Business Psychology
Business psychology is a discipline that applies the scientific understanding of human behaviour, motivation, and cognition to the challenges and opportunities that organisations face every day. It draws on psychology, management theory, and organisational behaviour to ask how people can be recruited, developed, motivated, and supported effectively, how teams can be made to function at their best, how leadership can be exercised with integrity and skill, and how organisations can create environments in which people and performance both flourish.
At Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh you will follow a four-year programme that develops genuine depth in both disciplines, combining the theoretical rigour of psychology with the practical commercial and managerial contexts in which that knowledge is applied. You will study topics including personality and individual differences, the psychology of motivation and wellbeing, consumer behaviour, organisational culture, leadership and team dynamics, and the research methods needed to gather and interpret evidence about human behaviour in organisational settings. The four-year structure reflects the depth and scope of the Scottish Honours degree, giving you a comprehensive and well-rounded qualification.
Graduates of business psychology work in human resources and people management, organisational development and change management, talent acquisition and assessment, coaching and leadership development, consumer and market research, and management consultancy. The applied psychology component is particularly valued in occupational psychology roles, though registered practice as an occupational psychologist typically requires further postgraduate training and British Psychological Society accreditation. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in occupational psychology, organisational behaviour, business, or human resources management, building on the academic and applied foundation the undergraduate degree provides.
The ability to combine psychological insight with commercial and organisational thinking is valued across virtually every sector of the economy.