Occupational Psychology – (M.Sc.)

Course Content

You will be required to study the following core modules in semester one:

* Employee Relations and Motivation
* Workplace Counselling and Career Development
* Core Research methods
* Occupational Research methods

You will also be able to choose one of these modules:

* Organisations, Stress and Health
* Environmental Psychology and Design

Semester two covers the core modules listed below:

* Professional Issues in Research and Practice
* Organisational Development and Change
* Training in Organisations
* Analytical Research Methods
* Occupational Selection and Assessment
* Ergonomics, Work Design, Health and Safety
* Consultancy Skills Workshop

Please note that all module details are subject to change.
Over the summer period, you will complete an Applied Research Project (ARP). This final module gives you the opportunity to consolidate your skills and experience, and to explore a topic covered during the course in greater depth. To all intents and purposes, the ARP offers students an important opportunity to deliver a piece of professional applied research.

Course Structure
The MSc in Occupational Psychology is delivered on a full-time basis over one year or part-time over two years. It commences in late September each year. The course comprises 180 credits, split across 120 credits´ worth of core and optional taught modules and 60 credits for the Applied Research Project.

A variety of teaching methods are used on this course to facilitate learning. These include lectures, seminars, workshops and self-managed learning groups. Assessment is also undertaken by a variety of means, including examinations, essays, dissertations and field-based project work. On some occasions, students might be asked to make individual or group-based presentations in seminars and workshops. Although not formally assessed, these presentations are an essential opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge of the topic and important transferable skills, e.g. presentation skills.

Modules
Occupational Selection & AssessmentThis module covers contemporary issues in selection and assessment both from a psychological perspective and as an important personnel system for organisations. It provides discussion of: the nature of the selection system, organisational and job analysis, recruitment, selection interviewing and psychometric testing, selection validation, the nature and use of assessment centres, and computer/internet testing. The emphasis throughout the module is on selection as a process comprising an identification stage, a design and delivery stage, and an evaluation stage, with multiple feedback loops between stages.Professional issues in research & practiceThis module will introduce key issues in research and practice in applied psychology through a series of individual lectures. Different topics will be presented and critically evaluated in the context of applied research and/or professional practice.Organisations, Stress and HealthThe module explores the role of psychological, social and organisational factors in individual and organisational health. A major theme is the nature of work-related stress - its nature, causes and effects. The most common causes of work-related ill-health concern adverse aspects of the way jobs are organised and people are managed. The experience of stress offers one vehicle for understanding the link between those adverse working conditions and individual and organisational ill-health. The module also considers other major contemporary concerns such as absence from work and the implications of an ageing workforce. The focus of the module then shifts towards an exploration how these problems and others can be best controlled and managed. An overarching model of prevention and organisational interventions is suggested, and future challenges, both theoretical and practical identified.Environmental Psychology and DesignThis module explores some of the ways in which the physical environment influences peoples´ attitudes, behaviour and well-being. The focus of the module is upon the workplace and other organisational settings e.g. health care environments. Evidence is presented throughout the module to show that the Physical environment, whether natural or built, can influence attitudes, behaviour and well-being either directly or indirectly, i.e. in interaction with elements of the social environment. Loud noise, for example, is directly responsible for damage to the hearing system, while even low volume noise can make one feel very agitated if you are trying to sleep, or read a complex scientific paper! A range of what might be termed psycho-geographic concepts are covered in the module including personal space, privacy, window access, personalisation and `supportive design´. Consultancy SkillsThe module covers the core consultancy skills required of occupational, work and organisational, occupational health and health psychologists.It also considers ethical issues and the Code of Conduct of the British Psychological Society. Applied Research ProjectEmpirical research project in applied psychology. Employee Relations & MotivationThis module introduces the important issue of motivation at work, and considers the contribution that psychological theory makes to our understanding of motivation. The module also considers the role of the psychological contract as a concept for understanding management/employee relations, explores the issue of conflict in organisations and both productive and counterproductive behaviour in organisations.Organisational Development & ChangeSummary of content: This module provides an introduction to various approaches to understanding organisations and the environments in which they operate. Areas covered include: o Perspectives on organisational development and change o Evaluation of change o Groups, teams and team development o Organisations & organisational culture o Complexity, Whole Systems Working and Large Group Interventions o Strategic Leadership and change Ergonomics, work design, health and safetyThe module discusses several contemporary issues in ergonomics, safety and health, including accidents and musculo-skeletal disorders. In addtion this module will explore issues in Human Factors, such as the perceptual, cognitive and actions involved in dealing with equipment within varying organisational contextsWorkplace Counselling and Career DevelopmentThis module concerns workplace counselling and career development. The module provides a general introduction to the nature and psychological background of career development, and students are given the opportunity to explore the practical implications by planning their own career development. Students also study the application and effectiveness of workplace counselling.Training In OrganisationsThe module focuses on theories of learning and the application of these to training development and design in organisations. The module also considers training needs analysis, training transfer and evaluation of training. Using case studies and organisational scenarios students will develop practical skills in the development and delivery of training programmes. This module will be assessed by an examination and coursework - students will be required to pass each element.Core Research MethodsThis module discusses the nature and philosophy of psychology as a social science. Students will be introduced to basic issues relating to the nature, philosophy and strategies of social science, to related issues of research methods and ethics. The module will consider the practical and social psychological issues involved in conducting research in field situations (eg obtaining participants, sampling, keeping records)Occupational Research MethodsThe module will cover psychometric issues such as reliability and validity, and the design and evaluation of measures, epidemiology, interviewing, and psychometrics.Analytical Research Methods