Occupational Psychology MSc

This is an empirical research project in psychology.

Students will conduct an 8,000-word dissertation on a topic of your choosing related to applied research and associated methods in an organisational context.

You'll be assigned a supervisor who will be available to support you throughout your project.

This workshop-style module is run in collaboration with the owner-director of an occupational psychology consultancy organisation and a number of their staff. Using role play and other in-class activities, the workshop provides an opportunity for students to:

• Develop an understanding of skills and competencies required of a consultant and reflective practitioner
• Translate psychological knowledge, concepts and ideas into a language understandable by a non-psychologist
• Interpret basic statistical evidence and convert this into proposed consultancy activities
• Pitch for a possible piece of consultancy to a panel of people from the client organisation

Students will gain the knowledge and skills to effectively plan and design research as well as to critically appraise published research. You will be introduced to how to write a literature review in a systematic way, how to write a research proposal, study designs (including developing research questions), ethics and practical issues when planning and conducting research.

The module also covers designing questionnaires, psychometric issues such as reliability and validity, using interviews and focus groups, evaluating interventions and use of the internet and an introduction to online research methods.

This module introduces the important issues of leadership, employee motivation and engagement at work, and considers the contribution that psychological theory makes to our understanding of these areas. The module also considers the role of the psychological contract and organisational justice as concepts for understanding employee relations and explores the opposing issues of citizenship and counterproductive behaviours. There is also a focus on appraising employee performance with emphasis on exploring the global move towards engaging with multi-source feedback.

This module begins with outlining theories of learning and the application of these to training development and design in organisations. Elements of the training cycle are discussed, including training needs analysis, training transfer and evaluation of training. Different methods of training delivery are evaluated, including consideration of e-learning and online training, whilst the development of innovation and creativity are also considered. The second part of the module focuses on employee development from a careers perspective and students are given the opportunity to explore practical implications by planning their own career development. Theories of occupational choice and career development are explored and the role of coaching, counselling and mentoring in relation to employee development are examined.

This module provides an introduction to various approaches to understanding organisations and the environments in which they operate. Areas covered include:

• Organisational structure, design, culture and climate

• Power, influence and negotiation in organisations; consumer psychology

• Methods and models of organisational development and change

• Organisational effectiveness, productivity, performance

• Groups, teams and teamwork

This module covers contemporary issues in selection and assessment both from a psychological perspective and as an important personnel system for organisations. It provides discussion of: the nature of the selection system, organisational and job analysis, recruitment, selection interviewing and psychometric testing, selection validation, the nature and use of assessment centres, and the adverse impact of selection methods. The emphasis throughout the module is on selection as a process comprising an identification stage, a design and delivery stage, and an evaluation stage, with multiple feedback loops between stages.

Students will be introduced to a range of qualitative approaches and the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings and practical application of qualitative methods.

Teaching will combine lectures, workshops, and self-directed study. Sessions will include a focus on interviews and focus groups, Realist Evaluation, thematic analysis, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, narrative approaches and Grounded Theory.

Students will be guided to consider developing qualitative research questions, ethical issues in qualitative research and the critical appraisal of qualitative research evidence.

This module explores the role of individual, social and organisational factors in work environments and the promotion of well-being at work. Drawing from key literature in occupational health psychology, a major theme is work-related stress - its nature, causes and effects. The experience of stress offers one vehicle for understanding the link between those adverse working conditions and individual and organisational ill-health. The module also considers other major contemporary concerns such as bullying, harassment and violence. The focus of the module then shifts towards an exploration how these problems and others can be best controlled and managed through job design, the design of work environments and contemporary ergonomics. Various models of prevention and organisational interventions are suggested, covering both risk based perspectives, participatory approaches and positive psychological perspectives. Examples of interventions are considered both at the individual and organisational levels. Future challenges, both theoretical and practical are identified.

This advanced module builds on the fundamentals to further develop a more sophisticated understanding of the research cycle in quantitative research enquiry and related analytical skills.

This advanced module builds on the fundamentals to further develop a more sophisticated understanding of the research cycle in quantitative research enquiry and related analytical skills. It covers the design, execution and interpretation of research using advanced group differences analysis, and popular multivariate data analysis methods, such as simple mediation and moderation analysis, as well as the guiding principles in designing and interpreting measurement models and Structural Equation Models. Designed for students across various applied psychology specialties, the module integrates advanced methodologies with evidence-based practice, and critically reflects on and engages in research practices and ethical standards, aiming to foster future evidence-based practitioners and active consumers of research. 

Through a series of lectures, lab demonstrations, and workshops, this module introduces the core principles of quantitative research methods while providing practical training to enhance statistical literacy and analytical skills in applied psychology.

Through a series of lectures, lab demonstrations, and workshops, this module introduces the core principles of quantitative research methods while providing practical training to enhance statistical literacy and analytical skills in applied psychology. Topics include essential knowledge and skills involved in a quantitative research cycle, such as formulating research questions, operationalising latent variables, and designing studies, with a critical exploration of key statistical paradigms. It also addresses the principles of general linear models that underpin regression and ANOVA design, along with relevant ethical considerations and a discussion on best practices for data management.