Occupational and Organisational Psychology MSc
1 Year Full-Time | September Start

Your core modules in occupational and organisational psychology are delivered via a range of interactive lectures delivered by experts in the field.

You’ll also undertake seminar-based discussions, tutorials and interactive practical workshops aimed at offering you first-hand experience of applied practice.

Our assessment strategy uses of a variety of innovative and authentic assessments tailored to effectively assess your knowledge whilst providing you with the skills you’ll need in your future career.

Assessments include peer feedback, presentations, organisational case studies and reports. They also include more traditional methods of assessment such as essay writing.

Submission schedules are planned to make sure your workload stays balanced and timely written feedback on assessments will show you how you can improve.

You’ll also make extensive use of technology-enhanced learning tools such as our e-Learning Portal (Blackboard), electronic reading lists, lecture capture and feedback tools to support your learning.

We know that embarking on a masters course is a big decision and knowing whether you will have enough time to balance all of life’s other demands is important.

During this course your on-campus lectures, workshops and seminars will all be timetabled on a Monday and Tuesday. For a masters programme like this we expect a commitment of around 35 hours per week - how you do your self-directed study is completely up to you. We want you to be able to fit your studies in with your life, whether that be at our City Campus Library, the University Library Digital Commons, open 24/7 during term time, or at home with access to e-books and journals - make it work for you.     

Teaching is delivered by a team of academics who have previously worked in the sector and who are high level practitioners in their fields. Their mix of real life consultancy experience and academic knowledge means they’re able to deliver the latest theoretical knowledge which is backed up by real world examples of application.

They have considerable experience in selection and assessment, organisational development, consultancy and coaching and between them they’ve worked with a wide range of private and public sector organisations.

Their wide-ranging research interests include employability and careers, workplace bullying, employee selection, workplace wellbeing, stress and burnout.

You can find out more about the staff who teach on this course here.

Our Department of Psychology features specialist and flexible teaching labs for teaching sessions, project work or private study. You’ll have access to advanced statistical and analysis packages plus research tools for survey development and online research.

The use of technology is integral to the course and you’ll be able to access information and material from all modules at any time from any location, via our eLearning portal.

You can also take advantage of our student hub and support from our highly regarded University Library and Digital Commons, available 24/7 during term time. The library also offers an extensive range of training to develop your skills as an independent and effective scholar.

Almost three quarters of Northumbria University’s psychology research is judged to have outstanding reach and significance, placing us top 20 in the UK.

This course is delivered by expert practitioners and leading researchers who will share their experiences of contemporary research and practice techniques to ensure your learning is at the cutting edge of the discipline.

Their research involves applying principles and methods from occupational psychology to the workplace. Research interests include employability and career development, particularly women’s careers and non-traditional careers; workplace bullying and its multi-level impact; employee selection; human factors in healthcare; workplace wellbeing, stress and burnout; and employee silence.

Our staff will continually nurture your academic curiosity and support you to undertake your own research. This will develop your ability to synthesise and critically evaluate the evidence base in occupational psychology.

You’ll also gain first-hand experience of research techniques and undertake a thesis where you’ll conceptualise, plan and execute your own research.

This qualification has the potential to act as a real catalyst for your future – whether you’re looking to establish a new career or take the next step in your current role in consultancy, organisational development, training, recruitment or management.

That’s because you will be equipped with advanced psychological knowledge and insights to help you address organisational issues with an evidence-based approach.

Drawing on the real-world context that is integral to your studies, you will be able to apply your knowledge immediately and with real impact in your workplace.

The course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as Stage 1 training which, when accompanied by the BPS Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC), will provide the foundation for professional development as a practitioner in the form of Stage 2 training, as well as further study, employment and enterprise. GBC can be achieved prior to, or following, this degree.

This course also includes training for BPS psychometric testing qualifications, making it especially distinctive. These qualifications will open up a wealth of career progression opportunities.

All of your modules will be highly relevant to applied practice as an Occupational Psychologist. You will graduate with enhanced self-awareness, professional identity, expertise, curiosity and creativity.

You will also gain high-level, transferrable skills in communication, critical evaluation, problem solving, time management, IT and statistical analysis. You will develop the ability to formulate balanced judgements with regard to complex, incomplete, ambiguous or sensitive data and to apply relevant ethical, legal and professional practice frameworks in your work.