MSc Business Psychology

Entry year
2024/25
Course code
C81512
Application
University
Level
Postgraduate
School
School of Social Sciences
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
One year full-time; two years part-time
Delivery
Full-time; part-time; starts September
Programme leader
Dr Ben Steeden

This course is open for applications

Please note that new student recruitment to the part-time route of this course has been suspended for the September 2024 intake. Applications for 2025 should be made from October 2024.

Page last updated 8 February 2024

Introduction

Study a cross-subject degree that applies psychology to real-world business problems within organisations. Solve challenges in psychology and business, such as communication, employee motivation and talent recruitment. Our blocked teaching delivery enables you to study flexibly alongside your work.

Accreditations and partnerships:

An organisation is only as good as the people working within it. Business psychology is crucial in understanding how teams work and what motivates employees. Many organisations hire business psychologists to solve challenges in psychology and business, from communication to talent recruitment.

Not only does applying psychology to the workplace produce better leaders and teams, it improves business decisions too. Business psychology is a growing market, addressing a business need for more effective workplace cultures.

Skills-based, solution-focused

Accredited by the Association for Business Psychology (ABP) our MSc Business Psychology uses a skills-based, solution-focused approach that applies evidence to practice. To date, we're one of the only universities in the region to deliver a master's degree in business psychology.

Find solutions to the biggest issues facing organisations today. You'll apply psychology to real-world business problems, such as employee motivation, performance and wellbeing. So you'll gain tangible skills relevant to your workplace.

Blend psychology and business

Study a cross-subject course that draws on experts in the fields of psychology and business. You'll gain a broad range of expertise that blends these two worlds, from human resource management to occupational and organisational psychology.

Whatever your career aspirations are, you'll benefit from our local and national industry links within the business hub of Bristol and beyond. Strengthen your professional network by connecting with academic communities like the Bristol Leadership and Change Centre.

Advance your career

Whether you're a professional or recent graduate, the course will offer you a flexible and open career route. If you're already employed, you'll be able to study flexibly alongside your work, thanks to our blocked teaching delivery. You'll be trained as a qualified business psychologist, ready to practice in a range of organisational settings.

Structure

Content

The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change. The optional modules we deliver are based on student preferences across the whole course, so we may not be able to deliver all student choices.

You will study:

  • Business Basics for Psychologists
  • Business Psychology Essentials
  • Dissertation in Psychology
  • Researching Organisations.

Plus two optional modules from:

  • Coaching and Mentoring (Business Psychology)
  • Learning, Training and Development
  • Talent Management.

Plus two optional modules from:

  • Leadership and Change Management
  • Personal Mastery in Leadership
  • Wellbeing at Work.

This structure is for full-time students only. Part-time students study the same modules but the delivery pattern will be different. 

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we will inform you.

Learning and Teaching

The course is delivered through flexible distributed learning, enabling you to work alongside your master's degree. Throughout your studies, you'll be taught via a blend of face-to-face and online lectures. Most of the course content is taught online, ensuring your learning is technology-enabled and future-focused.

All face-to-face teaching is delivered in blocks, comprising of two day-long workshops per 15 credit module. If you're employed during your studies, you'll benefit from being able to book off blocks of time from work.

Develop integrated expertise across business and psychology. You'll gain broad knowledge in a range of subject areas, integrating organisational and occupational psychology with organisational studies, human resource management, coaching and leadership.

To participate in the programme, students should expect to:

  • Actively participate in group discussions, both online and face-to-face.
  • Deliver presentations on their work and learning to their peers.
  • Read and critically evaluate scientific and practitioner literature.
  • Generate original ideas to translate theory into practice.
  • Build evidence-based arguments.
  • Engage with the learner and practitioner community.
  • Produce evidence-based, critical written reports.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Assessment

Throughout the course, you'll develop the key competencies needed to practice as a professional business psychologist. Your assessments will test these competencies, as well as your ability to use your skills in an applied, practice-oriented way.

Due to the evidence-based nature of the course, assessments have been designed to ensure you'll get confident applying evidence to practice. In each assessment, you'll learn to use psychological theory to solve real-world business problems, whether in case studies or reflective practice.

You'll be assessed using a range of methods, including consultancy pitches, workplace evaluations, wellbeing assessments and coaching skills. So you'll apply your expertise to practical tools used by experienced business psychologists working within organisations.

See our full glossary of assessment terms.

Features

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the Association for Business Psychology (ABP).

Study facilities

Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.

Take a Virtual Tour of the Psychology, Sociology and Criminology facilities and see what's on offer here for you.

Life

Postgraduate support

Our support includes access to fantastic facilities, study tools and career consultants, plus practical help to access everything from funding to childcare.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

MSc Business Psychology will equip you with the psychological theory needed to solve business challenges in a range of organisational settings from consultancies to public sector charities. You'll develop a skillset that apply to your own workplace, including leadership, management and enterprise.

These skills will give you the best chance of career success as a business psychology practitioner. Plus, gaining accreditation from a professional body will ensure you meet recognised criteria for professional practice in the field.

If you're already employed, you'll have the flexibility to work alongside your studies, while adapting interventions to your own organisation's culture. For those in senior management positions, you'll gain a unique opportunity to advance your career as a business leader.

Our graduates go on to work in many business areas, from human resource management to leadership development. You could also find work in teaching and academia, progressing to PhDs in business-related subjects.

UWE Bristol offers two MSc routes into work psychology

Our MSc Business Psychology is accredited by the Association for Business Psychology (ABP) and offers an alternative entry route into the field of work psychology. It offers a cross-disciplinary approach, blending psychology and business to advance your career.

We also offer another route to enter this profession, MSc Occupational Psychology, which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). This course provides the BPS Stage-1 qualification in Occupational Psychology. On completion, you'll be able to progress to the BPS Stage-2 qualification in Occupational Psychology to become a Chartered Psychologist (providing you hold graduate basis for chartership with the BPS).

Our award-winning careers service helps you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for available internships, placements, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering and community activity, plus support for entrepreneurial activity and where possible, access to employer events.

Fees

Supplementary fee information

See our funding pages for more information.

Please also check whether you might be eligible for a bursary for this course.

Entry

Entry requirements

You should have a good honours degree (2:2) or equivalent, in a relevant subject (e.g. Psychology, Business, Social Science or Science).

If you do not meet the above grade requirements but have at least 12 months relevant professional experience and/ or equivalent qualifications, we will consider you on an individual basis. We are looking for applicants who are committed to the practice of Business Psychology and are interested in interdisciplinary approaches to working in this field.

English Language Requirement

International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English language requirements.

How to apply

Read more about postgraduate applications.

Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.

For further information