Entry requirements

Graduate Basis for Chartership and an accredited Master's degree in organisational/ occupational and/or business psychology (at Merit or above) required.

You must be in relevant employment and able to apply your learning to the workplace as an integral part of the programme. You must be competent in written and spoken English and have good social and communication skills.

Students who have already completed Stage Two of the BPS Chartership process (and are therefore, or are eligible to be, both Chartered and hold Registered Psychologist status with the HCPC) will be exempt from Part One (Professional Practice Portfolio) which includes six modules at Level 7. Selection to the course will be through completion of an application form, and an interview.

Pending success at the interview stage, pre-enrolment, you will be asked for an up-to-date Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Months of entry

January

Course content

This Professional Doctorate in Occupational Psychology is an accredited University of London doctoral degree. It is accredited by the British Psychological Society as an alternative to the British Psychological Society's (BPS) Stage 2 Qualification in Occupational Psychology, meaning that successful completion of the programme confers eligibility for chartership through the BPS (subject to holding Graduate Basis for Registration).

If you hold a BPS-accredited master's degree in organisational/occupational and/or business psychology, and you are in related employment, this doctorate will let you apply your learning directly in the workplace and use your work experience to inform your research.

The first two years will develop your professional competence and prepare you for independent research and practice through the following six professional practice portfolios:

If you successfully complete this stage, you can either graduate with an MRes in Professional Practice in Occupational Psychology or progress to Years 3 and 4 to develop your competence in research methods and consolidate your skills as an evidence-based practitioner and researcher so that you can complete a 40,000-50,000-word doctoral thesis.

We have expertise in both qualitative and quantitative techniques and are well placed to supervise all research topics in occupational psychology. Our particular interests include:

Coaching, careers and lifespan development
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Decision making, heuristics and bias
Leadership and critical management studies
Organisational sociology
Professional development and training
Selection and assessment
Worklife balance, boundary management and digitisation of work
Well-being and occupational health.

Highlights

You will have the opportunity to work with, and be supervised by, the UK’s most renowned academics and practitioners in the field of organisational psychology, including Clare Mulligan-Foster, Hayley Lewis and Julie Gore.
Birkbeck was the first institution in the UK to establish teaching and research in occupational psychology over 60 years ago. We continue to play a distinctive role in British occupational psychology - and, increasingly, within organisational behaviour.
Birkbeck is one of the world’s leading research-intensive institutions. Our cutting-edge scholarship informs public policy, achieves scientific advances, supports the economy, promotes culture and the arts, and makes a positive difference to society.
Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework with 83% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
You will get access to superb library resources, including Birkbeck Library, the British Library, Senate House (University of London) Library and a wide range of libraries in the Bloomsbury area.

Information for international students

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, the requirement for this programme is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 7.0, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.

If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses, foundation programmes and language support services to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

Fees and funding

PhD students resident in England can apply for government loans of over £26,000 to cover the cost of tuition fees, maintenance and other study-related costs.

Flexible finance: pay your fees in monthly instalments at no extra cost. Enrol early to spread your costs and reduce your monthly payments.

We offer a range of studentships and funding options to support your research.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

ProfDoc
full time
48 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
part time
56 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification

Course contact details

Name: Student Advice Service
Email: studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk

Phone: +44 (0)20 3907 0700

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Professional Practice in Occupational Psychology