Psychology in Business BSc (Hons)

Introduction to Psychology in Business

Year one introduces the core areas of psychology and students reflect on a range of issues relating to psychology and education. In the first year you will explore What is Psychology to develop an understanding of the historical and conceptual issues related to psychology as a scientific discipline. Here you will learn how to ask questions and consider whether humans are more than a set of psychological processes.

Following this, we move to Individual and Group Perspectives that develops an awareness of social psychology, personality, and individual differences. You will study topics such as conflict, attitudes, altruism and prosocial behaviour, and discrimination. You will also study Research Design and Analysis, engaging in research and developing key skills around ethical issues, research design, and methods of analysis. Each week you will meet with your personal tutor in small groups, focusing on developing academic and vocational skills such as peer-to-peer learning, communication, literature searching, and reflection.

In this first year we also cover Ethical and Global Issues in Psychology including topics such as morality, acculturation, and globalisation. In tutorials you will apply these topics to the field of business, for example ethical dilemmas in different working environments, cultural differences in working practices, and how psychology can help to understand global challenges within the workplace. Example topics include neurodiversity in the workplace, ethical conduct and equity in the workplace, and challenges associated with digital innovations.

You will have seminars in Thinking as a Psychologist which explore how biases in thinking and reasoning affect behaviour. Working in groups you will acquire data in relation to a real-world occupational issue of your choosing and outline possible solutions. You will also be introduced to specialist software to design research experiments in Experimental Programme Design.  

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