MSc Business Psychology

Overview

Business psychology is a discipline often referred to as occupational psychology and organisational psychology.

The MSc Business Psychology will give you an in-depth understanding of the psychological mechanisms that drive positive behaviours and performances in the workplace.

Whether you're coming from an industry position or directly from an undergraduate degree, this long-established programme of study will equip you with an effective blend of knowledge drawn from the specialist fields of psychology, management and leadership.

The content on this one-year masters degree programme has been tailored to meet the needs of those working towards a number of job roles, such as business psychology practitioner, human resources manager, organisational development manager, coaching consultant, management consultant or leadership consultant.

You will develop commercial awareness and an understanding of global organisations which will allow you to recognise the impact of the economy, politics, globalisation and the changing labour market on the psychology of a workplace and performance of individuals and teams.

The skills to improve performance

During the MSc Business Psychology you will explore different aspects of the psychological mechanisms behind workplace behaviour and gain the managerial skills that will allow you to enhance and improve performance of teams and individuals. You will build expertise in:

• coaching
• leadership
• diversity
• employment legislation
• organisational change
• organisational culture
• marketing and consumer behaviour.

You will study the areas of psychology that directly apply to business settings, and explore some of the key psychological research methods that can be practised in the workplace.

By viewing the workplace through a psychological perspective, and by developing your analytical, critical thinking, and reflection skills, you will learn to recognise and improve seemingly intangible aspects of the workplace which, when appropriately managed, can directly improve business performance in terms of:

• job satisfaction
• wellbeing
• leadership
• organisational commitment
• organisational culture
• performance and productivity.

Specifically-designed group tasks and presentations will allow you to develop your interpersonal and communication skills, giving you the platform to implement your expertise and directly improve the performance of diverse groups of individuals and teams at any level within an organisation. 

Throughout this programme you will learn from a unique blend of research-led academic teaching and industry-focused practical exercises. For example, on the Psychology of Coaching course you will develop knowledge in the theoretical frameworks of this area of psychology whilst gaining practical insights into the tools and techniques of lecturers who are experienced coaching practitioners and consultants.

Specialist pathways

In addition to pure business psychology, Heriot-Watt University offers two specialist business psychology pathways at our Edinburgh campus:

MSc Business Psychology with Human Resource Management

Business psychology graduates often build extremely rewarding careers in human resource management within a range of industries. This is why Heriot-Watt has created this specialist programme which blends our world-class teaching and expertise in both disciplines to create a specialist, dual-focus programme.

MSc Business Psychology with Intercultural Communication

This new specialist pathway has been introduced to help undergraduates from the Arts and Humanities, Business Management and Psychology programme to position themselves as highly-employable candidates for multinational, global organisations. This MSc combines business psychology's specialist focus on leadership, diversity, organisational culture, and change with intercultural communication's focus on written and verbal communication skills in cross-cultural, professional business contexts. The development of these specialisms will put graduates in the perfect position to make a positive impact on the performance, communication and culture of global organisations.

Guest lectures and educational trips

At Heriot-Watt University we ensure that you understand how the knowledge and skills you learn in class can be applied to the real world. On Business Psychology you will learn from psychology, leadership and coaching researchers and practitioners who share their research findings and practical experiences with you directly.

Dr Brian O'Neill, an occupational psychologist and leadership development consultant shares his expertise with guest lectures and seminars on Leadership Development

Dr. Louise Lambert, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Ethics at the Canadian University of Dubai presented on Positive Psychology, happiness and culture which was particularly linked to our Coaching course

Professor Ray Miller, Honorary Treasurer to the British Psychological Society, Professional Advisor for Psychology to NHS, and an experienced leader, speakers to students on how you should develop yourself as a leader.

Sharan Virdee, Equality and Diversity Partner at Heriot-Watt University, shares first-hand experience of promoting Diversity and Equality throughout the University. Sharon outlines her work at both the strategic and service delivery levels of the institution, explaining how she interprets national agendas to the legal context and organisational values of Heriot-Watt University to develop and implement policy.

You may also take part in a number of trips outside of the classroom to discover how the theoretical concepts you learn about can be recognised across society.

September 2024 entry

The deadline for applications from UK students is 30 August 2024. For EU and overseas applicants, we guarantee to consider applications submitted by 2 August 2024.