As we become more aware of the importance of psychology in our day-to-day life, companies also become aware of its importance in business. Businesses are requesting the knowledge and skills of experts to design better working environments, improve communication, and help them to achieve their goals through a healthy pathway.
In this article, EDUopinions tells you about the role of business psychologists and what kind of degree they study. Then, we provide you with a list of excellent bachelors’ and masters’ programmes. Interestingly enough, study programmes in business psychology are not only for students with a background in psychology…
What is the role of a business psychologist?
Business psychologists focus on the influence of psychological concepts on workplace behaviours. Therefore, they work on designing healthy work environments, selecting and assessing new recruits, counselling and personal development, training, human-machine interactions, and many more areas of business. In other words, they focus on basic and state-of-the-art components of businesses to improve the health and productivity of a company. Therefore, as a business psychologist, you would work in close contact with HR, marketing, market research, and sales departments to identify areas to improve. You would be an important asset for your employer. You would analyse the goals of the company and help its employees to adjust their behaviours in order to meet these goals.
Is business psychology a good degree?
In the past years, business psychology degrees (sometimes called organisational psychology) have gained a lot of popularity. Such studies are not only for students with a background in psychology, though it is always an asset. Indeed, business and organisational psychology programmes aim to give more value to psychology in the workplace. They provide you with a good understanding of business dynamics and psychological theories. Therefore, studies in this field often focus on theory and acquiring practical experiences through internships. Once you have mastered the basics, you will be able to get very creative in the implementation of your knowledge to help companies. The combination of lectures and practical work is often very entertaining and creates a stimulating learning environment. Moreover, a degree in business psychology gives you the choice to become an independent worker or enjoy a career in an established company.
Best Bachelors’ Programmes
BSc in Business Psychology at CBS International Business School (Germany)
The CBS International Business School, located in Cologne, offers a degree designed to ensure students’ employability. It does not only focus on learning theory but also values the application of concepts outside of the class environment. Moreover, the programme is taught in English to prepare students for the international market. This bachelor offers classic psychology courses and business-specific modules. It also requires students to follow business English classes and other useful courses, as well as an internship.
BCS in Psychology and Business at Aston University (United Kingdom)
Aston University offers a very international environment to study in Birmingham. As most English universities, their bachelor’s programmes last four years, including a year abroad. The Psychology and Business degree is taught through a mix of lectures, group work, practical sessions, and interactive workshops and tutorials to provide you with a well-rounded education. Additionally, it requires you to collaborate with students in other sections, such as accounting, marketing, organizational behaviour and management. As a result, you train and hone diverse skills
BCs in Management with HRM and Business Psychology at International Business School Budapest (Hungary)
This three-years-long bachelor of sciences in management with HRM (Human Resource Management) and Psychology is taught at the International Business School in Budapest, Hungary. The courses are given in English as the programme is a collaboration with the University of Buckingham; students graduate with a degree of science from the University of Buckingham. The programme is interdisciplinary and focuses on the most demanded skills of the market, with SIDE (Skills Identification Development Exhibition). Therefore, it prepares students for international and competitive careers.
BA Business Administration – Organisational Psychology at Berlin International University of Applied Sciences (Germany)
The Berlin International University of Applied Sciences offers a three-years-long bachelor’s degree that emphasises leadership in business. It provides you with the tools to become a respected figure with the skills to empower others through organisational psychology. Students who already know what direction they want to take within the field will especially enjoy this programme. Indeed, the university enables you to link all of your modules to your chosen specialisation right from the beginning, and receive support all through the three years.
Business Management and Psychology at the University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom)
Another programme that is not to be missed is the University of Aberdeen’s MA in Business Management and Psychology. Business Management and Psychology at Aberdeen go together brilliantly, providing a rigorous examination of how we think and behave as individuals and giving a thorough grounding in business, management and organisations. This choice gives you all the advantages of our long tradition and special strength in psychology and a wide perspective and thorough grounding in all areas of business. The skills you will gain from this subject combination will open up opportunities in psychology-related fields, including human resources, social work, counselling and areas benefiting from an understanding of the human mind and behaviour, including marketing and advertising.
best masters’ programmes
MSc in Business Psychology at the Alliance Manchester Business School (United Kingdom)
The Alliance Manchester Business School created this programme for students who did not study psychology at an undergraduate level. There, you can study business through a psychology lens, by looking at psychological assessment at work, learning, training, development, well-being at work, organisational change, and many other fields. The university also gives the opportunity to deepen your interests in psychology by studying alongside the Organisational Psychology students. In fact, these two programmes are very similar, but the latter is for students with a bachelor in psychology.
MSc in Business Psychology at Global Business University-Europe (Cyprus)
The Global Business University – Europe offers a flexible master’s degree in business psychology, which means that you can follow your classes online whenever and from wherever over a maximum period of 36 months. The programme, which costs EUR 4,000 (with the option to pay them in personalised instalments), provides you with personal support to deepen your understanding of memory, listening, and cognitive processes in this top-quality European university
MSc Business Psychology at HMKW (Germany)
HMKW’s Master’s program M.Sc. Business Psychology provides in-depth knowledge of business psychology, which is becoming increasingly important in a market characterized by fierce competition for economic resources, attention or professional talent. Topics such as behavioural economics, HR management, User Experience research, innovation psychology and entrepreneurship are also part of the agenda. Students specialize in the theory and practice of business psychology, with a non-clinical, analytical and consultancy oriented perspective that is highly relevant for the job market.
MSC in Psychology with a Specialisation in Business at University of Strathclyde (United Kingdom)
The University of Strathclyde also offers a flexible online programme, which can be completed in 12 to 60 months. The master in psychology with a specialisation in business combines teachers from the psychology departments with teachers from the Strathclyde Business School to provide a truly interdisciplinary degree, preparing you for the interdisciplinary demand of the field. Upon completion of this degree, you will receive your Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society.
MBA in Business Psychology and Human Resource Management in Entrepreneurship at Turiba University (Latvia)
This two-year MBA at Turiba University provides you with the psychological knowledge and skills that have become necessary to building healthy businesses. As an MBA, it focuses more on the management aspect of the field, as well as leadership. Therefore, the psychology courses of the programme only focus on business psychology. After the mandatory internship in state institutions or local companies, graduates from this MBA tend to go onto careers in coaching, supervision, networking, and several other crucial positions in today’s world.
MSC in International Marketing Management with Consumer Psychology at Heriot-Watt University (United Kingdom)
The Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh offers this MSc which is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing and combines international marketing with a consumer psychology specialism. This established degree explores how consumer psychology plays a vital part in modern marketing practice including consumer research, online behaviour analysis and persuasive marketing. Students learn how psychology is applied to consumer behaviour and consumer ergonomics. Courses are taught by leading academics from the Marketing Group, who are ranked number 1 in Scotland in the National Student Survey 2020, and the Psychology Department who are renowned for their applied expertise and high-impact research.
In conclusion, business psychology is a growing field in which you could enjoy a mix of theoretical and practical learning. It leads to great careers where you can help your colleagues, clients, and your company to thrive and strive. However, if the psychology part of business is not for you, do not hesitate to check out our blog. For instance, you will find articles about the best master’s luxury brand management, sports management, and many other areas of business studies.
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