Psychology and Business - MA (Hons)

The University of Edinburgh

Psychologists are interested in the way biological and social factors influence how we behave, and how interests and abilities differ from person to person.They also study how we perceive, think, and learn about the world around us. They examine how we communicate verbally and non-verbally, and how and why our mental abilities change across our lives.Psychology is an experimental and observational science, in which evidence from research studies is used to develop and evaluate theories. Our programme has a strong emphasis on developing skills in research methods and statistical analysis, to support our research-led teaching.Business courses focus on the theories and methods behind successful management and explore the relationships between people, organisations and their environment.Year 1- Through lectures and tutorials, you will complete a general introduction to psychology, covering cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, the psychology of memory and perception, individual differences, language and thinking, and social psychology. You will also discover basic concepts in research methods and statistics, and you will have a practical introduction to laboratory-based psychology research. In Foundations of Business you will gain an understanding of the nature, structure, and workings of contemporary business organisations. Through lectures, tutorials, and assignments, you will learn how to apply concepts of social science to business. We also recommended that you take a Year 1 economics course. Year 2- You will continue to study core areas of psychology, along with abnormal (clinical) psychology. You will practice and develop your professional and study skills, such as literature searching, report writing and ethical awareness. You will also complete a year-long, intensive grounding in research methods and statistics to prepare you for Year 3. You will also select up to three courses in business covering areas such as finance, economics, marketing, innovation, analytics and enterprise. Year 3- You will choose advanced courses in psychology, expanding upon and combining the core areas required for British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation. To support your research work, you will complete further specialist courses in research methods and statistics, and practice qualitative as well as quantitative research methods. In business, you will take courses in Strategic Management and Research in Management, as well as a choice of further business studies courses in areas including ethics, enterprise, consumer behaviour, marketing, and others. Year 4- You will complete an honours dissertation in either psychology or business. You will also complete a series of option courses that focus on specific areas of psychology. These courses build on and combine the core domains of psychology (biological, developmental, cognitive, social, and individual differences).