Course overview
- Study period
- Summer Semester, 2024 (25/11/2024 - 08/02/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Psychology School
The purpose of the Business Psychology Projects are to develop the skills required to work both as an internal and external consultant in the private, public and not-for-profit sector. Each student gets to work on a mix of projects covering different areas of practice and work settings. Types of settings may include small consultancy firms, large consultancy firms, publicly listed companies, government agencies, not-for-profit organisations, and independent practice. The projects are challenging, and require students to apply their skills to a wide range of complex problems. Projects typically involve a mix of internships and externships. During an internship, students work as a group on a consultancy project for a real client under the supervision of an experienced consultant. During an externship, students work in, or for, an external organisation.
Students undertake business projects in a supported placement environment ﾠto gain knowledge, skills, and experience in an applied setting. The project placement experience forms one part of an integrated program to assist student progress towards achieving the competancies expected for successful completion of the Master of Business Psychology. It allows students to apply their theoretical knowledge and skills in a real world environment and understand the context and operating environments for business consultants.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Enrolment in Masters of Business Psychology
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
PSYC7425
Restrictions
MPsychBus, or permission of Director of Organisational and Business Psychology programs
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Course administrator
Professor Andrew Neal
Placement manager
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge and skills and provide the practical experiencesﾠthat a consultant needs to work effectively in an organisational context.ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Use psychological concepts and principles to solve practical problems in organisation projects;
LO2.
Demonstrate practical skills in the business environment to diagnose analyse and provide solutions to organisational problems;
LO3.
Understand and demonstrate professional practice and behaviour as a business consultant within an organisational context acting legally ethically and professionally at all times;
LO4.
Communicate effectively with project stakeholders (eg., clients managers supervisors and other professionals and colleagues).
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placement |
Project Proposal
|
P/F |
Due at the mid point of the placement |
| Project |
Business Project Report
|
P/F |
The proposal is due 1 week after the first day of the placement. |
| Placement |
Project Plan
|
P/F |
Due in the final week of the placement |
| Project |
Placement Review
|
P/F |
The report is due upon completion of the placement. |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Project Proposal
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Placement
- Weight
- P/F
- Due date
Due at the mid point of the placement
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
A mid-point review of work performance including knowledge and skill development must be undertaken by the student and assigned supervisor approximately half-way through the placement. The student, organisation supervisor and placement manager must complete the Mid-Point Review document together.
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be completed to pass the courseSubmission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Business Project Report
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- P/F
- Due date
The proposal is due 1 week after the first day of the placement.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
At the beginning of the project, student must put together a project plan according to the set proforma to detail the scope of the project to be undertaken. The project plan outlines the proposed intervention and deliverables, the research and data gathering to be undertaken, the diagnostics to be undertaken, and what issues are in and out of scope and a timeline. As the project placement progresses the project plan will be updated to include status reports (stage gates) towards the project deliverables, risks, blockers, and the planned intervention and evaluation. The project plan (completed) must accompany the project report at the end of the placement (initial plan due 1 week after the first day on placement - full report due with Project Report).
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be completed to pass the course.Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Project Plan
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Placement
- Weight
- P/F
- Due date
Due in the final week of the placement
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
A final review of work performance including knowledge and skill development must be undertaken by the student and assigned supervisor at the conclusion of the placement. The student, organisation supervisor and placement manager must complete the Final Review document together.
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be completed to pass the courseSubmission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Students should discuss the progress of their placement with the placement manager.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Placement Review
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- P/F
- Due date
The report is due upon completion of the placement.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
The major project is an opportunity for the student to detail their work on an end to end project and demonstrate their scientist practitioner skills. The major project will be at least 250 hours and has a major project report required to be submitted to the university and the project organisation detailing an end to end approach from scoping and research to implementation/recommendations and/or evaluation:
- The major project will have a data collection and data analysis requirement as part of the research /needs analysis section of the project.
- The report will contain information on data collected and details of the analysis and causal problem/s identification
- The project must have some implementation/intervention or an evaluation of another intervention carried out as part of the project.
- The report will contain details of the engagement /consultancy arrangements with the organisation (scope, timeline, deliverable products) as well as the identification of the organisational presenting issue and the intervention recommended/carried out.
- The major project will be assessed on a 1-7 scale.
Hurdle requirements
This assessment must be completed to pass the course.Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Pass/Fails | Description |
|---|---|
| P |
Course grade description: Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements for the course, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills; demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or competent in the course. In order to achieve a pass grade, all relevant documentation must be submitted in accordance with the requirements of theﾠ program Handbook, including: project proposal, plan and final report. Mid-point and final reviews will be conducted separately . Assessment is based on academic and professional judgment of staff of the Centre for Organisational Psychology. The final grade (Pass/Fail) is based on an overall assessment of whether the student has demonstrated a satisfactory level of professionalism and competence in meeting the learning objectives and deliverablesﾠ for the placement. This determination is based on evidence contained within the assessment documentation submitted, in consultation with the placement supervisor(s), and with due regard to the level of the student's experience on the program. |
| F |
Course grade description: Falls short of satisfying ALL basic requirements for Pass. A number of learning goals have not been achieved to a satisfactory level. Some or all of the required documentation has NOT been submitted in accordance with the requirements of the Program Handbookﾠ Assessment is based on academic and professional judgment of staff of the Centre for Organisational Psychology. The final grade (Pass/Fail) is based on an overall assessment of whether the student has demonstrated a satisfactory level of professionalism and competence in meeting the learning objectives for the placement. This determination is based on evidence contained within the assessment documentation submitted, in consultation with the placement supervisor(s), and with due regard to the level of the student's experience on the program. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 8 |
Placement |
Placement You will undertake a core project within an organisation as part of an internal consultancy team dealing with a number of organisational issues Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Seminar |
Group Mentoring To support and complement work projects, there will be an on-campus component of each Business psychology project enrolment. As some of the placements will be in organisations where the line supervisor may not have any psychology background and may not be able to support the student in some areas of skills development, these sessions will provide skills support and involve Group coaching and mentoring sessions to support the student with work projects provide additional input and discuss alternatives options and approaches for the project. Sharing and discussion with other students of their projects and understanding other work projects Guest speakers from business providing special topic seminars An opportunity to develop further practical skills or in some cases certification eg., project management . Learning outcomes: L01, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: