Master’s degree in Psychology – Occupational and Organisational Psychology Curriculum (LM-51)

Master’s degree in Psychology – Occupational and Organisational Psychology- programme overview

The Master’s degree in Psychology (LM-51) aims to complete the education of the undergraduate students in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (L-24) or in other in psychological related fields.

The Master’s degree is based on two distinct curricula:

• Clinical and Rehabilitation Psychology;
• Occupational and Organisational Psychology.

Even if based on a sound common training, the structure of both curricula is designed in such a way as to envisage the presence of disciplines that already offer  professionalising skills.

The structure of the Occupational and Organisational Psychology curriculum includes specific programme aimed to develop assessment skills, psychological treatments, management of human resources and of the work-related stress.

Online degree

The MA degree in Psychology (online) is designed for those who are unable to attend a traditional education programme due to distance or professional commitments.

Through Unicusano e-learning platform, it is possible to attend the Psychology degree classes online, to study using computer storage media at home, at your own pace and take the exam at the nearest exam centre. Thanks to the teaching quality and to the broad number of authorised exams centres spread across Italy, Unicusano is today the best choice for students willing to earn an online degree in Psychology.

Job profiles

Before starting to work independently as psychologists, the graduate students should have completed the post-lauream internship and taken the “Esame di Stato” in order to be registered in the Register of the Psychologists.

The Master course leads to professional prospects of various kinds identifiable within the following sectors:

• management of the working roles;
• management of human resources;
• management of problems concerning the quality of work and training life (conflict, cooperation, communication, dynamics and indicators of work-related stress, etc.).

Acquired competences

Working field: observing the different working situations, in order to redesign roles, communicative tools, environments, in order to face worker needs.

Human resources: designing, managing and coordinating orientative, selective, informative-training and consulting actions, aimed at professional qualification, career advancement and organisational changes.

Organisations: improving the quality of workplace environment, in particular of group behaviour, paying attention to their internal dynamics and the different types of leadership; communicative tools; prevention of accidents; stress management; conflict management; development of a counseling service to protect the human dignity; decisional processes and so on…

Intervention methodologies: create and implement qualitative and quantitative tools to self-assessment and to measure variables and psychosocial processes to evaluate individual characteristics; manage and coordinate research that aim to identify problems linked to social and technological changes in working processes; counseling and collaboration with other specialists involved in intervention projects.

Career opportunities

Graduates in Occupational Psychology, can operate in different contexts:

• Public and private services aimed to the orientation and the better use of skills and personal potential in the workplace;
• Enterprises, companies, government agencies, educational health and military institutions to investigate and promote organisational cultures;
• In the so-called “third sector” agencies (such as cooperatives and associations) which manage residential and semi-residential services, or implement prevention projects and reduction of discomfort during life;
• For self-employment assessment, guidance and support to individuals and groups focused on the professional choices, the management of conflicts within the organisation, the management of health and Safety and the promotion of well-being in working environment;
• Perform the profession of psychotherapy after the achievement of Graduate school diploma.

The Master’s degree in Psychology- Occupational and Organisational Psychology prepares students to the following careers (ISTAT DATA): 

1. Clinical psychologists and psychotherapists – (2.5.3.3.1);
2. Developmental and educational psychologists – (2.5.3.3.2);
3. Occupational psychologists – (2.5.3.3.3).

Entry requirements

The Bachelor’s degree L-24  or 34 (ex D.M. 509/1999) is required to access the Master. Other Bachelor’s degrees or qualifications, even gained abroad, are accepted as long as they provide basic knowledge in:

• at least 9 credits in M-PSI/01 sector;
• at least 9 credits in M-PSI/02 sector;
• at least 9 credits in M-PSI/03 sector;
• at least 9 credits in M-PSI/04 sector;
• at least 9 credits in M-PSI/05 sector;
• at least 9 credits in M-PSI/06 sector;
• at least 9 credits in M-PSI/07 sector;
• at least 9 credits in M-PSI/08 sector.

The student must remedy any deficiencies before the beginning of the course.

A B2 certificate of English is required to attend English courses.

The Course Regulations will establish the assessment modalities to test the student skills.

Educational aims and course plan outline

The Master’s degree programme in Clinical Psychology LM-51 is structured coherently with what indicated in the D.M. 270/04 and according to the criteria established for the Europsy certification (www.inpa-europsy.it). Common objectives of the two curricula are:

• the acquisition of advanced theoretical and methodological knowledge in the field of psychology by adopting an interdisciplinary approach;
• the ability to analyse and evaluate the setting;
• the acquisition of professional ethics.

An amount of 1000 hours of training is compulsory in order to take the “Esame di Stato”.

Graduates can choose to pursue their academic career with a Phd or other specialisation.

Occupational, organisational and service psychology

Graduates will develop knowledge of the main theoretical models regarding the individual and working sphere interaction (e.g., motivation, emotions, attitudes in the workplace, bullying), and the main influences on the individual organisations and groups (e.g., climate, organisational culture, group dynamics).

Graduates will develop skills that enable them to understand the different work contexts considering the different levels of analysis (individual, group, organisation).

In summary, the academic programme includes two main phases in the two years of the degree course. The first phase provides the acquisition of specialised skills that allow applying the basic knowledge acquired in the course in different organisational contexts and working areas. The second phase, corresponding to the second year of the degree course, involves the development of skills directed to program interventions and concerns the selection and assessment, counselling and career guidance.

Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and comprehension skills

The graduate is required to apply the main theoretical / practical reference models to the different situations (individual, family, organisational, cultural, social, biological, etc.).

Knowledge and understanding skills are assessed through oral or written exams.

Ability to apply knowledge and comprehension skills

The ability of applying knowledge and comprehension skills is verified through the participation in workshop, role cases and simulation of analysis.

Making judgements

Graduates should demonstrate the ability to make judgements, also based on an amount of limited or incomplete set of information. They should assume their responsibility for their own interventions and demonstrate to be professionally autonomous, both by working on their own or with other professional figures.

Communication skills

At the end of the Master’s course, the graduates are able to use communicative tools, both with patients and/or other specialists.

Communication skills are essential for the psychologist and will be assessed during the different exams.

Learning skills

Graduates in Psychological Sciences know how to analyse problems, read through different cultural and scientific perspectives and how to work in groups.

The Master in Occupational and Organisational Psychology offers the necessary expertise to the development of the profession required skills and, at the same time, gives the opportunity to continue the formation with further studies (schools of specialisations, Ph.D.).

The acquisition of these skills is assessed through assessment laboratory activities, through the final assessment of the training activities as well as through an individual work carried out by the student under the supervision of a professor for the preparation and writing of the final paper.

The assessment modalities include written and/or oral tests. These tests are aimed to improve the students’ learning skills. Interactive teaching activities, such as e-tivities and forum, are designed to stimulate critical analysis and discussion.

Final exam

To earn the degree, the student must write and discuss a thesis in original form, under the guidance of a supervisor.