BSc Honours Psychology with Human Resource Management

The degree provides sound understanding of basic core courses that start at foundation level in year one and develops in depth and details in year 2 and 3. The main focus of various modules is to enhance critical thinking and evaluation of taught concepts and theories, the development of numerical and analytical skills which culminate into developing capacity to carry out independent research project. In addition to all other basic core modules students must complete a dissertation which is intended to demonstrate the student’s ability to carry out a research oriented piece of work and to relate the theoretical knowledge gained through the programme to empirical data. For the dissertation, the focus is on independent, self-managed, self-directed study within a framework of supervision.

Please refer to our Academic Calendar for further information: http://www.mdx.ac.ae/life-at-university/academic-calendar

Module and programme information is indicative and may be subject to change.

Note: Both core and optional modules are constantly updated and under review. As with most academic programmes, please remember that it is possible that a module may not be offered in any particular year, for instance because too few students opt for it. Middlesex University reserves the right to vary or withdraw any course or module.

• Year 1
  • Management Concepts (15 Credits) - Compulsory The aim of this module is to develop students understanding of the management of organisations. It will introduce management concepts such as the business functions,organisational structure, work design, entrepreneurship, and business ethics. Students will develop the ability to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of various management theories and their application in the management of organisations.
  • People Management (15 Credits) - Compulsory The aim of this module is to develop students understanding of how people in organisations interact. It will introduce various people management concepts and human resource processes and practices. Students will develop the ability to compare and contrast a variety of organisational psychology and sociological theories and their application in the management of people.
  • Personal Coaching for Academic Success (15 Credits) - Compulsory The module aims to equip you with tools to be able to better engage in your learning it will teach you an array of independent and reflective skills from writing to dealing with exam anxiety.
  • Psychological Statistics (15 Credits) - Compulsory This module aims to introduce you to quantitative statistical analysis as they are employed in psychological research.
  • Mind & Behaviour in Context (30 Credits) - Compulsory This module introduces the five core areas of psychology (cognitive, social, biological, developmental, individual differences).
  • Research Methods and Design in Psychology (30 Credits) - Compulsory The module aims to introduce students to the principles and practice of quantitative and qualitative psychological research. Students will develop skills in searching literature and generating hypotheses with a sound rationale, understand the principles of sound research design and data collection and be able to interpret findings and critically assess research output in psychology. They will also be provided with opportunities to develop skills in the dissemination of research results with the conventions, styles and critical approach of academic work
• Year 2
  • Social, Personality, and Developmental Psychology (30 Credits) - Compulsory The module aims to develop the depth and breadth of understanding of core theory and research in developmental and social psychology whilst also explaining differences between individuals.
  • Brain, Body and Mind (30 Credits) - Compulsory This module aims to provide an overview of the biological bases of behaviour and the cognitive approach to psychology. After initial study of the anatomy physiology of the nervous system, attention is focused on aspects of behaviour that have a clear biological component. Through a series of practical laboratory sessions you will investigate specific central and peripheral nervous system variables and their relation to behaviour. In the second half of the module, the nature of the cognitive approach to psychology will be outlined and key theories relating to major cognitive faculties explored. Understanding of these is enhanced through a series of interactive seminars.
  • Research Methods and Ethics in Psychology (30 Credits) - Compulsory The module enables students to understand and evaluate psychological research and to understand how research design relates to research questions. It provides students with skills in a variety of statistical analyses and enables them to conduct ethical psychological research utilising quantitative and qualitative methods. It provides the foundation for interpretation and critical discussion of published psychological research.
  • Human Resources Management in Practice (30 Credits) - Compulsory The aim is to introduce students to the key areas of HRM and to build on relevant knowledge and skills developed in Year 1 modules. By the end of the year students will be familiar with a wide range of generalist HR policies and practices within the four key areas of the discipline: employee resourcing, employee reward, employee relations, and employee training and development.
• Year 3
  • Leadership and Management Development (30 Credits) - Compulsory This module aims to provide grounding in the core competencies related to management and leadership in organisations, enabling students to apply theory to practice in management and leadership development. Alongside this, it will provide opportunities to develop personal skills through workshops in leadership and team building. This module is aligned to CIPD intermediate unit narratives.
  • Psychology Dissertation (30 Credits) - Compulsory Within this module, you will pursue independent study with a designated supervisor on a topic not offered in-depth among the normal range of modules. You will be expected to carry out an original investigation using a recognised psychology or cognitive science research method, and produce a dissertation based on that research. The title and methodology of this dissertation must be agreed with the supervisor in advance. Undertaking this module will enable you to develop your methodological and statistical knowledge acquired through previous research methods training. It will develop your competence in the production of coherent written reports which are clearly presented and which have an analytic and critical orientation, and it will provide the opportunity for you to become competent and self-sufficient researcher.
  • The Psychology of Stress, Motivation and Work-Life Balance (15 Credits) - Compulsory
  • Lifespan Issues: Impact of Life Experience (15 Credits) - Optional The module aims to (a) to develop students’ understanding of how theoretical, empirical and personal examples arising in the fields of academia, research and clinical practice contribute to understanding life experience and psychology and (b) to encourage students to think reflectively about the psychological relevance of social norms, expectations, stereotypes and issues of personal identity and nurture on life experience and development
  • Lifespan Stages: Adult stages of development (15 Credits) - Optional The module aims to explore the psychology of lifespan development using theoretical and research orientated approaches. It considers how psychological knowledge of ways in which development can be investigated and observed using research can be undertaken from a variety of perspectives, as well as how it can be understood using models of cognitive, biological, socio-ecological, psychodynamic and developmental psychology. The module aims to develop students’ understanding of how theoretical, empirical and personal examples arising in the fields of academia, research and clinical practice contribute to understanding of lifespan development and can be practically applied to Lifespan investigation.
  • Coaching Psychology (15 Credits) - Optional This module offers advanced level study of topics in coaching psychology and offers students a blend of academic study, practical knowledge, and personal development. The module is designed to measure a variety of learning outcomes and to facilitate students’ development of critical thinking, independent learning, reflective learning, and listening and communication skills. It provides an introduction to basic skills of Coaching and Coaching Psychology. The module may encourage students to explore further training in Coaching and Coaching Psychology as part of their professional and career development.
  • Key Issues and Controversies in the Psychology of Elite Sport Performance (15 Credits) - Optional This module will aim to introduce students to the ways in which psychological theories and methods contribute to our understanding of elite sport performance, to understand the psychological, behavioural and social determinants of elite sport performance and the applications of sport psychology, from a practitioners perspective, to working with skilled performers.
  • Death, Separation and Loss (15 Credits) - Optional This module aims to shed light on death. Put simply, death is the cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism, however this module is concerned with the complex processes surrounding death, and related issues of separation and loss. It aims to understand the psychological processes involved not only after someone dies, but also to identify the different kinds of losses humans can experience and the factors involved in grief and mourning. Separation and loss are core to the notion of disenfranchised grief, where the griever or the loss itself may not be recognised (e.g. a ‘broken heart’ from a relationship break-up or divorce, miscarriage, a child as a griever, terminal illness). Classical and contemporary theories of death and bereavement will be covered (e.g. Mourning and Melancholia, Grief Stages, Dual Process, Continuing Bonds and Terror Management Theory). Students will be introduced to both evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence in the area, which will highlight expertise in the faculty, from quantitative research on death and video games, to qualitative research on suicide, to practice areas including bereavement counselling and emerging technologies for end of life management.
  • New Directions in Cognitive Science (15 Credits) - Optional We all have the experience of an internal dialogue; linguistically phrased commentary and reasoning that pertains to our actions in the here and now or to actions we might wish to execute. But do those sentences truly reflect how our brains collate and process information? For many years the assumption was that they do, but of late this view has been challenged.
    . Cognitive science is a multidisciplinary approach to studying and understanding internal causal states for the production of behaviour (thoughts). The primary aim of cognitive science is to provide a mechanistic (how things work) and functional (why things work) account of cognition