MSc Business Psychology

Course Overview

Arden University’s dual-accredited MSc Business Psychology is designed for graduates and industry professionals seeking expertise in occupational psychology. It equips you to meet the growing demand in both public and private sectors for professionals with business psychology skills, giving you the competitive advantage needed to fill industry gaps.

What you’ll learn

This course covers core areas of business psychology, providing a strong foundation in research, theory, and practice. You will gain the highly sought-after ability to improve business operations at the individual, team, and organisational levels, and to tackle contemporary business issues such as improving employee well-being and performance and managing organisational change. You’ll graduate from the course with the key practitioner skills needed to strategically apply psychology in your current or future roles.

Graduate career avenues

Chartered Occupational Psychologist (BPS accreditation)
The course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and fulfils stage one of the two-stage process to becoming a Chartered Occupational Psychologist. Upon completion of the MSc, the second stage involves supervised practice guided by a qualified supervisor. Further details are available on the BPS website.

Certified Business Psychologist (ABP accreditation)
The course is accredited by the Association for Business Psychology (ABP), meaning graduates can leverage the ABP Certified Business Psychologist designation. This certification offers ABP members a pathway to attain ‘Business Psychologist’ status. More information can be found on the ABP website.

Alternative career pathways
Graduates with business psychology skills are in high demand across various organisations, with opportunities in areas such as employee well-being, leadership development, recruitment and selection, consultancy, and, with appropriate training, psychometric test administration and interpretation. Our programme equips you with a versatile skill set that opens doors to a wide range of career prospects.

Our expert team

Our School of Psychology consists of practitioners and academics with awards, publications, and industry experience spanning consultancy, coaching, well-being, knowledge transfer, neurodiversity, and assessment design and delivery. This means you’ll gain unique insights into both the academic and practitioner aspects of business psychology. We also collaborate with external practitioners, including occupational and coaching psychologists and consultants to align the programme with contemporary standards and practices.

Entry requirements

At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn’t a clear pathway to this degree – we are more than happy to discuss your application.

What do you need to study with us?

Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can join us, wherever you are.

That’s why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or computer (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good stable internet connection. With this one tool, you’ll be able to access information, advice, support, learning materials and our online library, as well as create assignments, keep notes, and collaborate with other students effectively.

We’ll also support you with getting access to the resources you need, wherever you study from, including assistance with obtaining any software you need to successfully complete the course.

Eligibility

To be eligible for our MSc Business Psychology, you should normally have:

A UK Honours Degree at a minimum of second class (2.2) or equivalent, that is related to the field of psychology, social science or business (if you want to progress to Stage 2 training in Occupational Psychology this needs to be a BPS accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology)
In the absence of a UK Honours Degree, professional work experience that is relevant to business psychology will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
A maths qualification or equivalent to at least Grade C at GCSE.
In the absence of evidence of a GCSE or equivalent in mathematics applicants will be able to complete an assessment-free module before the start of the course to substitute for this.

Course fee

International Fee	Fee
Fee per year:	£10550

Uk Fee	Fee
Total fee:	£9500

Please note: Fees quoted relate to the intake that you enrol on (i.e. when you start your course), NOT your application date.

English proficiency

IELTS 6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element); or TOEFL iBT 90; or equivalent.
Alternatively, evidence you have previously studied in English, such as a letter to show that the Medium of Instruction was in English can be accepted.

We also offer an internal English test for applicants who are unable to provide the above evidence of English proficiency.

Before you start studying

Whilst you can read your study materials on your smart phone or tablet, to make the most of your learning experience, you will need access to a laptop or computer (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good stable internet connection.

Apply for the Course

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Course details and modules

Within each module, you will explore the business world to develop a critical understanding of organisational issues, ethical considerations, and future research directions. We’ll delve into contemporary psychology trends in the workplace, covering assessments, development, leadership, and organisational culture.

You’ll learn essential practitioner skills, such as the consultancy cycle, report writing, and finding relevant information. We’ll highlight the importance of psychological assessments, which facilitate objective comparisons, identify training needs, and support individual and organisational growth – crucial in today’s business landscape focused on talent attraction, management, and diversity.

Just some of the fascinating modules you’ll study on this course include:

Coaching & Mentoring

Examine unique coaching theories and models, including challenges and ethical considerations. Gain practical insights through optional coaching activities, providing a taste of coaching’s benefits and the opportunity to be a ‘coach for a day’ under guided supervision.

Leadership, Motivation & Engagement

Explore effective leadership and the role of business psychologists in developing strategic leaders who foster engaged and motivated teams. Topics include the impact of evolving work environments, promoting inclusive workplace cultures, and managing diverse global teams.

Health and Well-Being at Work

Consider the business case for employee well-being, addressing common workplace concerns like stress and physical inactivity. Gain current knowledge on approaches and factors related to workplace well-being and interventions targeting well-being at individual, team, leadership, and organisational levels.

Authentic assessments. No exams.

Unlike on more traditional degrees, you won’t be sitting any exams on this course. Instead, a range of authentic assessments have been designed to help you apply your learning to real-world scenarios in business psychology and the organisational challenges you might face in your future role. Our practice-driven assessments include:

– Consultancy reports
– Presentations
– Case studies
– Intervention design
– A Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) analysis
– Empirical research project

Business psychology research project

The course culminates in an independent research project where you’ll investigate a key business psychology issue, building skills for your future career. You’ll be guided by experienced occupational and business psychologists throughout the project.

Core Modules

Psychological Assessment at Work (20 credits)
Advanced Research Methods (20 credits)
Learning, Training & Development (20 credits)
Coaching & Mentoring (20 credits)
Leadership, Motivation & Engagement (20 credits)
Health and Well-being at Work (20 credits)
Work Design, Organisational Change and Development (20 credits)
Business Psychology Research Project (40 credits)

Unparalleled support for your psychology degree studies

Alongside the extensive support available to all students studying with Arden, our MSc Business Psychology course features its own personalised support system to help you succeed with your studies.

We go above and beyond to provide you with the resources and opportunities you’ll need to study with confidence and take pride in your personal development. Take a look at the support resources you’ll have access to as an Arden psychology student:

Study skills workshops to support you on your academic journey and help you achieve your goals.
Virtual coffee mornings, online office hours, and drop-in sessions to discuss your coursework with your tutors.
Quarterly student-lecturer feedback events that give you the chance to co-create your learning experience.
Annual student conferences to showcase your work and make valuable professional connections.
Annual employability event held virtually so all can attend, with over 40 guest speakers from diverse branches of psychology.
BPS membership, giving you access to a wealth of valuable resources for learning and networking.

Career prospects

The course will help you develop your existing skills and knowledge in business psychology, alongside the latest theoretical, practical, and emerging advancements in the field. Through this, you’ll gain the expertise needed to successfully apply business psychology across a range of exciting industries.

What can I do after Arden University?

Employers today recognise the strategic advantage of having employees who are versed in applying psychology in the workplace, meaning you’ll graduate from your MSc Business Psychology degree ready to accelerate your career in the field. A few of the roles you might consider include:

Occupational Psychologist (after completion of BPS stage 2 chartership under the supervision of an independent BPS approved supervisor)
Business Psychologist
Employee or Leader Coach/Mentor
Workplace Assessment/Training
Recruitment and Selection
Business Consultancy
Business Manager
HR

What will the MSc Business Psychology do for me?

You’ll graduate from the course with the hands-on business psychology and leadership skills required to effectively bring about positive change in the workplace across individual, team, and organisational levels. Throughout your studies you’ll be provided with the valuable opportunity to:

Gain in-depth knowledge of business and occupational psychology in a variety of industries.
Understand the important and strategic role psychology plays in the workplace.
Develop practical skills in applying appropriate psychological interventions at the individual, team, and organisational levels.
Gain transferable skills for a range of exciting roles in both the public and private sectors.

Part-time online learning

How does it work?

Studying the MSc Business Psychology online gives you the ultimate in convenience. You can enrol with Arden from anywhere in the world and study your degree from the comfort of home, without the requirement to attend classes in a physical location.

Our online students study their degree through ilearn, Arden’s university campus in the cloud. ilearn provides everything you need to study at University. It offers an integrated virtual learning experience, including your virtual classroom, lecture theatre, and access to our Library Portal. The portal includes an extensive digital library including thousands of journal titles, eBooks, and academic and industry databases which you can use to research your assignments and projects. All of these materials are provided to you free of charge, and contain all the research information you’ll need to complete your degree with us.

Studying online doesn’t mean studying alone. As well as receiving regular feedback and guidance from your course tutor, you’ll be studying with like-minded students who you can meet with through our Unitu community, and you’ll have access to community message boards to discuss your course and the topics being raised within it. We’ve even set up community boards embedded into each of the course modules so you can have discussions with your tutor and classmates on the topics you’re currently learning.

Online learning students resident in the UK can apply for a Maintenance Loan if they cannot attend their course in person because of a disability. If you’re a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can find information on Living Cost Loans from your student finance body.

Introducing your Digital Backpack

Once you’ve enrolled on your MSc Business Psychology degree with Arden you’ll get access to your Digital Backpack, a toolkit of digital resources we’ve put together to help you succeed during your time studying with us.

Here are some of the digital resources you’ll have available throughout your course:

Office 365 subscription
Integrated zoom video conferencing
Careers support available through Arden Futures, your careers platform, to help you throughout your career journey whether you are a Career Starter, Changer or Developer
Free online access to our Library Portal, which includes thousands of eBooks and journals, as well as industry databases which we’ve carefully hand-picked to support your studies – all yours for free while you study with us
Subscription to Togetherall for an abundance of mental health support