Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Mathematical, Statistical and Actuarial Sciences and Diploma in Industrial Training

at Heriot-Watt University - Edinburgh Campus United Kingdom

The Masters in Business Psychology at Heriot-Watt University is the most established MSc of its kind in Europe, enjoying a well-earned reputation for producing graduates who can improve the performance and behaviour of individuals and teams.

Business psychology is a discipline often referred to as occupational psychology and organisational psychology.

The MSc Business Psychology will give you an in-depth understanding of the psychological mechanisms that drive positive behaviours and performances in the workplace.

Whether you're coming from an industry position or directly from an undergraduate degree, this long-established programme of study will equip you with an effective blend of knowledge drawn from the specialist fields of psychology, management and leadership.

The content on this one-year masters degree programme has been tailored to meet the needs of those working towards a number of job roles, such as business psychology practitioner, human resources manager, organisational development manager, coaching consultant, management consultant or leadership consultant.

You will develop commercial awareness and an understanding of global organisations which will allow you to recognise the impact of the economy, politics, globalisation and the changing labour market on the psychology of a workplace and performance of individuals and teams.

Key skills for improving performance:

• During the MSc Business Psychology you will explore different aspects of the psychological mechanisms behind workplace behaviour and gain the managerial skills that will allow you to enhance and improve performance of teams and individuals. You will build expertise in:
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Diversity
• Employment legislation
• Organisational change
• Organisational culture
• Marketing and consumer behaviour.

You will study the areas of psychology that directly apply to business settings, and 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 will 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.

Specifically-designed group tasks and presentations 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. 

Throughout this programme you will learn from a unique blend of research-led academic teaching and industry-focused practical exercises. For example, on the Psychology of Coaching course you will develop knowledge in the theoretical frameworks of this area of psychology whilst gaining practical insights into the tools and techniques of lecturers who are experienced coaching practitioners and consultants.

Specific roles will depend on the nature of the organisation, including, but not limited to:

• Team Leader
• Team Manager
• Operations Manager
• Investment Operations Analyst

Key areas of the programme:

• The primary focus of the Business Management: Financial Services Graduate Apprenticeship programme is on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills outcomes sought by employers.

BSc Psychology at Heriot-Watt University is accredited by the British Psychological Society – an accreditation required for anyone who wishes to pursue a career as a professional psychologist.

Psychology uses scientific methods to examine key themes in the relationship between mind and behaviour. Through psychological study, we can explore the influence biology has on behaviour; the way humans develop from early infancy to adulthood; and the way people perceive the world, think, solve problems and make decisions.

At Heriot-Watt, we begin with a problem and consider how psychology can help us address it with practical solutions for the real world. We have four specialist research labs which facilitate the work of academics and students alike.

Heriot-Watt’s BSc Psychology degree is informed by the work and knowledge of research-active academics whose expertise in psychology covers three key areas:

• Work, Society and Environment
• Lifespan Health and Wellbeing
• Cognition, Brain and Behaviour

During this degree you will study Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Individual Differences, Psychobiology, and Social Psychology. You will develop advanced skills in research, data gathering, data analysis, and report writing. You will also build your creativity, leadership, teamwork, communication, presentation, and problem-solving abilities. In Year 4 you will undertake your own research project.

Our MSc International Business Management with Marketing programme is aimed at graduates who have little or no business or management background in their first degree and who wish to gain a broad based business qualification to enhance their future career prospects, or at those looking to develop business management knowledge and skills to allow them to change or further their careers.

This is a conversion MSc
MSc International Business Management with Marketing is a conversion degree programme led by academics from Edinburgh Business School. It introduces the study of business and management to graduates and professionals from non-management backgrounds who wish to enhance their careers.

This degree introduces vital business knowledge to those with limited academic experience in the subject and provides an opportunity to develop versatile management skills in just one year of study. Coupled with specialist learning in the area of marketing, it develops modern management skills to complement existing knowledge and prepare graduates for a career shift or management role.

This degree combines material from the Mathematics and Actuarial Science courses, together with specialist actuarial and statistical skills. It also takes a wide-ranging approach to other areas of advanced mathematics. Year one focuses on core topics in algebra, calculus and statistics, along with an introduction to finance and economics. Year two builds upon this by introducing topics in actuarial science. The third and final years offer a range of options – allowing you to choose a combination which best suits your interests.

Our internationally recognised MSc Real Estate is designed to align your skills to the educational requirements of the industry’s professional bodies. Global relevance and employability are at the core of our curriculum design. The programme will enable you to understand the operation of real estate markets and develop a deep understanding of the techniques applied in them. You will gain the key skills necessary to embark on a wide range of careers in the global real estate industry.

This Masters programme is especially suitable if you have a non-real estate related degree and desire to develop skills and knowledge in the real estate sector. The MSc will lead to exciting employment opportunities across the industry.

Industry links:
This programme benefits from the expertise of research-active and industry-minded staff. Along with teaching staff, several honorary professors from industry guest lecture and advise on student research projects.

The MSc International Management and Business Communication with Human Resource Management programme concentrates on developing professional communication skills in business and HRM contexts, as well as an understanding of intercultural and international business and HRM issues.

The structure of the programme is designed to provide graduates with access to a range of professions and managerial careers within businesses engaged internationally, but in particular in the area of HRM.

Alongside the practical skills and knowledge acquired, students will also engage in independent research, providing a potential route to research training in cognate disciplines at a higher level.

MSc Artificial Intelligence (2 years) is a newly designed two-year conversion programme. It has been created to provide the perfect stepping stone for students aiming for a career in artificial intelligence, who may not be coming directly from a computing background.

This two year programme offers an opportunity for students looking to transition to a new career path in artificial intelligence (AI), who may be coming from a background outside computing. Whether your experience lies in psychology, linguistics, science, technology or the arts, this pathway programme is a rare opportunity to become well-versed in the advanced, challenging field of AI.

The programme aims to provide intensive and high-quality preparatory graduate and postgraduate education in artificial intelligence, all within just two years. The collective programme will be taught by a variety of traditional and innovative means, making use of applied topical material relevant to research and industry. This will create a supply of robustly prepared postgraduates with skills relevant to research and industrial applications of AI, in the UK and internationally.

This course comprises a core of biology with an additional emphasis on the study of topics central to human health and wellbeing such as nutrition, physiology, and psychology. These themes are developed together throughout the course, with some flexibility in course structure and design, according to your interests or career aspirations.

Our BSc Computer Systems course is designed to give you a solid foundation in computing, together with the necessary applied skills. What’s more, it’ll give you a range of professional skills to help you communicate clearly, work independently and co-operate effectively. In the later years of our BSc Computer Systems course, you’ll also have the option to specialise and graduate with a named degree in Games Programming (5Y6J).