Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Leadership and Learning- Organizational Psychology
Become the person your organization leans on to cultivate a positive and productive work environment.
The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) Organizational Psychology program will teach you how to apply psychological concepts and action research methods to improve your surroundings. Acquire strategies to address challenges related to productivity, employee morale and management styles. Learn how you can improve organizational policies, processes, hiring, and training with an Ed.S. in Organizational Psychology. Explore critical legal and policy-based issues and investigate the main components of building or managing a successful educational organization. You will acquire creative problem-solving strategies for enhancing your surroundings. Individuals seeking greater knowledge and skills in the psychology of effective leaders, the foundations in organizational and industrial psychology, and an awareness of professional and ethical standards in the field would benefit most from the organizational psychology Education Specialist degree.
This degree is centered around three elements: collaborative and ethical leadership, transformational leadership, and reflective scholarship. Through practical, real-world applications, you will gain adeptness with leading individuals and teams, both within and across multicultural contexts, while maintaining high ethical standards in all business practices.
This program is not designed as a teacher certification program, and different states and municipalities often have specific requirements concerning different appropriate degree programs. Depending on your goals for this program, please check with your local and state regulatory requirements for teacher certification.
For more information about the program, see the Academic Catalog.
Enjoy Flexibility– 11 online courses with program start dates every 2 weeks
Choose Where You Learn– Online courses
Affordable Monthly Payments
Focus on Your Passion– Choose your dissertation topic
Why More Students Are Choosing Aspen
Ed.S. Organizational Psychology Courses
Aspen’s Ed.S. curriculum features 11 courses designed to equip you with advanced leadership skills. Taught by experienced educators from diverse settings, you’ll have the opportunity to apply new knowledge directly to your profession.
View the degree plan for this program here: EdS Organizational Psychology Degree Plan
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EDD830 - Leadership Theory
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RSH900 - Doctoral Writing and Inquiry into Research
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EDD832 - Human Potential and Motivation
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EDD834 - Creating Strategic Change That Lasts
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RSH910 - Research Design and Methodology
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EDP810 - The Psychology of Leadership
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EDP812 - Foundations of Industrial and Organizational Psychology
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EDP814 - The Social Psychology of Groups
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EDP816 - Cultural Perspectives in Psychology
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EDP818 - Cognitive and Affective Principles in Psychology
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RSH916 - Problem-Based Research in Action
The emphasis of this course is on leadership with the focus on the application of leadership concepts and leadership skills. Through the examination of a wide array of different leadership theories, the student gains knowledge and skills for a plethora of theoretical paradigms and models, which can be used to influence others towards positive and lasting change. Working with teams and dealing with the politics and power within an organization are also examined in depth.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This research course examines the basic principles and techniques of doctoral scholarship, and offers an overview of the development of theory and research logic, explores the relationship between theoretical and empirical constructs, and provides a wide variety of specific research methodologies, including the scholarly publication process. Students study the principles of the scientific method and research design techniques common to both qualitative and quantitative research, including sampling methods and data collection techniques. Material includes examination of various research methods including electronic searches and retrieval methods. Students learn to critically read research papers and articles, and are introduced to the writing techniques necessary to produce expository and analytical papers to the standards of publishable work. This course is a prerequisite for all other doctorate courses.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course examines a meaningful and sophisticated understanding of motivation and emotion. Blending motivation and emotion with leadership builds a powerful sense of tolerance and meaning in many domains of life: home, school, workplace, clinical setting, athletic fields, healthcare, and interpersonal relationships. The course deeply explores individual emotion, mindset, and interventions. A leader can use this knowledge to motivate individuals and evaluate how emotion drives behavior to obtain the best performance out of their employees and relationships in all facets of life.
3 CreditsRequired Books
Creating strategic change that lasts is a fine art of every successful leader. Throughout this course, students examine what the best leaders do to create an atmosphere where employees in the organization can flourish. The focus is on learning essential behaviors that promote a high-energy culture.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course begins to ask the doctoral student to reflect on past courses, studies and articles that support and build upon personal areas of interest. The course is designed to challenge students to think about an area of interest and begin develop a comprehensive research topic aligned with their professional goals. Students expand on the research topic, identify appropriate theories, methodologies and consider research design. At the end of eight weeks, students will frame the beginning of a doctoral research dissertation.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course will focus on exploring, discussing and applying the Four Frames of Leadership: The Structural Frame, the Political Frame, the Symbolic Frame and the Human Resource Frame. Students learn to apply the concepts of reframing in order to resolve organizational conflicts and leadership challenges. Students will also complete and discuss their personal frame of leadership style and how to incorporate each of these in their own set of leadership tools. Additionally, discussions will center on learning about the Neuroscience of Leadership and the newly coined term ‘Neuroleaders’. Questions such as the role of neuroscience in leadership and the role of emotions in problem-solving and decision-making and how these affect leading organizations through periods of change, will also be explored.
3 CreditsRequired Books
In this course, students will gain valuable knowledge and application of concepts in real-life situations related to industrial and organizational psychology. The elements of this course include the History of I/O psychology, as well as research methods used in this field. Theories of motivation and the application of theoretical models to real-life problems encountered in businesses and organizations will be addressed. This course also helps students learn to apply methods to reduce workplace stress and strain and will examine some of the innovative ways businesses today are addressing the important issue of family-work conflict and finding balance.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course is designed to provide students with a deeper understanding of group processes viewed through the lens of social psychology. Students examine and apply concepts of the ‘self’ and the ‘self in groups’. The course explores how groups work and why some groups work better than others; the influences of genetics, culture and gender on group performance as well as the motivation for performance and the generation of ideas and creativity. Students also view four famous or infamous social psychology experiments from the past: The Milgram Experiment, Blue Eyes/Brown Eyed: A Class Divided; the Robbers Cave and, finally, the Stanford Experiment.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This doctoral level course about culture and psychology combines social psychology and cultural anthropology. Students learn the inter-connections and inter-generationally transmitted behaviors between meanings, symbols, and psychological processes such as cognition, personality structure, behavior, and affect, as it applies to professionals and paraprofessionals in psychology, sociology, education, and leadership. Students examine culture and psychology by investigating common psychological experiences with an emphasis on human and social science conceptual paradigms, theory, knowledge, and intervention.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This doctoral level course examines learning and how people perceive, remember, and think through the lens of neuroscience, computer science, linguistics, anthropology, and philosophy. Cognitive and affective principles in psychology apply to professionals and paraprofessionals in education, psychology, health care, leadership, and other organizational settings.
3 CreditsRequired Books
This course is designed to provide students with additional research tools used to solve everyday problems through a process of inquiry and developing solutions to significant problems in the workplace. This useful strategy can provide the leader a design for decision-making based on data and supportive research. This course satisfies the Proctored Exam requirement for this program.
3 CreditsRequired Books
Cost & Time to Completion
The Best Fit for Working Professionals
We understand the difficulties in pursuing your Ed.S. when you have a demanding work and family schedule. Aspen’s course format and frequent start dates are designed to help working professionals move through their degree efficiently.
Our Monthly Payment Plan Makes Us Different.
Paying for your Ed.S. shouldn’t be complicated. Our Monthly Payment Plan makes it easy for you to finance your program.
Tuition Rates
| $19,635 | Tuition |
| $1,450 | Fees |
| $1,650 |
Estimated
Textbook
Costs
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| $22,735 | |
Other Ways to Finance Your Ed.S.
Students who have served, or are currently serving in the United States Military and their legal spouses are eligible to receive a Military Affiliation Discount from Aspen University.
Aspen University maintains employee tuition discount partnerships with a large and growing number of organizations. Tell your enrollment advisor where you work and ask them to check for you prior to enrolling.
Aspen offers several payment plans for students to fund their education.
Admission Requirements
Application – A completed application; Aspen does not charge an application fee
Resume – Current resume or curriculum vitae
Statement of Goals – A statement of your goals reflecting the academic, professional, and personal goals you would like to achieve through your work with Aspen University. The statement of goals should be between 300 – 500 words.
Master’s Degree –Official Transcript demonstrating a master’s degree from an institution that is accredited by a CHEA recognized accrediting body or an international equivalent; applicants must have earned at least a 3.0 GPA in their master’s program (see Catalog for more information)
Career Outlook
As organizations increasingly recognize the value of understanding human behavior and optimizing workplace environments, the demand for professionals with an Ed.S. in Organizational Psychology is rising. This advanced degree equips leaders with the skills to address complex psychological and organizational challenges, enhancing employee well-being and overall organizational effectiveness.
Fields such as industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management are projected to grow steadily. Employment for industrial-organizational psychologists crosses a variety of fields, including enterprise management, educational leadership, an non-profit management, reflecting an increasing need for expertise in areas such as employee assessment, organizational development, and workplace dynamics.
Graduates of the Ed.S. in Organizational Psychology are well-prepared to take on roles such as organizational development consultants, human resources managers, employee relations specialists, and leadership coaches. They bring their expertise to various environments, including corporate settings, non-profits, educational institutions, and government agencies.
This program equips students with advanced knowledge of psychological principles, research methods, and organizational behavior. It enables students to design and implement strategies that enhance employee performance, job satisfaction, and organizational culture. Earning an Ed.S. in Organizational Psychology allows students to influence positive organizational change, foster healthy workplace environments, and drive sustainable success.
Average Annual Salary for Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
$154,380
Data pulled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Fall 2024. Salary can vary widely depending on geographical location and role.
Ed.S. Organizational Psychology Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the difference between an Ed.D. and an Ed.S. degree?
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What is an Ed.S. in Organizational Psychology?
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Is this program offered fully online?
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Who is this program intended for?
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What are the core subjects covered in this program?
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Is a dissertation required for the Ed.S. in Organizational Psychology?
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Do I need to have a background in psychology to apply?
An Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) is a terminal, doctoral degree, focused on preparing educators to solve complex problems in educational practice, often emphasizing leadership, policy development, and applied research. An Ed.S. (Education Specialist) is a post-master’s degree that bridges the gap between a master’s and a doctorate. It is designed for educators looking to deepen their expertise in a specific area of education without committing to a full doctoral program.
An Ed.S. in Organizational Psychology is a doctoral program that integrates principles from psychology and education to prepare professionals for leadership roles focused on improving organizational performance, leadership development, and workplace culture through research-based strategies.
Yes, the program is delivered entirely online, offering flexibility for working professionals. It incorporates both live (synchronous) and on-demand (asynchronous) learning, allowing students to balance their studies with their professional responsibilities.
The Ed.S. in Organizational Psychology is ideal for professionals looking to enhance their leadership and management skills through the lens of psychology. It is suited for individuals in various sectors, including business, education, healthcare, non-profits, and government, who aim to improve organizational performance and solve workplace challenges through psychological and educational approaches.
Core subjects include courses in leadership theory, organizational behavior, ethical decision-making, strategic management, and psychological principles applied to leadership. Students will also study research methods, team dynamics, and data-driven decision-making to evaluate and enhance organizational performance.
No, the Ed.S. program does not require students to complete a dissertation.
No, a background in psychology is not required. While a background in leadership, human resources, or organizational development can be beneficial, the program welcomes applicants from a variety of professional backgrounds who seek to apply psychological principles to organizational leadership.