Business Psychology and Strategic People Management

Please note the structure of this exciting new programme remains subject to approval and there may be small changes before launch. If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be advised of any amendments that are made prior to the start date

During the first semester, you will undertake three compulsory modules of 20 credits each (60 credits in total).

COMPULSORY MODULES

• ULMS786 International HRM Strategy and Practice
  This module will equip students with an overview of the people profession, what it means to be a people professional and the role of strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) in influencing organisational effectiveness, especially within the changing world-of-work. This module will equip students with this knowledge alongside an understanding of HRM strategies and how these can influence motivation, engagement, and well-being of employees. It will also introduce students to HRM practices in contemporary organisations, facilitating reflection on recent trends in the sector and the wider global environment. Drawing on relevant academic literature and organisational practice, this module will also examine how well-being approaches can enable a resilient workforce and healthy working environment. Finally, the module will support students’ development of subject specific and key transferable skills necessary for employment in positions related to the management of people and human resources

• 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 Wellbeing
  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.

Please note the structure of this exciting new programme remains subject to approval and there may be small changes before launch. If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be advised of any amendments that are made prior to the start date

During the second semester, you will undertake three compulsory modules of 20 credits each (60 credits in total).

• 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.

• ULMS884 Psychological Assessment at Work
  This module aims to equip students with the fundamental skills, knowledge and understanding needed by business 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.

• ULMS875 Evidence-Based Practice and People Analytics
  This module aims to build on the theoretical foundations of the programme and develop core knowledge and skills to enable students to become highly credible and impactful people professionals. This module will equip students with the understanding and insight required as people professionals to identify, gather, synthesise, analyse, interpret, report and present people management-related data that can aid insightful and evidence-based decision making. The module will provide students with the skills and insight required to enable the exploration of people management issues and problems in a methodical and ethical way, using data and analytics to shape evidence-based solutions. Approaches will involve analysis, interpretation, and presentation of people data in a meaningful way to different stakeholders. Moreover, the module will prepare students to clearly communicate evidence-based decisions and findings to the wider practitioner community and society, contributing to reducing the gap between academic research and practice, thereby enhancing evidence-based practice.

Please note the structure of this exciting new programme remains subject to approval and there may be small changes before launch. If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be advised of any amendments that are made prior to the start date.

For your final project, you will select one optional module from the options below:

• ULMS719 Advanced Management Research
  This optional module provides students with the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of the multi-level processes involved in organisational and managerial practices, with a focus on business analysis, strategic decision-making, and practical application. The module includes common training in data analysis, research, and proposal development, equipping students with the essential skills to undertake in-depth investigations and present information coherently to support recommended courses of action. Students will have the flexibility to pursue one of several project options: business planning, consultancy reports, industry analysis or empirical investigation. The individual assignment allows students to critically evaluate and synthesise relevant theories, models, and practices of management, applying them to a specific area of research within their MSc programme

• ULMS790 Dissertation
  Conduct an academically oriented research project based on a case, organisation, or context of their choice.