Business psychology, also known as industrial or organizational psychology has to do with the study of peoples' relationship with work and work environments. Business psychology programs help to prepare students to work in this challenging field. Students study topics such as job analysis, talent assessment, job performance and psychometrics, organizational culture, personal and professional motivation, employee morale, group or organizational behavior, and many more. In short, students learn how to help businesses and organizations develop hiring practices, compensation programs, and evaluation programs that foster productive behavior and solid organizational communities. Industrial psychologists help organizations get the most out of their employees.

Business psychology programs have grown in popularity over the last several years. In fact, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that of all the disciplines available in psychology, industrial psychology will experience the most growth into the second decade of the 21st Century. As such, schools and universities have responded by growing their programs in these areas. As more businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government entities place increasing importance on workplace productivity and employee morale, the demand for business psychology majors will continue to increase, especially for those who continue through their undergraduate studies and into graduate degree programs.

If you are a student considering business psychology programs, be aware that many of these programs use the "scientist-practitioner" model for their training. In short, that means that students are taught to use scientifically collected data and principles, as well as research based designs to gather their knowledge. That knowledge is then applied to their professional careers. In short, this basically means that students study statistics, available research, and proven scientific principles in order to learn how to apply concepts on the job. Unlike private care psychology professionals, these students do not necessarily require the clinical experience to do their jobs or learn their craft.

It is for this reason, the lack of dependency on clinical experience, internships, and field experience, that many business psychology programs are now available through online colleges and universities. Since undergraduates are not required to attend clinical labs and graduate students are not required to gain experience under another professional for licensing purposes, students are able to complete virtually all of their studies online. The ability to complete studies entirely online makes this particular field of psychology appealing to many undergraduate and graduate students.

In addition to preparing students to work with businesses and organizations, business psychology programs also prepare students for positions in the research area of industrial psychology. Research into industrial psychology helps practitioners determine answers to such questions as how workplace factors affect employee health, what role job satisfaction has in personal health and professional performance, and other pertinent questions. Students learn proper research methods, data collection, recording information, and statistics in order to further understand the research processes involved in business psychology. By studying both research and practice areas within industrial psychology, students are fully prepared for job prospects in either area, as well as jobs that involve both. As such, graduates are uniquely situated to capitalize on the growth of industrial psychology.