Program Overview

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Occupational Psychology MSc

The MSc Occupational Psychology course applies psychological theory and research to understand and improve people's experience and performance at work. This course is designed for psychology graduates ready to further develop their skills and look beneath the surface of workplace issues.

About this course

What motivates us to perform at work, and how might we inspire others to do the same? Why do so many wellbeing initiatives fail to deliver lasting results? And as AI reshapes the workplace, what will that mean for employees and organisations adapting to these new technologies? These are the kinds of challenges Occupational Psychology is built to tackle.

Course Structure

• The course develops your ability to analyse workplace issues, design evidence-based interventions, and evaluate their impact.
• You will learn to translate that knowledge into practice through live organisational consultancy work for real clients.
• Your lecturers will support you as you apply psychology to understand key issues and present recommendations to your client, building your skills and confidence, and providing you with practical experience.

Module Information

The following are the core modules of the course:

Understanding Organisations: Work Design, Organisational Change and Development

• Organisations are more than charts and job titles. The way they are structured, the cultures they develop, and the systems they use all shape how people experience work, and whether changes actually stick.
• This module gives you the bigger picture: how design choices at organisational level influence everyday behaviour, performance and wellbeing, and why well-intentioned strategies can be derailed by focusing on the wrong targets.
• 20 credits

Research in Organisations

• Effective evidence-based consultancy relies on the ability to diagnose problems accurately, drawing on relevant data and perspectives, rather than intuition.
• However, to ensure our data and analysis has an impact, we need to understand and translate complex findings in a way that is meaningful to clients and decision makers.
• You'll develop both skill sets here, working through the consultancy cycle to design research that addresses real organisational questions.
• 20 credits

Organisational Practice: Leadership, Engagement and Motivation

• Pay and incentives can seem like obvious motivators, but if they are applied carelessly they can actually backfire.
• Research shows that how work is designed, how leaders lead, and whether people find meaning in what they do often matter more.
• This module explores what drives motivation and engagement, and how to influence it across different contexts, including why misunderstandings about popular concepts such as employee engagement can mean we end up focusing on the wrong problems.
• 20 credits

Psychological Assessment at Work

• Getting the right people into the right roles is critical for organisational success, but how do we identify talent fairly and accurately?
• This module examines evidence-based assessment tools, from psychometrics to assessment centres, and how to design selection processes that are both effective and fair.
• You'll discover why some popular selection methods predict performance far better than others, and why good selection starts with understanding what you're really looking for.
• 20 credits

Learning, Training and Development

• Organisations invest heavily in training, yet much of that learning never makes it back to the workplace.
• This module examines how individuals and organisations learn, why training so often fails to translate into lasting change, and what makes the difference.
• You'll also explore why careers rarely unfold as we expect, and how coaching and mentoring can support individual growth.
• 20 credits

Work and Wellbeing

• What causes workplace stress, and why do so many workplace wellbeing initiatives fail to deliver?
• In this module you'll examine how the design, demands, culture and changing patterns of work affect employee wellbeing.
• You'll learn to use theory and evidence to uncover root causes and distinguish interventions that address them from those that merely treat the symptoms.
• 20 credits

Independent Research Project

• This is your chance to pursue a question that genuinely matters to you and you'll design and conduct your own applied research project on an Occupational Psychology related topic of your choosing.
• You'll be supported with one-to-one supervisor in the course team.
• Whether you want to explore something that's sparked your interest during the course or investigate an issue connected to your career ambitions, it's an opportunity to ask and answer a question that matters to you.
• 60 credits

Entry Requirements

UK students

• You will need an undergraduate Psychology degree (minimum 2.1) that is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Applicants with a 2.2 level Psychology degree will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Your application form requires a written statement in which you should outline the reasons for wishing to undertake the MSc Occupational Psychology course.

International students

• You will need a British Psychological Society (BPS) recognised undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) in Psychology or an equivalent qualification that confers Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the BPS.
• Applicants with a 2.2 level BPS-accredited Psychology degree will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• English language requirements: See the English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.

Fees and Funding

UK students

• Full-time - £10,300
• Part-time (for Year One) - £5,150
• Scholarships: You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies.
• Alumni discount: We're happy to offer a 20% alumni discount to most current NTU students and recent NTU alumni.
• Postgraduate loans: There is a government postgraduate loan scheme for Masters degrees.

International students

• Full-time - £20,400
• Scholarships: You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies.
• Alumni discount: We're happy to offer a 20% alumni discount to most current NTU students and recent NTU alumni.
• Living costs: See our advice on managing your money, the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget.

Careers and Employability

Occupational Psychology expertise is highly versatile, and valuable wherever people and performance matter, graduates may use the course as a foundation for many different roles and career directions.

• Chartered Occupational Psychologist: This course provides Stage 1 of the BPS route to Chartered status.
• Specialist roles in OP-related areas: Many graduates move into roles that apply occupational psychology directly: recruitment and talent management, employee wellbeing, learning and development, organisational change, psychological assessment, people analytics, and consultancy.
• Leadership, management, and graduate schemes: Others carry their expertise into broader roles where understanding what drives people at work gives them a genuine advantage.

Campus and Facilities

As a Psychology student, you'll mostly study in our Chaucer and Taylor buildings and benefit from our Psychology Laboratories which includes eye-trackers, motion capture labs, virtual reality and driving simulation suites, a mock prison cell, and an £80,000 EEG system.