MSc Business Psychology 12 months Postgraduate Programme By Heriot-Watt University |TopUniversities

Programme overview

Main Subject

Psychology

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Overview

The MSc Business Psychology programme at Heriot-Watt University is the most established master’s degree of its kind in Europe, as it has a well-earned reputation for producing graduates who can improve the performance and behaviour of individuals and teams.  

During this master’s degree, you’ll deepen your knowledge of the psychological mechanisms that drive positive behaviours and performances in the workplace. Our MSc Business Psychology programme will equip you with an effective blend of knowledge drawn from the specialist fields of psychology, management and leadership. You’ll develop commercial awareness and an understanding of global organisations which will allow you to recognise the impact of the economy, technological advances, globalisation and the changing labour market on the psychology of a workplace and the performance of individuals and teams.  

You’ll learn key skills that will help you thrive in several job roles including business psychology practitioner, human resources manager, organisational development manager, coaching consultant, management consultant or leadership consultant.

Each course will equip you with highly employable skills and expertise in the following areas:  

  • coaching  
  • leadership  
  • diversity  
  • organisational change  
  • organisational culture  
  • marketing and consumer behaviour  
  • human-machine interaction in the workplace  

You’ll study the areas of psychology that directly apply to business settings and will explore some of the key psychological research methods that can be practised in the workplace. By viewing the workplace through a psychological perspective and by developing your analytical, critical thinking and reflection skills, you’ll learn to recognise and improve seemingly intangible aspects of the workplace which, when appropriately managed, can directly improve business performance in terms of job satisfaction, wellbeing, leadership, organisational commitment, organisational culture, performance and productivity.  

Our expertise  

Our MSc Business Psychology degree is taught by experienced, leading academics who, in many cases, have published the research which shapes their disciplines and written the books and journal papers which will guide your learning. Many academics balance teaching time with continued professional practice as coaches, practitioner psychologists, and management consultants. They bring their real-world experience and expertise to the classroom.  

Your learning environment   

The Business Psychology programme at Heriot-Watt University has excellent research facilities such as eye trackers, driving simulators and consistent environment labs which will support your independent research projects.    

This degree is taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars involving multiple modes of learning including case studies, workshops, research papers and electronic formats. You’ll also take part in specifically designed group tasks and presentations which will allow you to develop your interpersonal and communication skills, giving you the platform to implement your expertise and directly improve the performance of diverse groups of individuals and teams at any level within an organisation.  

You’ll be assessed through a mix of formative and summative assessments. You’ll receive support and feedback throughout the programme.  

Customise your learning   

You’ll learn from eight courses on the syllabus and take part in an independent project. Every course focuses on enhancing your subject-specific knowledge and will allow you to develop your research skills which can be applied to coursework and your postgraduate project.   

Through your independent project, you’ll critically evaluate relevant literature and psychological theories to support a rationale for a selected independent project in psychology. You’ll have the opportunity to learn and demonstrate a critical ability to use a range of techniques and research methods to produce this project. You’ll present your findings of the research in an appropriate academic form.   

In addition to pure business psychology, we offer three specialist business psychology pathways at our Edinburgh campus: MSc Business Psychology with Coaching, MSc Business Psychology with Human Resource Management and MSc Business Psychology with Intercultural Communication. The development of these specialisms will put you in the perfect position to make a positive impact on the performance, communication and culture of global organisations.  

You can choose whether to study the programme full-time or part-time, with a September or a January start. This flexibility allows you to fit your postgraduate studies around your lifestyle.    

You may have the opportunity to Go Global on our Inter-Campus Transfer. Opportunities for postgraduate study abroad are assessed on a case-by-case basis and if you are interested in studying at our Dubai campus or Malaysia campus for a semester or longer, you should contact the Go Global Team.   


Accreditation 

This programme is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as Continuing Coach Education (CCE). Therefore, several hours from the MSc courses can be used to apply for the personal credentialing process should the student wish to pursue accredited Coach status with the ICF. A certificate will be issued on completion of these hours.  

MSc Business Psychology is accredited by the Association of Business Psychology (ABP). This means that students receive free ABP membership for 12 months while studying, and on successful completion of this Masters’ Degree, graduates will be eligible to activate full ABP membership and, on confirmation by the ABP, will be able to utilise the Certified Business Psychologist (CBP) post-nominal. The ongoing use of CBP is predicated on maintaining status as a general member of the ABP and meeting any ongoing requirements. 


Employability

Potential career paths:

  • Business psychology practitioner
  • Human resources manager
  • Organisational development manager
  • Coaching consultant
  • Management consultant
  • Leadership consultant

Programme overview

Main Subject

Psychology

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Overview

The MSc Business Psychology programme at Heriot-Watt University is the most established master’s degree of its kind in Europe, as it has a well-earned reputation for producing graduates who can improve the performance and behaviour of individuals and teams.  

During this master’s degree, you’ll deepen your knowledge of the psychological mechanisms that drive positive behaviours and performances in the workplace. Our MSc Business Psychology programme will equip you with an effective blend of knowledge drawn from the specialist fields of psychology, management and leadership. You’ll develop commercial awareness and an understanding of global organisations which will allow you to recognise the impact of the economy, technological advances, globalisation and the changing labour market on the psychology of a workplace and the performance of individuals and teams.  

You’ll learn key skills that will help you thrive in several job roles including business psychology practitioner, human resources manager, organisational development manager, coaching consultant, management consultant or leadership consultant.

Each course will equip you with highly employable skills and expertise in the following areas:  

  • coaching  
  • leadership  
  • diversity  
  • organisational change  
  • organisational culture  
  • marketing and consumer behaviour  
  • human-machine interaction in the workplace  

You’ll study the areas of psychology that directly apply to business settings and will explore some of the key psychological research methods that can be practised in the workplace. By viewing the workplace through a psychological perspective and by developing your analytical, critical thinking and reflection skills, you’ll learn to recognise and improve seemingly intangible aspects of the workplace which, when appropriately managed, can directly improve business performance in terms of job satisfaction, wellbeing, leadership, organisational commitment, organisational culture, performance and productivity.  

Our expertise  

Our MSc Business Psychology degree is taught by experienced, leading academics who, in many cases, have published the research which shapes their disciplines and written the books and journal papers which will guide your learning. Many academics balance teaching time with continued professional practice as coaches, practitioner psychologists, and management consultants. They bring their real-world experience and expertise to the classroom.  

Your learning environment   

The Business Psychology programme at Heriot-Watt University has excellent research facilities such as eye trackers, driving simulators and consistent environment labs which will support your independent research projects.    

This degree is taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars involving multiple modes of learning including case studies, workshops, research papers and electronic formats. You’ll also take part in specifically designed group tasks and presentations which will allow you to develop your interpersonal and communication skills, giving you the platform to implement your expertise and directly improve the performance of diverse groups of individuals and teams at any level within an organisation.  

You’ll be assessed through a mix of formative and summative assessments. You’ll receive support and feedback throughout the programme.  

Customise your learning   

You’ll learn from eight courses on the syllabus and take part in an independent project. Every course focuses on enhancing your subject-specific knowledge and will allow you to develop your research skills which can be applied to coursework and your postgraduate project.   

Through your independent project, you’ll critically evaluate relevant literature and psychological theories to support a rationale for a selected independent project in psychology. You’ll have the opportunity to learn and demonstrate a critical ability to use a range of techniques and research methods to produce this project. You’ll present your findings of the research in an appropriate academic form.   

In addition to pure business psychology, we offer three specialist business psychology pathways at our Edinburgh campus: MSc Business Psychology with Coaching, MSc Business Psychology with Human Resource Management and MSc Business Psychology with Intercultural Communication. The development of these specialisms will put you in the perfect position to make a positive impact on the performance, communication and culture of global organisations.  

You can choose whether to study the programme full-time or part-time, with a September or a January start. This flexibility allows you to fit your postgraduate studies around your lifestyle.    

You may have the opportunity to Go Global on our Inter-Campus Transfer. Opportunities for postgraduate study abroad are assessed on a case-by-case basis and if you are interested in studying at our Dubai campus or Malaysia campus for a semester or longer, you should contact the Go Global Team.   


Accreditation 

This programme is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as Continuing Coach Education (CCE). Therefore, several hours from the MSc courses can be used to apply for the personal credentialing process should the student wish to pursue accredited Coach status with the ICF. A certificate will be issued on completion of these hours.  

MSc Business Psychology is accredited by the Association of Business Psychology (ABP). This means that students receive free ABP membership for 12 months while studying, and on successful completion of this Masters’ Degree, graduates will be eligible to activate full ABP membership and, on confirmation by the ABP, will be able to utilise the Certified Business Psychologist (CBP) post-nominal. The ongoing use of CBP is predicated on maintaining status as a general member of the ABP and meeting any ongoing requirements. 


Employability

Potential career paths:

  • Business psychology practitioner
  • Human resources manager
  • Organisational development manager
  • Coaching consultant
  • Management consultant
  • Leadership consultant

Admission Requirements

79+
6+
59+
2+
  • A minimum of honours degree at 2:2 or non-UK equivalent in a relevant subject. Whilst we can consider applicants from a wide range of academic backgrounds such as psychology, sociology, politics, business, linguistics, journalism, we hope to see demonstrable evidence of numeracy through statistics or maths.
  • We hope to see evidence of having undertaken an empirical research project or research design and analysis module.


We welcome applications from international students and accept qualifications from around the world. Please refer to the entry requirements for your country for more details.

1 Year
Sep
Jan

Scholarships

The Hoogenboom Scholarship

The Hoogenboom Scholarship
Master Open

Value

100% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

26 Apr 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

IMechE Scholarships (for Mechanical Engineers)

IMechE Scholarships (for Mechanical Engineers)
Master Bachelors Open

Value

$21800

Deadline

31 Aug 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

The Island Scholarship Programme - Orkney Campus (UK) (International)

The Island Scholarship Programme - Orkney Campus (UK) (International)
Master Open

Value

100% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

31 Mar 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Postgraduate European Union Scholarship

Postgraduate European Union Scholarship
Master Open

Value

$5000

Deadline

31 Jul 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Norway Early Bird Scholarship

Norway Early Bird Scholarship
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$6000

Deadline

1 May 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

International Merit Scholarship

International Merit Scholarship
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$2000

Deadline

30 Jun 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Heriot-Watt University Expenses Bursary

Heriot-Watt University Expenses Bursary
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$525

Deadline

31 Aug 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Heriot-Watt Sports Scholarships

Heriot-Watt Sports Scholarships
Master Bachelors Open

Value

25% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

31 Jul 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Heriot-Watt Actuarial Scholarship For Academic Excellence

Heriot-Watt Actuarial Scholarship For Academic Excellence
Master Open

Value

20% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

30 May 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Americas and Europe (Non-EU) Scholarship

Americas and Europe (Non-EU) Scholarship
Bachelors Master Open

Value

$5000

Deadline

15 Jun 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

Alumni Discount Scheme

Alumni Discount Scheme
Master Open

Value

20% tuition fee waiver

Deadline

31 Jul 2026

Application requirements

QS Event Attendance is NOT required

Entry requirements

You must be admitted to this school to be awarded

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