a dual master's degree program designed for individuals who desire careers in psychology that combine public heath principles.

Human Resources Design MS Degree

The Master of Science in Human Resources Design (MSHRD) program prepares graduates to take leadership roles in strategic decisions involving human resources issues, with an emphasis on organizational strategy and change.

Research and Faculty

Many of the research institutes at Claremont Graduate University and the Claremont University Consortium conduct studies in conjunction with faculty members and students in the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences. Notable faculty members include Dr. Michele Bligh, an organizational psychologist specializing in organizational culture and the role of leaders in influencing and changing cultures; Dr. William Crano, a social psychologist whose interests include attitudes, values, minority influence, applied research methodology, and HIV prevention in multi-cultural children; and Dr. Kathy Pezdek, a cognitive psychologist specializing in the study of eyewitness memory, suggestibility of memory, and detecting deception.

Tuition and Financial Assistance

Financial assistance packages for Claremont Graduate University students are available, including federal and state loans, grants, work-study, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships awarded by program faculty members.

• Department of Psychology
• Program in Human Resources Design

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Master of Business Administration/Doctor of Philosophy (MBA/PhD)
  Master of Science (MS)
  Certificate
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  Master of Arts (MA)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 69
• Doctoral Degrees 18
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees 3
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Yes

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• AppliedNot Reported
• AcceptedNot Reported
• Acceptance RateNot Reported
• EnrolledNot Reported
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $70
• Application Fee - International $70
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline January 15th Not Reported Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE General Test or GMAT
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE General Test
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 550 paper based, TOEFL iBT

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$36,374
• Out-of-state tuition *$36,374
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsFebruary 15
• Types of financial support availableTuition Waivers, Federal Work-Study, Financial Support for Part-time Students, Institutionally-sponsored Loans, Scholarship and/or loans

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students312
• Female Percentage64%
• Male Percentage36%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students312
• Part-time Percentage23%
• Full-time Percentage77%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino10%
• Black / African American6%
• White / Caucasian62%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native1%
• Asian10%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races4%
• Unknown7%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty19
• Full-time Percentage89%
• Part-time Percentage11%
• Female Percentage42%
• Male Percentage58%