APPLYING PSYCHOLOGY AT WORK - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module has two overarching themes:

1. Developing skills of consultancy based on the scientist-practitioner model and the BPS consultancy cycle and
    


2. Progressing with students' professional development by gaining awareness of contemporary practical applications of psychology at work through the experiences of practitioners, building ethical sensitivity, critically appraising professional issues, and individual coaching. 

The module will firstly comprise a series of lectures and workshops led by the module leader to help students develop consultancy skills. This will be complemented by a series of sessions led by invited guest speakers who will talk about their experiences as practicing work psychologists, and variety of blended learning sessions on professional issues such as regulation, ethics, and consulting.

Students will work in groups on a practical consultancy-based case study and present a practical account of their findings and recommendations, following the BPS consultancy cycle and scientist-practitioner model. Students will be offered 1:1 coaching sessions which are aimed to provide personalized understanding of BPS Qualification in Occupational Psychology and professional registration with the HCPC. 

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

WOODS Steve (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Contemporary practice examples and practitioner experiences of applying psychology to work (guest speaker sessions)


• The consultancy cycle and scientist-practitioner models


• Ethical and Professional Issues


• BPS and HCPC Codes of Ethical Conduct


• Career development in Occupational and Work and Organizational Psychology


• Case study activity applying the consultancy cycle

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

As an alternative to the Group Consultancy Assignment, students can partake in an Individual Presentation

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:
Practical skills in applying psychology at work, based on a scientist-practitioner evidence-based consultancy model.
Advanced critical understanding of professional issues and applied practice.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• A group assignment in which the group will investigate and research a case-study based organisational issue or problem and make evidence-based recommendations on interventions that might address the problem. Groups will make a presentation and submit accompanying slides with presenter notes.


• An individual essay critically evaluating a professional practice issue raised in the guest speaker talks.

Formative assessment
Formative feedback will be provided verbally on class activities including on a presentation on a mini case study (preparing for the group consultancy presentation). Students can discuss essay drafts with the module leader to receive formative feedback. 

Feedback
Assignment feedback will be provided in writing and verbally on request. This applies to the group consultancy assignment and the individual essay. 

Module aims

• Build awareness of contemporary practical applications of psychology at work and the role of evidence in applied practice leading to critical understanding of professional issues in applied practice of psychology.
• Develop skills of consultancy based on the scientist-practitioner model and the BPS consultancy cycle.
• Provide experiential learning for students around consulting skills and communicating with clients and stakeholders, as well as personal career planning, thereby enhancing students' resourcefulness, resilience, and employability

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to develop a practical and critical theoretical perspective on professional and applied issues in work and organizational psychology.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures from the Module Leader and Invited Practitioner Speakers


• Seminar-type small-group activities


• Workshops to develop consultancy skills and effective consulting presentations


• Group case-study activity applying the consultancy cycle to an organizational issue / problem

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM358

Other information

 

• Resourcefulness and Resilience – develops understanding of how to seek, evaluate and apply evidence to applied and practical work issues. 
• Employability – Provides forum for consideration of professional identity, and direct opportunity to reflect on and produce personal development plans.
• Digital Capabilities – enables development of digital research skills, and preparation of professional digital presentation materials.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.