Psychology and Human Resource Management
Psychology and human resource management is a degree that combines the scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes with the professional discipline of managing people effectively in organisations. The connection between the two is direct and productive: HRM draws on psychological knowledge of motivation, personality, learning, group dynamics, and organisational behaviour to understand how to attract, develop, and retain talent and how to build workplaces where people can perform at their best. At the same time, psychology provides the theoretical rigour and research skills that make HRM more evidence-based and effective.
At the University of Strathclyde, this four-year, full-time programme develops your understanding of the conditions of human behaviour, including how we learn, remember, coordinate actions, and interact with others, and the sources of individual differences such as personality and intelligence. Alongside this, you will develop knowledge of the core HRM disciplines, including recruitment and selection, performance management, employment law, learning and development, and organisational culture. A year abroad is available, giving you the opportunity to study in another country and to encounter both psychology and HRM practices in different organisational and cultural contexts.
Graduates are well-placed for careers in human resources, organisational development, talent management, learning and development, occupational psychology, and general management. Professional qualifications in HR, such as those offered by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, provide a natural complement to the academic degree. The psychological foundations of the programme also provide an excellent basis for postgraduate training in occupational psychology, one of the applied psychology specialisms recognised by the British Psychological Society.
Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in psychology, organisational behaviour, or business administration.