Designed and delivered by leading academics and experts in their field, the MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology programme is a British Psychological Society (BPS) Accredited Programme focused on developing the future generation of practitioners in occupational psychology who can make a positive difference to the effectiveness and well-being of people and organisations.
Introduction
The programme draws upon the latest evidence and cutting-edge research to cover all major aspects of occupational psychology, enabling students to develop a critical understanding of how research into human behaviour at work can be applied to enhance the effectiveness of people and organisations at work.
Core areas include; leadership, motivation and engagement; well-being at work; work design, organisational change and development; psychological assessment at work; and learning, training and development.
Students also undertake a supervised empirical research project, building their knowledge of research methods in psychology and developing skills in the conduct of research in organisational contexts.
In doing so, the MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology equips students will the knowledge base and practical skills necessary for a career in occupational psychology and constitutes Stage 1 of the BPS Qualification in Occupational Psychology. It also provides a strong foundation for those who would consider progressing to a Doctor of Philosophy programme.
This programme has been designed for students who hold a British Psychological Society (BPS) Psychology bachelor’s degree providing Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).
Applicants with a Psychology bachelor’s degree not accredited by the (BPS) accredited are advised to apply for the MSc Organisational Psychology pathway instead.
Accreditation
The University of Liverpool Management School (ULMS) is one of an elite group of institutions worldwide to hold the gold standard ‘triple-crown’ accreditation from AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS.
The MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology programme is a British Psychological Society (BPS) Accredited Programme. All programmes that are accredited by the British Psychological Society have met rigorous criteria, which means if you graduate from a BPS-accredited course, you will be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the society.
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
Semester one
Please note the structure of this programme remains subject to approval following exciting developments for our September 2025 students. If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be advised of any amendments that are made prior to the programme’s start date.
During the first semester, you will undertake three compulsory modules of 20 credits each (60 credits in total).
COMPULSORY MODULES
ULMS880 Advanced Research Methods in Organisational Psychology Given that occupational psychology is a highly applied and evidence-based discipline, the aim of this module is to equip students with the knowledge and understanding of research design, methodology and data analysis necessary for advanced scholarship in this field. Students will be exposed to both quantitative and qualitative research design and methodological approaches and will have the opportunity to develop skills in both areas through a series of seminars and practical workshops. Throughout the module, students will be supported by module staff and an allocated Project Supervisor to develop a research proposal, which will focus on the empirical investigation of a practical organisational problem of their choosing within the five BPS curriculum areas of occupational psychology. The module will carefully consider ethical issues that may arise in conducting research, and students will be required to critically reflect on the ethical considerations relevant to their own research proposal. The module will also enable students to critically evaluate academic papers and assess the effectiveness of research strategies and methods used in the literature, more generally. Moreover, it will prepare students to disseminate and clearly communicate research ideas and findings to both academic and practitioner audiences, including the wider society, contributing to reducing the gap between academic research and practice and enhancing evidence-based management..
ULMS700 Strategic Leadership and Organisational Change This module will explore how to drive positive change for both organisations and employees, drawing on the roles of leadership and conflict within employment relationships. Beginning with a theoretical and historical overview, students will examine traditional approaches to understanding and managing change and conflict, as well as how to build a case for organisational change, engage people to enable sustained transformation, and manage conflict arising from change. Through this, students will develop skills to innovate and drive change at a sustainable pace, with an awareness of cross-cultural differences and tactics for handling conflict in various situations. Alongside this, the module will provide a comprehensive understanding of leadership theory and its relevance across diverse business contexts and cultures, highlighting how effective leadership skills and behaviours are crucial to organisational functioning, performance, and innovation. Students will build foundations for effective decision-making, motivation, and awareness of leadership challenges by analysing leadership attributes and skills. Moreover, they will develop interpersonal skills essential to effective leadership, such as communication, situational decision-making, moral-based leadership, and inclusive decision-making. The module will also critically examine the topics of leadership and change alongside broader psychological, sociological, behavioural, and cultural dynamics in contemporary workplaces, equipping students with understanding of how leaders anticipate and respond to evolving organisational environments
ULMS881 Work Design and Well-being This module aims to equip students with the foundation skills, knowledge and understanding needed by a practitioner Occupational Psychologist working to design work more effectively and manage and promote well-being. The module takes a multi-level perspective, starting with a focus on the individual in the workplace, understanding occupational health psychology and how jobs and work environments can be best designed to foster work motivation, engagement, positive job attitudes, work-life balance, and positive organisational outcomes. The topics of stress in the workplace, and how to manage it, along with the implications for promoting resilience, workplace health and safety, risk management and the psychology of human error are also critically examined. The module then moves to the group level of analysis to explore how individuals’ function in groups, examining psychological theories of group processes and team effectiveness, before moving to the organisational level of analysis, exploring major theories relating to organisational structure, design, and culture. The module concludes with a critical consideration of the changing nature of work, work design and work environments, including dispersed, hybrid and virtual working, and the application of theory to practice through the consulting cycle.
Any optional modules listed above are illustrative only and may vary from year to year. Modules may be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved and staff availability. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
Semester two
Please note the structure of this programme remains subject to approval following exciting developments for our September 2025 students. If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be advised of any amendments that are made prior to the programme’s start date.
During the second semester, you will undertake three compulsory modules of 20 credits each (60 credits in total).
ULMS884 Psychological Assessment at Work This module aims to equip students with the fundamental skills, knowledge and understanding needed by practitioner Occupational Psychologists working in the field of psychological assessment. The module begins by exploring the strategic role that assessment plays in managing selection and recruitment in the workplace, as well as for on-going appraisal, performance management, and career development processes in organisations. Students will develop practical skills in conducting job analysis, as well as critical awareness of a range of selection methods available to organisations (e.g., interviews, assessment centres, and situational judgement tests) and how these differ in terms of reliability, validity and practical utility. The module will also cover psychometric theory and test construction, with students gaining a detailed understanding of how individuals differ in terms of personality and cognitive ability, and the implications this has for selection. Finally, the module emphasises the importance of ethical awareness in decision making, with a particular focus on diversity, fairness and candidate reactions to the assessment process.
ULMS522 Managing Performance and Developing People This module will provide students with an understanding of the role that managing performance, rewards, learning, training and development play in achieving desirable organisational, group and individual outcomes. The module draws upon the latest evidence-based knowledge, trends and practice to equip students with the ability to critically understand, evaluate and apply theories, concepts and tools relating to performance management, rewards, organisational, group and individual performance and learning (online and face-to-face), training design and delivery, succession planning, organisational development and individual professional development. Students will gain an appreciation for how performance management and human resource (HR) development initiatives are crucial for enacting organisational strategy and enabling innovation. The module will also consider recent trends in the sector and wider environment, including international perspectives. It will also reflect on the role of current and future technology including artificial intelligence and people analytics and their impact on the workforce and people practices.
ULMS794 The Contemporary People Professional The contemporary people professional is commonly required to recognise and make decisions in new, complex, dynamic, and ambiguous situations. In an interconnected world of business, this is even more challenging. This module helps students to develop the knowledge and skills required to engage effectively with contemporary and emerging issues by placing ethical and sustainable values at the heart of people management. It is designed to equip students with the tools and skills to critically and reflexively examine and develop their professional selves, with particular reference to their responsibilities for managing people. Further, students will be enabled to reflect critically on the ethical nature of business and people management as well as on their personal values and their own role as ethical agents in the organisation. Grounded in an understanding of the importance of creating an inclusive and safe work environment, this module helps student develop an inclusive mindset to ensure their people practices are effective in diverse contexts, including in international business. In sum, the module aims to help students create the understanding and awareness, skill sets, and professionalism required for being highly sought after people professionals in the world of business.
Any optional modules listed above are illustrative only and may vary from year to year. Modules may be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved and staff availability. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
Final project
You will complete your course with a final 60-credit applied research project or dissertation.
For your final project you will be supported by an academic supervisor
ULMS883 Dissertation in Organisational Psychology The aim of this module is to build on the knowledge and skills acquired in ULMS880 Advanced Research Methods in Organisational Psychology, and enable students to execute an independent, applied and significant piece of research in the field of organisational psychology, under the supervision of an allocated member of academic staff. The applied focus of the research dissertation aims to enable students to further develop and embed their conceptual skills, data analytical skills, ethical awareness, critical evaluation skills, as well as their ability to effectively communicate their research findings to both an academic and practitioner audience. Students on this module are required to conduct a piece of independent fieldwork, in which they collect and analyse primary data relating to their chosen dissertation topic.
Any optional modules listed above are illustrative only and may vary from year to year. Modules may be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved and staff availability. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
How you'll learn
The approach to teaching and learning will combine the use of large group in-person and asynchronous lectures, small group seminars (or workshops), scheduled seminar preparation sessions, and cross-programme contemporary issues sessions. Seminars are face-to-face in smaller groups and are interactive. Seminars will be discipline appropriate and consist of computer labs, case studies, problem solving sessions and discussion. In addition, the programme has a series of “contemporary topics” sessions which will include research by faculty, external guest speakers and presentations from alumni and members of the advisory board. This framework allows for asynchronous delivery of lectures, making use of high-quality electronic resources. These asynchronous sessions will be bookended by live lectures and appropriately scaffolded with supporting online learning material.
How you're assessed
The programme includes a balanced assessment strategy which includes combination of written individual assignments and reports, group presentations, a learning journal, quizzes, and a dissertation. This variety allows students to develop confidence across multiple formats, catering to different strengths and providing broad opportunities for academic growth. The programme also embraces ‘authentic assessment’ by including practical assignments which give students the opportunity to apply their learning in real-life situations, group tasks that involve developing evidence-based analysis to real-life leadership scenarios, and reflective portfolios to capture personal learning and implications for future professional practice. These forms of assessment require students to present their findings in different formats for different stakeholders, aiding the development of student confidence and preparing them to become well-rounded graduates.
Liverpool Hallmarks
We have a distinctive approach to education, the Liverpool Curriculum Framework, which focuses on research-connected teaching, active learning, and authentic assessment to ensure our students graduate as digitally fluent and confident global citizens.
The School has a thriving international master’s community with a comprehensive, interdisciplinary programme of social and extra-curricular events and dedicated careers and employability support.
Support for students with differing needs from the Disability advice and guidance team. They can identify and recommend appropriate support provisions for you.
What students say...
What I most enjoy about my course is that we are given lots of opportunities to make connections with real-world, practicing psychologists. Within the first three months of our course we had three different guest speakers who spoke to us about what they do and opportunities in their fields, which has been hugely valuable as it’s such a great way to get exposure to different career paths and to network outside of ULMS.
The MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology programme provides the foundation knowledge and skills to enable professional training and subsequently to pursue a professional career as a Registered Occupational Psychologist.
Career support from day one to graduation and beyond
You will have access to a specialist, in-house postgraduate careers team and have access to one-to-one careers guidance, workshops, seminars, and employability initiatives.
Upon successful completion, the MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology provides you with Stage 1 of the BPS Qualification in Occupational Psychology, and thus provides a clear foundation for a career as a Registered Occupational Psychologist.
This programme equips graduates with a wide set of relevant knowledge, skills and competencies that would suit a career in the areas of:
Work/organisational/business psychology
Human resource management
Organisational development
General management.
Based on the advanced research methods knowledge and skills acquired throughout the programme, graduates may also consider an academic career, through the pursuit of a PhD in the field organisational psychology or a related field.
Alumni from this course have been successful in finding roles in the following positions and companies:
Work Psychologist – The Work Psychology Group
Psychologist – Psychological Consulting Ltd
Psychologist – The College of Policing
HR and Organisational Psychology Graduate Scheme – Legal and General
Business Intelligence Analyst – Lloyds Banking Group
PhD student – Netherlands
Quality coordinate – Imagine Independence
ESRC funded PhD students – University of Liverpool Management School (two current alumni)
Financial Services Strategy Lead – Skipton Building Society
Consultant – Great Place to Work
Senior Project Analyst – Grayce
Talent Advisor – Urenco
PhD student – University of Bath
International Employability Executive – University of Liverpool
Talent Acquisition Consultant – g2 Recruitment
Workforce and Change Consultant – PwC
Talent Partner – JD Ross Energy
Fees and funding
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Tuition fees
UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)
Full-time place, per year
£13,900
International fees
Full-time place, per year
£29,000
Fees stated are for the 2025-26 academic year.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support.
If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Loan worth up to £12,167 to help with course fees and living costs. Learn more about fees and funding.
Additional costs
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.
We accept a 2:2 honours degree from a UK university, or an equivalent academic qualification from a similar non-UK institution. This degree should be in Psychology, accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Applicants without a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited Psychology bachelor’s degree are advised to apply for the MSc Organisational Psychology pathway instead.
International qualifications
If you hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, but don’t meet our entry requirements, a Pre-Master’s can help you gain a place. This specialist preparation course for postgraduate study is offered on campus at the University of Liverpool International College, in partnership with Kaplan International Pathways. Although there’s no direct Pre-Master’s route to this MSc, completing a Pre-Master’s pathway can guarantee you a place on many other postgraduate courses at The University of Liverpool.
International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.
English language qualification
Requirements
IELTS
6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0
TOEFL iBT
88 overall, with minimum scores of listening 19, writing 19, reading 19 and speaking 20. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted.
Duolingo English Test
120 overall, with no component below 105
Pearson PTE Academic
61 overall, with no component below 59
LanguageCert Academic
70 overall, with no skill below 65
PSI Skills for English
B2 Pass with Merit in all bands
INDIA Standard XII
National Curriculum (CBSE/ISC) - 75% and above in English. Accepted State Boards - 80% and above in English.
WAEC
C6 or above
PRE-SESSIONAL ENGLISH
Do you need to complete a Pre-Sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?
The length of Pre-Sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.
Liverpool bursts with diversity and creativity which makes it ideal for you to undertake your postgraduate studies and access various opportunities for you and your family.
To fully immerse yourself in the university experience living in halls will keep you close to campus where you can always meet new people. Find your home away from home.
Discover what expenses are covered by the cost of your tuition fees and other finance-related information you may need regarding your studies at Liverpool.
Contact us
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