Brandeis Online

June 16, 2026

Meet Sarah Maxwell, PhD, chair of Brandeis Online's new MS in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Workforce Analytics.

How would you describe your role at Brandeis Online?

As program chair of Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Workforce Analytics, my role is currently focused on overseeing program development. I collaborate with faculty and staff to ensure that course design, marketing efforts, and student support services align with program objectives and serve our target audience.

My intention is to provide a cohesive learning and development platform and an innovative curriculum with stimulating coursework that prepares students for a variety of career paths as industrial-organizational psychology practitioners.

Why did you decide to get involved in the leadership of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Workforce Analytics program at Brandeis Online?

After completing my doctorate as a mid-career professional, I hoped to return to academia and help shape the next generation of leaders in this domain.

Building a new graduate program from the ground up is a unique and fulfilling way to blend my professional expertise with current research and future-focused workforce trends to positively impact this growing field of I-O psychology.

What sets Brandeis Online's I-O psychology program apart?

Employers increasingly seek professionals who can translate data into actionable strategies, make data-informed recommendations to solve workplace problems, and design evidence-based interventions to enhance organizational effectiveness, culture, and performance. To meet that increasing demand, we crafted a curriculum that explicitly focuses on talent analytics capabilities.

The People Analytics Lab is a core component of this program. Rather than pairing analytics with isolated courses, it is strategically interwoven throughout the curriculum.

Each course incorporates key assignments that contribute to building professional skills and a work sample portfolio showcasing the student’s competence in consulting, analysis, and business acumen as I-O practitioners. Coursework is integrative, connects to many areas of career specialization, and empowers students to build a diverse toolkit they can apply to any work setting.

What are the most important courses in Brandeis' I/O psychology program?

Helping people to thrive in the face of disruption is a cornerstone of my work. From that perspective, two critical courses are Organizational Change, Design, and Implementation and Leadership, Teams, and Organizational Behavior.

As volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity rise, leaders and groups must embrace innovative thinking, agile methods, and adaptable systems. I-O psychology places human behavior at the center of that process to help people collaborate, create and implement solutions, and respond effectively to change. As organizations navigate continual transformation, I-O practitioners add value by integrating the human and technological dimensions of systems evolution.

What are you most looking forward to about this program?

I am curious to hear what emerges through online class discussion boards. Graduate education creates a “think-tank” atmosphere for creative and critical thinking to flourish.

I encourage all students to adopt a mindset of questioning, reflection, and openness to different ideas. I-O practitioners should avoid creating echo-chambers within the workplace, and this program provides a platform to refine communication and collaboration skills.

I also look forward to developing professional networking opportunities for students, which may include discussions with faculty, advisory council members, or guest speakers.

To learn more about Sarah or the MS in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Workforce Analytics at Brandeis Online, visit our program page.