Objectives
The MSc in Work and Organisational Psychology will be of interest to those, in the UK and abroad, who wish to develop a career in organisational psychology or related areas such as human-resource management. This course provides an excellent opportunity for postgraduate education for students from a variety of backgrounds interested in this area who do not have the Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and who may not have a psychology background. The course has been designed to provide you with knowledge of the main areas of occupational psychology, to provide you with good research skills, to cover the relevant social psychological and organisational issues and to introduce the skills required in practice. The MSc in Work and Organisational Psychology utilises a range of teaching methods (including seminars, tutorials, workshops, self-managed working groups). Through our comprehensive programme, which includes workshops on Consultancy Skills and opportunities for Occupational Testing BPS Levels A and B, you will have the facility to develop practical skills fundamental to your future career development. This programme aims to provide you with: A broad knowledge of work and organisational psychology as a professional discipline; the key theoretical and research models used within work and organisational psychology; and the role of the work and organisational psychologist as educator, researcher and practitioner. The skills to evaluate critically and appraise theories and research within work and organisational psychology. The knowledge of the main areas of work and organisational psychology. A grounding in research skills appropriate to future work in an organisational settings. A grounding in the social, organisational and consulting skills required in practice. A grounding in the application skills required for both research and professional practice in the core areas of work and organisational psychology. The skills to design and conduct independent research within organisational context.
Course description
Work and Organisational Psychology (MSc)
Duration: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time
Course Content
You will be required to study the following core modules in semester one:
Employee Relations and Motivation
Self and Social Behaviour in Context
Core Research Methods
Occupational Research Methods
Workplace Counselling and Career Development
You will also be able to choose one of the optional modules listed below:
Organisations, Stress and Health
Environmental Psychology and Design
Strategic and Human Resource Management
Semester two covers the core modules listed below:
Applied Research Methods
Occupational Selection and Assessment
Professional Issues in Research and Practice
Consultancy Skills Workshop
In addition, you will be asked to choose two of the following optional modules:
Organisational Development and Change
Training in Organisations
Organisational Learning
Please note that all module details are subject to change.
Over the summer period, you will complete an Applied Research Project. The project will give you the opportunity to consolidate your skills and experience, and to explore a topic covered during the course in greater depth. .
Course Structure
The MSc in Work and Organisation Psychology is delivered on a full-time basis over 1 year or part-time over 2 years. It commences in late September each year.
The course comprises 180 credits, split across 120 credits’ worth of core and optional taught modules and 60 credits for the Applied Research Project .
A variety of teaching methods are used on this course to facilitate learning. These include lectures, seminars, workshops and self-managed learning groups. Assessment is also undertaken by a variety of means, including examinations, essays, dissertations and field-based project work. On some occasions, students might be asked to make individual or group-based presentations in seminars and workshops. Although not formally assessed, these presentations are an essential opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge of the topic and important transferable skills, e.g. presentation skills.
Part-time students are taught alongside full-time students and the choice of modules (and therefore the timetable) is flexible and a matter for agreement between student and course director. In all cases, part-time students can access a wide range of teaching and learning facilities remotely via the student portal.
We also offer a Postgraduate Diploma in Work and Organisational Psychology, which mirrors the taught component of the MSc but does not include the Applied Research Project.
Key facts
-The Institute of Work, Health and Organisations (IWHO) is an international postgraduate research school. It is committed to promoting the contribution of applied psychology to occupational and public health and safety and to the development of successful and healthy organisations and communities.
-While it shares modules with the MSc in Occupational Psychology and MSc in Management Psychology, the MSc in Work and Organisational Psychology emphasises the organisational aspects of the discipline and students have more choice over modules.
-Teaching within the Institute is informed by current research. We believe that research and teaching should be developed and delivered to help students and staff make a difference in the real world.
-In the latest Research Assessment Exercise, the Institute was awarded a 5 (with Nottingham University Business School).
-The wider School of Psychology was awarded 24/24 in the latest Teaching Quality Assessment, with a commendation for teaching
