Business Psychology BSc (Hons)
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold award
Our commitment to high quality teaching has been recognised with a TEF Gold rating. The University has received an overall rating of Gold, as well as securing a Gold award in the framework's two new student experience and student outcomes categories.
Applying psychology to business can offer insight into how individuals and groups behave. This course combines psychological theory with business understanding. You'll learn how decision making, marketing, finance, human resources, and business strategy are all influenced by cognitive and social processes.
You'll benefit from the strong links between the University and employers, which allow you to gain the practical skills highly valued by businesses. Using specialised equipment and software, you'll measure brain activity, analyse how decisions are made and study how disruption can affect behaviour.
A wide choice of research projects covers all aspects of business and ranges from cognitive psychology to social psychology.
| Attendance | UCAS code | Year of entry |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years full time | C811 | 2025 |
| 4 years full time with professional placement | C815 | 2025 |
| 4 years full time including foundation year | C814 | 2025 |
| 6 years part time | Apply direct to the University | 2025 |
Please note: Teaching on this course may take place on more than one KU campus.
| Main Location | Penrhyn Road |
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
- Through a core work placement module, you'll be able to apply your knowledge of psychology to a real-life setting, gaining valuable experience.
- You'll use purpose-built research laboratories and psychological analysis equipment, such as eye trackers, EEG (the recording of brain activity) and specialist survey software.
- Employability is embedded throughout the course to ensure you have with the skills needed to succeed after graduating.
- You will have a personal tutor and a small tutor group of peers that you meet with regularly to support your transition to university and your academic success.
Accreditation
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which means that you could go on to become a Chartered Psychologist if that is your chosen career path. This is an ongoing accreditation.
Graduates, with a minimum of a 2:2, from this course are eligible to gain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) from the BPS. This is a necessary first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. You would then take further training in a specific field of psychology that you want to work in. This could then lead to a career as a Chartered Psychologist in your chosen field, for example clinical, counselling, educational or forensic psychology.
Kingston received the following commendation during the latest BPS review in 2024:
"The high level of the programme team's responsiveness to the student voice is commendable. A proactive approach is adopted to continually evaluate, develop and enhance the programmes based on student input."
Kingston's Department of Psychology
What you will study
Take a look at some of the content and modules that you may have the opportunity to study on this course:
Year 1
Year 2
Optional year
Professional placement year
Final year
In your first year you will acquire a broad foundation of knowledge of business principles and around key theories of psychological science. You will be introduced to key strategies which are used in psychological research.
Core modules
Psychology Research Methods 1
30 credits
This module is a core requirement for students taking psychology in level 4. The module will introduce you to key strategies which are used in psychological research, including designing an experiment, hypothesis testing, and statistical analysis. The main features of the module will involve the acquisition of practical skills in psychological research, learning how to apply and carry out statistical tests using SPSS, and how to report research findings.
Throughout the module you will learn how to design a research project, analyse data and report a psychological experiment.
Foundations of Psychology
30 credits
This module introduces students to theories and ideas of psychological science in core areas of research. This module allows students to acquire a broad foundation of knowledge of these core areas, as well as many specialist sub-areas of psychology (e.g. biological psychology, learning, sensory and perceptual processes, memory, thought and knowledge, language, social, developmental, neuropsychology, individual differences, clinical).
Introduction to Business Psychology
30 credits
This module will introduce students to the main approaches (economic, individual differences, human relations and cognitive) to studying organisations and their psychology. It will focus on areas such as personnel selection, individual and group performance, decision making, communication and psychological well-being. The students will also be introduced to ethical principles and tools that can be used to deal with moral dilemmas often arising in business contexts
Business Management
30 credits
This module is designed to introduce you to the business function, with specific focus on marketing, data analysis, information systems, economics and the business environment. This module will equip you with the tools and skills to collect and analyse data, and present solutions to real-world problems based on marketing data. You will learn basic business and economic concepts and their application to current issues.
In the second year you will understand how businesses manage resources. And examine the relationship between brain function and our understanding of cognition and behaviour. Whilst developing experimental research designs and delve further into inferential statistics.
Core modules
Psychology Research Methods 2
30 credits
This module builds on the introduction to research methods and inferential statistics offered in PS4001 Research Methods 1. It will cover more advanced research designs — involving multiple independent variables — and more advanced inferential statistics such as analysis of variance, regression analysis and factor analysis. It will also introduce students to qualitative research methods and data analysis. Students will learn to develop and implement multifactorial experimental designs through practical research exercises and a project. Students' scientific writing skills will be further developed on the basis of a series of lab reports.
Social, Individual and Developmental Psychology
30 credits
The module will cover a broad range of key theories and empirical research in social, individual and developmental psychology. This module will allow students to explore current theory and practice in psychology across range of topics that focuses on the person in psychology. In consideration of the social, individual (human abilities and personality attributes) and developmental areas of enquiry, the scientific approach and the notion of measurement is fundamental.
Brain, Behaviour and Cognition
30 credits
This module covers major topics within the field of cognitive psychology and examines the relationship between brain function and our understanding of cognition and behaviour. You will be introduced to key theoretical explanations proposed to account for human cognition, alongside some real-life applications of cognitive psychology. You will study the structure and function of the nervous system before examining the contribution of specialised brain structures to cognitive functions such as perception, attention, language, memory and decision making, and behaviours such as motivation, eating, emotion and sleep. You will also learn about the effect of hormones, drugs and neurological dysfunction on cognition and behaviour.
Managing Resources
30 credits
This module considers the extent to which an efficient and effective management of human and financial resources can help organisations to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. It examines key issues in human and financial resource management, using appropriate conceptual and analytical frameworks which can help to explain the choices available to organisations, and their likely reasons for adopting different approaches to the management of human and financial resources. The module examines key issues in strategic HRM. It demonstrates how various HRM policies and practices can be employed and intertwined to create an environment in which employees are satisfied and perform well. The module also explains the principles and construction of the key financial statements and prepares students to interpret financial information to make appropriate economic decisions and recommendations. In so doing, it provides opportunities for applied learning and professional development.
Study abroad optional year
You have the option to take an additional year to study abroad or to undertake a year-long work placement overseas (or even a mix of both).
This course has a professional placement year option which takes place between Year 2 and your Final Year. During this professional placement year, you will take a placement within a relevant setting, ensuring you gain essential experience to add to your CV and help you secure a graduate job.
You will undertake a work placement and will carry out a research project. You will have a wide choice of project themes ranging from cognitive psychology through to social psychology that cover all aspects of business.
Core modules
Psychology Research Project
30 credits
This module provides the opportunity to study and employ different methodologies in psychology by evaluating the strengths and limitations of different research designs. Students will execute an empirical research project on a topic agreed in consultation with a Psychology staff supervisor. Supervisory sessions with an academic supervisor will guide students to conduct a literature review, formulate a research question, design a research study, and consider research ethics relating to their study, culminating in data collection and writing up of a research report which satisfies APA guidelines.
Occupational Psychology
30 credits
This module introduces a range of issues in contemporary occupational psychology within four key areas:
- Health and Wellbeing
- Selection and Assessment
- Leadership and Organisational Change
- Training and Development
You will explore and critically evaluate the empirical research within each area, applying your knowledge to business case study examples.
Topics include stress and burnout, workspace design, bullying and harassment, motivation and performance, psychometric testing and selection processes, models of organisational change, leadership and management, personal development and job design.
Psychology Work Placement
30 credits
This module provides students with the opportunity to address workplace issues that can benefit from input by psychologists. Students will gain an appreciation of the challenges of applying psychological research and knowledge in workplace settings. Students will complete 40 hours of work experience, and apply psychological research findings and knowledge to their chosen context, under the supervision of a workplace supervisor. Students are required to reflect on their experiences in the workplace and examine how knowledge gained from their course can be used in their setting.
Personality and Individual Differences
15 credits
This module examines contemporary perspectives on personality and individual differences, including theories of personality and intelligence, and the measurement of individual differences You will explore the concepts of equality, diversity, and inclusion, and discuss how psychologists can actively promote practices which embrace and value diversity and inclusion. You will review the practice of assessing individual differences in clinical, educational, and organisational contexts, considering ethical issues and the promotion of equality, diversity, and inclusion in these contexts.
Optional modules
Leading Change
30 credits
In this module you will analyse the concepts and theories of leadership and its application to contemporary organisations. You will reflect on the nature of change and the leader's role in managing through change in today's complex and uncertain environment. You will also examine the role of leaders and managers in developing a social conscience and learn how to recognise and address ethical issues.
Business Intelligence and Big Data Mining
30 credits
This module is designed to introduce students to the latest techniques in data analytics from a business perspective. It aims to make students familiar with, and proficient in applying, the fundamental principles of data visualisation and "data mining" (discovering patterns within data), which are essential skills for data scientists and data analysts working in the modern world. A particular emphasis will be placed on developing student's ability to identify the key features and factors influencing businesses' Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the context of large datasets, using appropriate software tools. Furthermore, the students will develop their communication skills and will be able to present their findings visually in a format suitable to be understood by people who may have had rather less training in scientific fields (managers, financial sponsors/clients, accountants, politicians or policy makers, the general public).
The module will be taught in a very practical way using an example driven approach to present applications of the theory, and subsequently interpretation and communication of the outcomes in a range of business contexts such as, but not limited to banking, car manufacturing, sales and healthcare. These have broad application in a range of careers and enhance the employability of graduates.
Advanced Issues in the Psychology of Thinking
30 credits
This module explores the psychology of higher cognitive processes, such as thinking, reasoning, judgement and decision-making. You will be encouraged to evaluate critically whether human thinking is rational, and the normative models with which that rationality is measured. The module will also introduce you to quantitative models of these processes as well as applications of cognitive psychology research, especially in terms of judgement and decision making in areas such as politics, sports, economics and health.
Management Strategy and Operations
30 credits
This module considers the development of the role of management in organisations, the importance of strategic analysis and decision making to enable sustainable development and the different contexts in which organisations might operate. You will develop an understanding of the environment in which organisations operate and how organisations use internal resources and competences to achieve competitive advantage. The module examines the role of culture and management in organisations, and the options for growth and development.
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Foundation year – Social Sciences
If you would like to study this degree at Kingston University but are not yet ready to join the first year of a BSc (Hons) course, you may want to consider studying this course with a foundation year.
Future Skills
Knowledge to give you the edge
Embedded within every course curriculum and throughout the whole Kingston experience, Future Skills will play a role in shaping you to become a future-proof graduate, providing you with the skills most valued by employers such as problem-solving, digital competency, and adaptability.
As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills, learning to demonstrate and articulate to employers how future skills give you the edge.
At Kingston University, we're not just keeping up with change, we're creating it.
Kingston School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences
The School offers courses in economics, sociology, law, psychology and criminology. Our degrees are underpinned by a vibrant research culture and delivered by a blend of practitioners and academics who are dedicated to equipping you with the employability skills to thrive in your career.
You will have a wealth of opportunities outside the classroom to further your learning and gain hands-on experience in your chosen field.
Life on the course
Psychology conference
Check out the video from the department's annual Psychology conference
After you graduate
This degree is a great stepping stone to skilled employment in a business setting. You may continue training to specialise as a chartered occupational psychologist or any other chartered psychology profession.
Specialist careers support
You will take part in an Assessment Centre Experience, providing the opportunity to experience the pathway to employment with tailored feedback to help develop your employability skills for the world of graduate employment.
- Develop your understanding of the jobs market, including current trends and opportunities, different recruitment processes and how to identify relevant roles
- Receive personalised feedback reports to help you to improve and progress
- Access additional webinars on top tips, employer expectations and best practice
Entry requirements
Teaching and assessment
Scheduled learning and teaching on this course includes timetabled activities including lectures, seminars and small group tutorials.
Who teaches this course?
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on this course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience. Postgraduate research students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.
The following group of staff members are currently involved in the delivery of different elements of this course. This pool is subject to change at any time within the academic year.
Course fees and funding
Additional costs
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.
Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.
Key information set
The scrolling banner(s) below display some key factual data about this course (including different course combinations or delivery modes of this course where relevant).
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
