Course overview
- Description
This course provides extensive training in the application of psychological theories and principles to workplace settings to enhance worker motivation, engagement, wellbeing, safety, and performance, as well as organisational performance and culture.
The course offers training in the following areas: undertaking research in workplaces; implementing evidence-based practice; facilitating organisational development and change processes; analysis of training needs; workplace training design and delivery; enhancing health, safety and performance based on human factors and good work design principles; and optimising leadership, management and organisational culture.
Through the inclusion of option units in the course, students can apply to undertake an internship or industry practicum placement, and/or choose from further coursework units.
The course also includes an organisational consultancy case study as capstone experience, in which students work in small groups on a consultancy proposal, allowing them to apply the principles they have learned in the course in practice.
- Course title
- Master of Business Psychology (coursework)
- Award abbreviation
- MBusPsych
- Course code
- 73550
- Course type
- Master's degree by coursework only
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- Psychological Science
- CRICOS code
- 093572E
Course details
- Intake periods
- Beginning of year and mid-year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Articulation
- The Master of Business Psychology has the following exit awards: 73290 Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology (24 points) (24 points), 73390 Graduate Diploma in Business Psychology (48 points) (48 points)
- Credit points required
- 96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 2 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising 72 points of taught units and 24 points of admission credit, as recognised and granted by the School
- Maximum course duration
- 2 full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising up to 96 points of taught study (see Rule 5 for further information)
- Time limit
- 5 years
- Delivery mode
- Multi-mode
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Commonwealth supported and/or HECS-HELP; or postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Dr Jane Chong (semester 1) and Dr Lisette Kanse (semester 2)
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
Example Study Plan
See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- NS
- non-standard teaching period
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Students may be required to complete relevant conversion units up to a value of 24 points, based on an assessment of prior learning, including but not limited to the following units:
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | BUSN5100 | Applied Professional Business Communications |
| lectures/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | HRMT5504 | Introduction to Human Resource Management | None | seminars: up to 3 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | MGMT5504 | Data Analysis and Decision Making |
| lectures/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week |
| S1 | PSYC4101 | Psychology Foundations: Mind and Brain | lectures: 2 hours per week; labs: 2 hours per week | |
| S2 | PSYC4102 | Psychology Foundations: Behaviour in Context | lectures: 2 hours per week; labs: 2 hours per week |
Take all units (60 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | HRMT5501 | Diversity and Inclusion | None | 3 hours per week, over 12 weeks. |
| S2 | HRMT5502 | People Analytics |
| lectures/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week |
| S2 | MGMT5506 | Ethics and Sustainability Management |
| Up to 6 hours per week which may include seminars/lectures/workshops/dedicated meeting time with the unit coordinator as well as self-directed learning. Delivery of this unit is over two days per week and may include some Saturday sessions. |
| S1, S2 | MGMT5507 | Management and Organisations |
| lectures/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week |
| S2 | PSYC5515 | Organisational Development and Change |
| up to 3 hours per week for 12 weeks, mix of lectures & activities |
| S1 | PSYC5550 | Organisational Consultancy Case Study |
| 4 x half-day workshops |
| S2 | PSYC5556 | Work Design |
| 3 hours per week for 12 weeks, mix of lectures and activities |
| S1 | PSYC5559 | Psychology of Leadership and Coaching |
| 3 hours per week for 12 weeks, mix of lectures & activities |
| S1 | PSYC5573 | Psychology of Training |
| seminars: 3 hours per week |
| S2 | PSYC5830 | Health, Safety, and Human Factors at Work |
| 3 hours per week for 12 weeks, mix of lectures & activities |
Take two units from this group, or replace one or both of these with elective units as approved on a case by case basis by the Course Coordinator or School representative acting on their behalf.
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | EMPL5412 | Employment Relations | None | lectures/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week |
| S2 | EMPL5514 | Negotiation and Dispute Resolution | None | lectures/seminars: 5 sessions (7–8 hours each) over 6 weeks |
| S1 | HRMT5518 | Strategic Human Resource Management |
| lectures/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | MGMT5511 | Introduction to Global Business |
| lectures/seminars/workshops: up to 3 hours per week |
| S1 | MGMT5660 | Applied Project Management |
| lectures/seminars: up to 3 hours per week |
| S1 | MKTG5502 | Social Media Marketing | None | 1 hour lectures, 2 hour tutorials |
| S1, S2 | MKTG5561 | Marketing Management |
| 1 hour lectures, 2 hour tutorials |
| S1 | PSYC5514 | Assessment and Selection |
| lectures/tutorials: 36 hours (12 x 3 hours). Attendance to lectures is compulsory. |
| S1 | PSYC5518 | Team Work |
| 3 hours per week for 12 weeks, mix of lectures & activities |
| S1 | PSYC5544 | Professional Skills |
| 2 hours per week for 12 weeks, mix of lectures & activities |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5304 | Science Practicum |
| 100 hours of work placement paired with learning content and assessment. Contact hours in Practicum placement (the majority of student time in the unit) as arranged with the unit coordinator and host/supervisor. Additional, minor, contact hours for initial and post-placement discussions with coordinator, and final presentation and review. |
| NS, S1, S2 | SVLG5001 | McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship |
| Internship experience: approximately 100 hours; McCusker Centre attendance: approximately 8 hours |
| NS | SVLG5003 | Wicked Problems |
| The unit is a 6 week intensive. Attendance at the service learning location is required every day for the first week. In the remaining weeks, students will work independently in project teams, with classroom time reduced to around 15-20 hours altogether. |
| NS, S1, S2 | WILG5001 | Work Integrated Learning Internship Program |
| Industry experience: 100 hours Online sessions with Unit Coordinator: 1-2 hours |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
4.(1) To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;
and
(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 60 per cent; or
(2) completed a Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology at UWA with a weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent.
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) This course has the following exit awards:
- 73290 Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology (24 points)
- 73390 Graduate Diploma in Business Psychology (48 points)
(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Business Psychology course before completing it, but after completing PSYC5556, and 3 out of the following 5 units:
PSYC5515, PSYC5830, PSYC5544, PSYC5518 and PSYC5559,, may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology.
(3) A student who withdraws from the Master of Business Psychology course before completing it, but who has completed 8 units, other than conversion units, of which at least 7 core units,, may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Business Psychology.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 96 points (maximum value) which include conversion units to a value of 24 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
(3) Students who have completed foundational training in psychology, statistics, and human resource management, as part of their undergraduate studies or equivalent, if deemed eligible by the University, are granted credit for conversion units up to a value of 24 points.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—
(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;
(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;
and
(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).