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 and an examination.

Submission schedules are planned to make sure your workload stays balanced. We’ll help you develop time management skills 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 all high level practitioners in their fields. Their mix of real life experience and academic knowledge means they’re able to deliver the latest theoretical knowledge which is backed up by real world examples of application.

Their backgrounds include 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 research interests are vast and fascinating and include employee talent management, workplace bullying, employability and careers in the workplace.

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.

To support your research, you can tap into our collection of psychological testing material including current editions of most of the widely used assessment, occupational and vocational tests. You can also take advantage of our student hub, supported by our library and equipment to help you to prepare for presentations.

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.

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 experience of contemporary research and practice techniques to ensure your learning is at the cutting edge of the discipline.

Their research areas include applying principles and methods from social and occupational psychology to the workplace; workplace bullying and its multi-level impact; the use of employee selection approaches; human factors in healthcare; employee selection, career development and employability. 

Our staff will continually nurture your academic curiosity to undertake your own research and 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 that will allow you to conceptualise and theorise about critical issues in occupational and organisational psychology. You will also have extensive experience of psychometric testing.

In addition to this, thanks to the real-world context that will be integral to your studies, you will be able to apply that 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 a basis for professional development as a practitioner in the form of Stage 2 training, as well as further study, employment and enterprise.

The fact that this course uniquely includes a psychometric testing qualification makes it especially distinctive. This is a qualification that will really set you apart from your peers and open up a wealth of career progression opportunities.

All of your modules will be highly relevant to practising as an Occupational Psychologist and as such you will be able to apply your knowledge immediately in the workplace, after graduation. You will graduate with enhanced self-awareness, professional identity, curiosity and creativity.

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