MSc Projects
In addition to the expertise of our team at ConsultIWP we can offer clients the guidance and insight of Work Psychologists who are in the final months of their professional qualification. Our Work Psychology masters students work in partnership with organisations. They deliver high quality projects that meet the company’s business needs and, at the same time, advance thinking in work psychology. Our students all have undergraduate degrees and many have considerable commercial experience.
About Our Work Psychology Students
The well-established Sheffield MSc course in Occupational Psychology has been running for over 30 years. It attracts a wide range of students from the UK and abroad who are interested in achieving a career in fields such as business consultancy, human resource management or organisational research. The MSc course in Occupational Psychology is accredited by the British Psychological Society(BPS) as providing the appropriate knowledge basis for those training to become Chartered Occupational Psychologists.
The course aims to:
- Increase students’ understanding of occupational psychology.
- Instil a critical appreciation of existing theory and practice in occupational psychology.
- Develop skills necessary for research and practice as an occupational psychologist.
The taught modules run from September to March and include seminar, case study and workshop activities.
- Personnel Selection and Development
- Training and Well-being
- Organisational Behaviour
- Work Systems and Human Factors
- Research Methods
- Statistics
The project module involves students conducting a significant piece of research with a participating organisation and runs from late April to late September. Projects provide the chance for students to apply their knowledge to real-world issues and develop their organisational skills.
About the Projects
Examples of companies our students have worked with:
*Solaglas Windowcare
*SchoolTrends
*E.ON
*Rolls Royce
*Royal College of Nursing
*South Yorkshire Police
*Sheffield City Council
*Firth Rixon
See opposite for examples of project titles.
Case Study Examples
*Importance of Trust in Management at Sheffield City Council
The aim of the project was to determine the factors influencing the stress, job satisfaction and wellbeing of social workers identifying themselves as belonging to a minority group, specifically males and those with caring responsibilities outside of work. The project provided recommendations for social care practitioners and managers to implement effective support systems, better resources and feedback to alleviate stress in the workplace and in turn enhance trust in management.
Janet Burke, Service Manager
“A variety of techniques utilized, tailored to both the needs of the organisation and to the individuals taking part. The results will enable us to develop further our engagement plans”.
*Safety Attitudes and its relationship with Safety Performance at Solaglas Windowcare
The project sought to provide valid data to assist the organisation to facilitate a change in employee behaviours so that front-line staff would take more personal ownership of their Health and Safety on site. The project provided the organisation with a valid insight not only into what front-line employees thought of their management values towards safety and how effective the safety communication and training was, but also an understanding of where improvements within health and safety could be targeted.
Patrick Kent, HR Director, Sologals Windowcare
““ The project has helped us to understand the critical factors that can influence a safe culture which in turn helped us to focus our efforts in the areas that really make difference to the safety of our people. A real benefit is having rigorous academic research that support the reasons behind launching a cultural change programme.”
What is delivered by the student?
A research proposal:
Following receipt of the client’s brief, the student will produce a research proposal that will explain their understanding of the project requirements and will set out a plan of action to complete the research. This plan will include objectives, proposed method, timing and costs. The proposal will be subject to discussion and negotiation but we will require the client’s approval of the proposal before the student fully commences work.
A quality project:
This means a project that addresses the client’s brief and provides useful information to help inform strategic decisions. The project will be supervised by a leading expert in the field at IWP to ensure the research methods and data sources being used are appropriate and are being executed in a professional and objective way.
Report:
An organisational report and presentation, depending on the client’s requirements.
Confidentiality:
All information collected by students in the course of the project, and the final report itself, will be treated in complete confidence and will not be disclosed to third parties or published.
Project Management and Costs: Subject to mutual agreement, the project can work in either of two ways.
Option 1: Participating organisations would be expected to pay the student expenses, i.e. travel. The academic supervisor provides normal academic supervision, which may include liaison with the organisation where necessary but the student would provide overall project management. If your organisation also wishes to pay the student a modest bursary for carrying out the work, that would of course be welcome but not a necessity. However, the bursary is an arrangement between the student and your organisation – no monies will pass through the University.
Option 2: The project arrangement includes a formal consultancy contract with the University. Like with Option 1 the organisation will cover students expenses. In addition your organisation benefits from approximately three days of the supervisor’s time over and above normal academic supervision of the student. This will normally cost about £2k.This means that as well as providing academic supervision in the normal way, the supervisor will provide overall project management; maintaining regular contact with your organisation throughout. The supervisor (a leading expert in their field) will also work with the student to produce an exceptionally high standard of organisation feedback report complete with expert recommendations. It is the supervisor’s time being paid for, not the student’s.
For further information please contact:
Kate Shepherd, Student Business Engagement Officer, on 0114 222 3259 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).