Psychology in Business BSc (Hons)
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UCAS Code: PIB1|Duration: 3|Full Time|Hope Park
UCAS Campus Code: L46
Accredited|Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
About the course
The integration of psychology within organisational settings offers powerful insights into individual and group behaviour in the workplace. The BSc Psychology in Business degree at Liverpool Hope University equips you with the knowledge of human thinking and behaviour, alongside the skills to apply this expertise directly to the world of work.
Through your studies, you will obtain a scientific foundation in the core areas of psychology – social, cognitive, biological, developmental, and individual differences – while focusing on how theories and methods can be applied to business environments. You will explore how, when, and why people work best, and how behaviour can be shaped to enhance workplace satisfaction and productivity, as well as developing awareness of contemporary issues in psychology and business.
Taught by academics from both psychology and business, the Psychology in Business degree offers an intellectually stimulating environment where you will develop critical thinking, independent learning, and transferable skills relevant to careers in coaching, mentoring, occupational psychology, and behaviour change.
Course structure
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures and seminars, supported by small group tutorials designed to consolidate and deepen your learning.
During your first year of study, there are approximately 12 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 10 teaching hours in your second and third years.
On top of teaching hours, you are expected to spend a number of hours studying independently each week, as well as studying in groups to prepare for any group assessments that you may have.
Accreditation
Our single honours Psychology in Business degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and upon completion of your studies you will become eligible for Graduate Basis of Chartered Membership (GBC*). This will give you access to the postgraduate training courses of the BPS and is the first major step in becoming a professional psychologist.
*to qualify for GBC you will need to achieve a minimum classification of 2:2, and pass your final year empirical project.
Assessment and feedback
You will complete a number of formative and summative assessments both individually and working in groups, which will allow you to showcase your skills in a variety of ways. This includes written exams, essays, reports, portfolios, presentations, and assessed laboratory work. In the final year all students complete an individual empirical research project (dissertation).
Written feedback is provided for all coursework, along with the opportunity to discuss this in more detail with your tutor.
The report from our 2025 external examiners highlighted that “the level and nature of feedback continues to remain exemplary, with markers giving clear, actionable feedback”.
Curriculum overview
The Psychology in Business degree is a single honours course that provides knowledge and understanding of the human mind and behaviour and applies this to the working world. Important concepts such as perception, cognition, personality, and social behaviour are studied as part of this degree. Specialised tutorials will support the application of psychological theory and research to organisational issues and contexts.
Year One
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.
Year Two
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.
Year Three
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
Entry requirements
A-Levels | BBB |
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UCAS Tariff Points | 120 |
BTEC | DDM |
Access to HE | 70 |
IB | 33 |
Irish Leaving Certificate | 104 - 120 Tariff Points from Higher Level qualifications only |
Welsh Baccalaureate | This qualification can only be accepted in conjunction with other relevant qualifications |
T-Levels | Merit |
Subject Requirements | Students will need to have a minimum of Grade C (Grade 4 or above in the new grading system) in GCSE Mathematics, or equivalent. |
International entry requirements
Specific Country Requirements | Select your country |
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IELTS | 6.0 |
Careers
A Psychology in Business degree prepares students to move directly into employment after graduating, working in areas such as human resources, marketing, and behaviour change. The course is a starting point to becoming a psychology practitioner, such as an occupational, counselling, or clinical psychologist. It also provides an excellent foundation for postgraduate study, especially for those who are interested in careers in teaching, research, and academia.
Enhancement opportunities
Work Placement Opportunities
Students are able to complete a placement year and support will be provided in finding a placement. Short-term placements may be available, including the option to work as a research intern.
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2026/27 academic year are £9,535* for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,535*.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
*subject to Council approval.
Additional costs
If you would like to join the BPS as a student member, the first year is free, followed by an annual fee of £33 (correct as of October 2025). This allows you free access to BPS academic journals, and discounts on conferences, events and webinars.
Many students find it useful to have a laptop during their studies. Any laptop will be fine; however, we do not recommend a Chromebook as this does not support some of the psychology-specific software that you will need in your degree.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
International tuition fees
The International Tuition fees for 2026/27 are £14,500.
Visit our International fees page for more information.