Occupational Psychology
Management School,
Faculty of Social Sciences

Course description
You’ll learn how to apply psychological theories and principles to the work environment to improve performance and productivity. These skills will set you up for a career in organisational effectiveness. Both of these courses can involve a dissertation in a real-world organisation, which will demand effective communication, negotiation and project-management skills.
Project opportunities can be generated by students or through Institute of Work Psychology’s business network and the Management School’s Employability Hub. These provide you with the chance to apply your knowledge to real-world issues and develop organisational skills.
Throughout the course, practical workshops focus on developing skills in presentations, SPSS statistical software, group work and information management. There is also training to acquire the BPS Assistant Test User and Tester User Qualifications (Occupational, Ability and Personality) in Psychometric Testing.
Recent dissertations include a performance management project for a large organisation, working with a company in the insurance sector on change management, and a review of a law firm’s reward system.
The MSc Occupational Psychology degree is recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and helps you on your way towards chartered psychologist status.
Accreditation
Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Modules
Core modules
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Teaching
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Case studies
- Group work for collaborative learning
- Web-based discussion groups
Assessment
- Individual assignments
- Group projects
- Exams
- Dissertation
Duration
1 year full-time
Student profile
Entry requirements
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree in psychology, or with significant coverage of psychology plus research methods. If your undergraduate degree confers BPS Graduate Basis for Membership you can apply for this degree, if it does not you will need to apply for the MSc Work Psychology.
Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.
We also accept a range of other UK qualifications and other EU/international qualifications.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Fees and funding
More scholarships and fees information can be found on the Management School website.
Apply
You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
management-admissions@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 3376
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.