Psychology in Business BSc (Hons)

In the first year of your studies, you will cover a series of 30 credit modules. 

Psychology, Self and Society

In this module, you will develop an understanding of the historical and conceptual issues related to psychology as a scientific discipline and consider related questions and debates. You will then study key theories and conceptual issues in social psychology, and personality and individual differences. The content is related to important topics in society (e.g., racism, populism, environmental pressures).

Psychological Research Methods

This module lays the foundations of the critical awareness skills required to examine the scientific and empirical basis of support for the philosophical and conceptual questions raised across the degree programme. Here, you will learn about the practicalities of engaging in research and develop key skills around ethical issues, different forms of research design and methods of analysis.

Introduction to Management and Leadership

This module will cover business functions and organisational structures, leadership and management theories, organisational behaviour, and strategic management. You will start the programme exploring different types of organisation from one-person to SMEs, from MNC to public and private, commercial to not-for-profit, from co-operative to social enterprise. Students will then be taught a range of business management functions and theories.

Business Environments

This module will cover PESTLE and SWOT analysis, micro / macro environments, and legal and ethical frameworks. Here, you will then be introduced to the Competition and start to understand what is required to gain a competitive advantage. This competitive element will start by introducing a SWOT analysis, where students will see that the Strengths and Weaknesses (internally) must be understood, so that the extrinsic factors within the Opportunities can be exploited, and the Threats can be mitigated. Finally, you will be taught theories of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Explorations in Psychology and Business

Year two focuses on the topics of cognitive and developmental psychology, and on applications of psychology. Students will gain knowledge and awareness of how psychology can be applied to the field of business, covering topics such as aging, health and wellbeing, mental health, and behaviour change interventions.

In Vision and Cognition, you will study topics such as visual perception, memory, attention, and language, and in Developmental Psychology you will cover topics such as maturational changes, biological factors in development, and emotional influences through the lifespan. Research Design and Analysis 2 introduces more complex research designs in quantitative psychology and also covers qualitative methods (e.g., observation, thematic analysis) and mixed methods approaches to research. Integral to this is the increased critical awareness of the role of ethics in research.

In the second year, we continue to consider how psychological theories, methodologies, and evidence can be applied to the world of business. In Health Psychology you will study how to identify health issues (e.g., shift working, stress) and the principles of promoting healthy lifestyles. There is a particular focus on evaluating how psychological perspectives can be used to inform health interventions in the workplace. In Educational Psychology you learn about the role that cognitive, social, and emotional factors play in lifelong learning and education.

You will also study Clinical Psychology, exploring the cause(s), progression, and consequences of mental health conditions and how assessment and psychological intervention can reduce distress and enhance psychological well-being. There are seminars in Psychological Interventions where you will develop a psychological intervention for an individual, an organisation, or a community in a topic of your choosing, and Applied Psychology tutorials that directly apply psychological functioning and wellbeing to the workplace.  

Advanced Studies in Psychology and Business

Year Three covers biopsychology, motivations, and emotions, and students choose two option courses based on their interests within psychology and business. Biological Psychology examines psychological functioning at a biological and cellular level and relates this back to societal and individual issues covered in years one and two. The topics covered include brain plasticity, reward circuits, and neuroscientific methods.

In Motivation and Emotion, you learn about the principles and processes associated with motivational goals, such as growth mindsets, social-emotional intelligence, and aggression. You also have the opportunity to explore Future Challenges for Psychology, critically reflecting on the future of the discipline and the challenges (and opportunities) associated with identity and wellbeing, an aging population, increased globalisation, and a warming world.

In the final year all students complete an independent empirical research project, the Dissertation. Here you will explore in-depth an area at the intersection between psychology and business that you are passionate about and you will be supervised by a lecturer in the School of Psychology. A series of lectures and workshops support the dissertation, helping to further develop the skills needed to conduct an independent research project. 

This final year marks the point where students have more ownership over their studies. This will include you choosing to study one from a selection of 12-week Specialist Seminars (topics include Cognition and Wellbeing, Forensic Psychology, Psychology of Addictions, and Perception and Action in Training and Rehabilitation*). You will also choose to study two from a selection of 12-week Options (options include Applied Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Aesthetics and the Arts, Counselling Theory and Practice, Psychology of Religion, Human Memory, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Psychology of Peace and Conflict*).

*Subject to change