Occupational and Business Psychology Masters (MSc)

Program Overview

This MSc in Occupational and Business Psychology equips students with the skills to apply psychological principles in the workplace. Graduates are prepared for careers in fields such as consultancy, HR, organizational development, and research, with potential for further professional qualifications and registration.

Program Outline

This MSc course in Occupational and Business Psychology is designed for students seeking to apply psychological principles in the workplace. The program aims to equip graduates with the skills and knowledge to pursue careers in fields like in-house and external consultancy, HR, organizational development, public sector, and research. Students will utilize psychological methods, specialist software, and gain access to short courses covering psychometric testing, providing a comprehensive and practical learning experience.

Outline:

• Program Structure: The program is offered in a full-time format, with options for a 1-year or 2-year duration including a professional placement year.
Attendance requires 2-3 days per week.
• Core Modules:
• Behavioral Science and Data Analytics (15 credits):
This module introduces key theories and concepts in behavioral science, equipping students with the skills to apply these principles in business, public policy, research, and consultancy. It involves practical experience in designing, conducting, and analyzing experiments.
• Empirical Research Project (60 credits): This module emphasizes the role of research methods in developing knowledge within the discipline and supporting evidence-based practice.
Students learn to critically evaluate research articles and conduct high-quality research under the guidance of a supervisor.
• Healthy and Inclusive Workplaces (30 credits): This module explores workplace wellbeing from two perspectives: mental health and its impact in work contexts, and wellbeing through diversity and inclusion, encompassing surface-level and deep-level attributes in organizational settings.
It emphasizes fairness, justice, and the candidate experience, and explores the implications of using virtual reality, gamification, and artificial intelligence in assessment.
• Psychology of Coaching, Learning, and Development (15 credits): This module explores individual approaches to career management and learning and development.
Students reflect on their own career development and study the theoretical and practical aspects of the training cycle, including training needs analysis, design, implementation, evaluation, and transfer of learning.
• Applied Psychology at Work (30 credits): This module focuses on applied research, providing students with the skills to conduct high-quality research.
It covers key content in the British Psychological Society's knowledge areas of 'Applying Psychology to Work and Organizations' and 'Research Design, Advanced Data Gathering, and Analytical Techniques'.
• Professional Skills and Development (0 credits): This module helps students explore career paths in occupational and/or business psychology, develop self-awareness, and effectively communicate their personal brand to optimize impact after graduation.
• Optional Placement Year:
• Professional Placement (120 credits):
This module offers a 12-month work placement opportunity, providing students with practical experience and the chance to apply their knowledge in a real-world setting.
• Additional Courses: Short courses in psychometric testing are also offered.

Assessment:

• Methods: Assessment typically involves a combination of coursework (e.g., essays, reports, dissertations) and practical tasks (e.g., presentations).
• Approximation: Coursework comprises approximately 86% of the assessment, while practical tasks constitute 14%.
• Feedback: Feedback on assessments is provided within 20 working days.

Teaching:

• Methods: Teaching methods include lectures, workshops, lab-based tutorials, practical workshops, guest speaker sessions, and industry visits.
• Faculty: A team of experienced academics and practitioners with industry experience delivers the course.
Postgraduate research students may also contribute to teaching under the supervision of module leaders.
• Unique Approach: The course emphasizes a practical and experiential approach, integrating research with real-world applications and utilizing specialist software and tools.

Careers:

• Potential Career Paths:
• Occupational Psychology Consultancy
• Psychometric Test Publishing
• Talent Management Consultancy
• Recruitment
• Human Resource Professional
• Health and Wellbeing Professional
• Employee Engagement Professional
• Leadership Expert
• Learning and Development
• Work Placements: The program encourages students to take up work placements to apply their knowledge in real-life situations and offers support in finding placements.