MSc — 2027 entry Occupational and Organizational Psychology

This module integrates the study of forms, structures and processes of organisations with the human aspects of psychology at work. The module provides an insight into the fundamentals on which organisations are built and provides a set of analytical processes for understanding behaviour at work and managerial processes.

Occupational and organizational psychologists adopt a dual focus on outcomes for people in organizations, emphasizing both, performance and well-being and engagement at work. This module explores these two areas of focus and considers the measurement and management of performance, and how scientific knowledge explains performance variation. The module also looks at well-being at work, considering issues of workplace health and stress, employee engagement, satisfaction and commitment, and the role of emotion in all of these aspects. Students get an opportunity to critically engage with knowledge on these issues and its application in practice.

Assessment in the workplace is carried out for a variety of purposes, for example recruitment and selection, performance management and diagnosis of training and development needs. This module covers foundations of psychological assessment (reliability, validity, and fairness), core theories of individual differences (e.g. personality, cognitive ability, emotions) and their application in organizational practice. The main emphasis in the coverage of practice is recruitment and selection.

The Research Methods module aims to help students develop an understanding of the research process and undertake research leading to the successful completion of their dissertation. It enables students to conduct research independently and provides them with the knowledge, skills, and understanding required to develop their dissertation proposal. The module covers ideas, techniques, and methods relevant to the different stages of the research process, emphasising the interdependence of each stage in conducting effective, coherent, and rigorous research. By addressing the fundamentals of research methods and methodology, the module equips students with the knowledge, understanding, and skills required to design and conduct independent research and to prepare for their dissertation.

MANM006 provides students with an introduction to human resource development (HRD).  It explores the topic from a variety of perspectives through the use of relevant theories, current research and business and organizational practice.  The module is aligned closely with the core text book which has been written specifically for this module and in alignment with the CIPD curriculum and learning outcomes: Sadler-Smith, E  (2022) Human Resource Development: From Theory into Practice.  London: SAGE.

Advanced research methods are a key differentiator of the approach of work and organizational psychologists to their practice with organizational clients and as scientists in conducting research in organizations. This module is designed to enable students to develop skills and knowledge of advanced techniques that can be deployed flexibly in various research and practice settings. Learning will be key to student preparation for the dissertation.

This module has two overarching themes: Developing skills of consultancy based on the scientist-practitioner model and the BPS consultancy cycle and   Progressing with students' professional development by gaining awareness of contemporary practical applications of psychology at work through the experiences of practitioners, building ethical sensitivity, critically appraising professional issues, and individual coaching.  The module will firstly comprise a series of lectures and workshops led by the module leader to help students develop consultancy skills. This will be complemented by a series of sessions led by invited guest speakers who will talk about their experiences as practicing work psychologists, and variety of blended learning sessions on professional issues such as regulation, ethics, and consulting. Students will work in groups on a practical consultancy-based case study and present a practical account of their findings and recommendations, following the BPS consultancy cycle and scientist-practitioner model. Students will be offered 1:1 coaching sessions which are aimed to provide personalized understanding of BPS Qualification in Occupational Psychology and professional registration with the HCPC. 

The module is an introduction to leadership, commonly defined as the process through which individuals influence and are influenced by one or more people to accomplish group/organisational goals. It is one of the most important determinants of employee well-being and performance as well as organisational effectiveness. A central part of effective leadership is decision making and some scholars regard leaders as no less than "decision architects", which means that leaders do not just create their own decision-making environments but also those of other individuals and groups in organisations. This module seeks to enable a critical evaluation of different approaches to leadership and decision making in organisational settings and to help students understand the determinants of leadership and decision-making effectiveness and leadership development.

An applied research dissertation is a core part and the final aspect of MSc programme, enabling students to develop an independent piece of work in subject area that is particularly interesting to them, supervised by a member of faculty. The dissertation must comprise: An academic dissertation: identifying an applied topic of interest, identifying a gap in the literature, and developing and carrying our research to investigate or examine that gap. Primary research: data collection and analysis (use of secondary data or other sources of data must be approved by you supervisors). Fieldwork: research carried out in an organizational setting. Practically relevant implications: addressing either a research gap that has clear implications for management practice.