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Business Psychology
MSc
Part time
1 year+
Location
Online
Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology
What makes Arden University special?
Education for everyone, everywhere
Whether you're constrained by location, cost, time, or other life commitments, we're passionate about giving you access to higher education that fits into your busy, modern life.
You decide how and where to study
We offer a wide range of flexible undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in both our online and blended study modes.
Full support both online and on-site
We're also proud to offer non-standard entry, meaning your work experience and previous qualifications are taken into account when assessing your application.
Strong focus on employability
You will gain in-depth subject knowledge and transferable skills that employers from a huge range of industries will value. Many of our courses at Arden are also accredited by leading professional bodies in the UK.
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.
Accreditation and Memberships
ABP Accredited
Accreditation from the Association of Business Psychology gives you free student membership, access to networking opportunities and more.
BPS Accredited
Upon graduation you'll receive Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) conferred by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
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Professional accreditation
This course is accredited by the Association for Business psychology (ABP) and the British Psychological Society (BPS).
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.
Arden is for winners. Nobody will beg you to sit down and start working on your career, if you don’t do it yourself! At Arden, if you have an honest interest for what you learn and you want to reach out for more, you will be welcomed, helped, and advised. But to do that, you must be determined.
Bettina Finna
BSc (Hons) Psychology
Course Modules
- Psychological Assessment at Work (20 credits)
- Core 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)
- Consultancy reports
Study options
This course is currently available to students as a fully online programme, which gives you the convenience of being able to study from anywhere worldwide.
I chose online learning because I do not currently have the capacity to attend classes as my days are full with running my household, my elderly parents’ household and tending to the needs of my 3-year-old. Online studying has been extremely helpful because it provides the flexibility I need in order to study at random times during the day or night.
Cynthia Blow
BSc (Hons) Psychology
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. Please find more information on our fees and funding page. 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
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 you need to study with us
Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can study in a flexible and convenient way. That's why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or desktop PC (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good internet connection. Through ilearn, our online university campus in the cloud, you'll be able to access your course calendar, support services, learning materials, and our online library containing thousands of ebooks, as well as tools for creating assignments, keeping notes, and collaborating with other students on your course.
Find out more
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.
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.
Course fees and funding
Funding and Scholarships
The Arden University Postgraduate Merit Scholarship offers UK Online Learning students with a 2.1 undergraduate degree or higher £2,000 off our postgraduate tuition fees. You can also apply for up to £12,167 funding from Student Finance England fund your studies.
If you’re an international student, we have a number of Regional Offers that can help you save money on your tuition fees.
Refer a Friend
When you help a friend or family member to study with Arden through our Refer a Friend programme, both you and the person you refer will receive a £500 Amazon e-voucher or £500 tuition fee credit.
Meet the faculty
The Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology is currently overseen by Professor Brian Smith, Deputy Provost. Bringing more than three decades of experience, Brian has been awarded the prestigious Higher Education Academy National Teaching Fellow for excellence in developing inspiring and innovative new learning and teaching models in global higher education. This work was core to his PhD to understand learner behaviour and ontological needs in the classroom, blended and online learning. He carries a wealth of experience and has touched a variety of disciplines – including healthcare, psychology, technology, law and engineering, to name a few. He also holds the title of Advance HE Principal Fellow, and Accreditor status for reviewing fellowships. Brian has contributed to several initiatives in his career, some of which has included authoring End point Assessments for Apprenticeships (Institute for Apprenticeships), Micro-credential characteristics (Quality Assurance Agency), TEF 2023 panel member (Office for Students), editor reviewer for journals, and authoring publications such as Creativity: An unsolved enigma.
Professor Brian Smith
Deputy Provost
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.
Related articles
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.
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
Industry skills
This course is accredited by the the Association for Business Psychology (ABP) and the British Psychological Society (BPS).
The British Psychological Society
The British Psychological Society (BPS) is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. The society is responsible for the development, promotion, and application of psychology for the public good.
Students obtaining at least a lower second-class honours degree (2:2) in a BPS accredited undergraduate psychology degree will be eligible for the society’s Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) - the prerequisite requirement to go on to further training as a professional psychologist after graduation.
While you’re studying this course with us, we’ll cover the cost of your student membership with the BPS, which gives you access to a large range of useful resources including access to the British Psychological Society Library, the UK’s leading national resource in psychology.
The Association for Business Psychology (ABP)
The Association for Business Psychology (ABP) works to provide information, training, and support for those interested in business psychology, to promote professional excellence, and to demonstrate the effective application and impact of business psychology in the workplace.
During your studies you’ll have free student membership with the ABP, giving you access to a wealth of professional resources, networking opportunities, careers advice, professional recognition and influence, as well as keeping you up-to-date with current trends and developments.
Campaign for Social Science
Arden University is a member of the Campaign for Social Science.
The Campaign demonstrates how social science improves public policy, society, and all our lives. It highlights the value of applied social science research and advocates for its greater use in decision-making and in government. It is supported by a coalition of universities, social science societies, and publishers.
As a member, Arden receives access to case studies, research into the value provided by social sciences, and insights into the employability of social science graduates. Through this, you will gain a better understanding of the skills you are learning and their value to employers.
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