Master of Commerce in Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to provide learners with an advanced level of expertise and specialist applied competencies in Industrial and Organisational Psychology by means of course work (theory and supervised applied work-based simulated learning in a classroom setting) and a dissertation of limited scope (independent research). The professional Master of Commerce in Industrial and Organisational Psychology together with a successfully completed internship and Professional Board examination, places qualifying learners in a position to register as an industrial psychologist in independent practice with the Professional Board for Psychology of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and as a master human resource practitioner with the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP). The qualifying learner will be able to render psychological services in a variety of workplace related settings focusing on the prevention, assessment, diagnosis and intervention of human behavioural and work-related dysfunctions with a view to optimise and promote behaviour in individuals, groups and organisations.

The qualification further offers learners' entrance to further study in higher education programmes, such as doctoral studies in Industrial and Organisational Psychology.

Rationale

The qualification is responsive to the psychological needs and care of the South African adult population in its diverse work contexts. The rationale for the qualification is to provide advanced and specialised education, training and scholarship in the field and practice of industrial and organisational psychology. The profession of industrial and organisational psychology has become increasingly relevant in the modern era, as evidenced by the burgeoning research-based publications devoted to the study, understanding and improvement of human behaviour at work and the psychological conditions of workers in the multicultural diverse local and global socioeconomic, socio-political and legal work contexts. The qualification aims at producing competent, ethical, and professional practitioners who meet the needs of South Africa in providing industrial and organisational services. The qualification is critical in order to provide professional practitioners who are competent in delivering psychological services to organisations that facilitate understanding, modifying, and enhancing individuals, groups and organisational behaviour, wellbeing and effectiveness within the work context.

Qualified learners (industrial psychologists) are able to provide a variety of psychological services within various sectors. The focus of the profession is the creation and enhancement of optimal organisational, group, and individual functioning with a positive impact on the broader society through applied psychological assessment, diagnosis, prevention of work dysfunctional behaviour, intervention and promotion of optimal individual human behaviour in group and organisational context in an ethical manner.

The qualification contributes to the conceptualisation, design and implementation of methods of inquiry, including the application of specialised knowledge, skills and technologies relevant to the profession to address complex and challenging human behaviour problems in the global and African organisational context. The solutions, insights and new knowledge generated by means of advanced scholarship and research may contribute to improved quality of work life, organisational productivity and human development in the South African and African work contexts. The qualification also prepares qualifying learners for advanced and professional employment and offers entrance to further study in higher education qualifications, such as doctoral studies in Industrial and Organisational Psychology.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL will be applied in line with Institutional Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy and procedures. The qualification content is by the professional body Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and RPL is therefore applied in terms of granting access to the qualification.

All RPL applications are handled according to the institutional policies and procedures and the outcome of the assessment is communicated to the learner. In cases of credit being granted, an abbreviated assessment report will be completed with recommendations of further assessment tools required. If no RPL credit is granted, reasons for the decision will be formally communicated to learners.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• An appropriate Bachelor Honours Degree at Level 8.

Or

• A Bachelor in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at NQF Level 8 with 480 Credits.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Level 9 totalling 240 Credits.

Compulsory Modules

• Organisational Psychology, 30 Credits.
• Strategic Personnel Psychology, 30 Credits.
• Career Psychology and Wellbeing, 30 Credits.
• Psychological Assessment, 36 Credits.
• Personal and Professional Development, 30 Credits.
• Research Methodology in Industrial and Organisational Psychology, 24 Credits.
• Dissertation of Limited Scope in Industrial and Organisational Psychology, 60 Credits.

1. Apply coherent and critical understanding of psychological theory, technology, and services in the profession and practice areas of industrial and organisational psychology.
2. Demonstrate applied competency in the practice and profession of industrial and organisational psychology.
3. Apply competency as an industrial psychologist in self-directed continuous personal and professional development.
4. Conduct independently research in an organisational work setting.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Critique and debate current research on the factors that influence human behaviour and optimal functioning in the work context, work adjustment, performance, career development and wellbeing as these apply to individuals across the various life-career stages by means of well-rounded arguments.
• Critique and evaluate reason the application of psychological theories, principles and paradigmatic stances as they apply in the individual, team and organisational level needs analysis and intervention planning, design and/or development of psychological services, instruments and techniques, diagnosis and assessment of multicultural diverse populations, intervention implementation, report writing and communication by means of well-rounded arguments and illustrated in practical real-life case examples.
• Evaluate a rationale for fair psychological assessment in a multicultural environment based on critical consideration of socio-economic assessment needs and the professional and legal framework relevant to South Africa critically.
• Apply psychological and ethical principles in selecting and applying instruments, techniques and methods for the basic diagnosis of career-related needs and traumas (e.g. career transitions, career decision-making), workplace related psychopathology (e.g. job stress and burnout) and general psychopathology (e.g. depression, psychological trauma) in the evaluation of real-life case examples and report writing.
• Demonstrate and illustrate knowledge of the scope and practice of the industrial psychologist, relevant legislative frameworks, professional standards, codes of ethics and practice management standards that impact of psychological practice and research, internship requirements, and collaboration with healthcare professionals in practical real-life case examples.
• Critique and debate the role of the industrial and organisational psychologist versus the role of the professional human resource practitioner in strategic human resources management, performance management and occupationally specific skill-based management development in the context of strategic personnel psychology.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Apply and critical evaluate organisational diagnostic models in different organisational contexts (qualitative/quantitative/triangulation).
• Conduct research and impact assessment into organisational psychological phenomena and interventions in an organisational context using different diagnostic and assessment tools appropriate to the organisational setting and needs of the client with due consideration of ethical and legislative parameters.
• Develop, apply and critically evaluate interventions on the individual/group/organisational level based on client needs assessment with due consideration of diversity issues, and ethical and legislative parameters.
• Conduct individual employee and group coaching and group facilitation interventions in multi-cultural settings.
• Design, produce and critically evaluate an occupationally-specific skill-based training programme for talented, young human resource professionals identified as managerial potential.
• Apply psychological and ethical principles in selecting and applying instruments, techniques and methods for the basic diagnosis of career-related needs and traumas, workplace related and general psychopathology.
• Conduct career development and wellbeing diagnosis, assessment and counselling in the workplace and community with due consideration of fairness, bias, diversity and client needs.
• Draft integrated personal and client career, wellbeing, and psychological assessment reports based on a wide range of career and psychological assessments.
• Identify the need for further treatment and referral of clients, including collaboration with other healthcare professionals in the implementation of psychological services and interventions to optimise career wellbeing and workplace related adjustment.
• Align organisational assessment practices with current best practice in psychological assessment.
• Analyse and design requirements for psychological services, instruments and methods to be utilised for assessment and/or interventions.
• Conduct studies to compare instruments (e.g. tests, rating scales, and psychometric properties), techniques and methods and establish feasibility, reliability, validity and unbiasedness.
• Critically apply psychological assessment on individual, group and organisational level to diagnose and assess human behaviour for a variety of work-related purposes by applying knowledge, theories and techniques of psychology and psychometrics from the perspective of various relevant graduations-related roles the student may fulfil in real-life (personally, socially and professionally/career).
• Communicate (written or verbal) the results emanating from having applied psychological measures for various work-related purposes to different, relevant stakeholders in a manner that demonstrates ethical and professional conduct.
• Assess the impact of interventions in relation to value add to client needs diagnosis and assessment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Critically evaluate and reason about a personal philosophy of growth and development, and how it fits in with the philosophy of social science.
• Plan, pursue and monitor personal and professional growth in order to optimise and maintain wellbeing and employability.
• Engage in critical self-reflection on learning across all industrial and organisational psychology practice areas and identify strengths and areas for further development.
• Manage and self-assess learning tasks autonomously, professionally, responsibly and ethically with due consideration of their continued professional growth and development as an aspiring industrial psychologist.
• Obtain feedback from clients on psychological services and interventions conducted and incorporate feedback in personal and professional development plan.
• Transfer personal development skills, attitudes and values in various contexts of work and life in order to optimise and maintain the wellbeing of others.
• Integrate theoretical and practical knowledge from the Master's Programme to fulfil a meaningful role as an Industrial Psychologist and master's graduate.
• Plan internship programme and research under guided supervision.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Evaluate and debate the role of research in the work of industrial psychologists in workplace settings.
• Critical evaluative insight into the similarities, differences, advantages and disadvantages of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research approaches is demonstrated.
• Choose and motivate an appropriate research methodology and research strategy for specific human behaviour problems in organisational settings, based on quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research designs.
• Write a properly planned research proposal that shows significant insight in research planning and design with due consideration to sample sizes, measuring instruments, analysis techniques proposed, interpretation possibilities, ethical and legislative parameters.
• Demonstrate self-direction and originality in dealing with human behaviour problems in an organisational context by using a wide range of specialised skills in conceptualising, designing and implementing methods of enquiry to tackle and solve identified problems in the form of a research proposal.
• Apply specialised knowledge, skills, technologies and ethical standards relevant to the profession in planning and implementing an advanced research project and, using the resources of an academic/professional discourse, write up under supervision a dissertation of limited scope that meets the standards of scholarly/professional writing.

Integrated Assessment

To be awarded the Master of Commerce in Industrial and Organisational Psychology, a learner must have successfully achieved the outcomes of each of the compulsory/core modules that constitute the qualification, and have completed an approved research proposal and dissertation of limited scope under guided supervision.

Formative, summative and RPL assessment must comply with the rules outlined in the Assessment Policy and Procedures, and RPL Policy of the Institution. The examination of the dissertation of limited scope must comply with the rules outlined in the Institution Policy for Master's and Doctoral Degrees, Institution Processes for Master's and Doctoral Degrees, Institution Procedures for Studies for Master's and Doctoral Degrees, Institution Policy for Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism and Institution Research Ethics Policy.

Continuous comprehensive and integrated forms of alternative formative and summative assessment methods are applied during the one-year coursework programme in the form of practical assessments, group-based assessments, peer evaluations, simulation in a structured environment, self-evaluations, online collaborative learning tasks, literature reviews, online self-assessments, written and work-integrated assignments, real-life work-based case studies, client cases. The formative assessments in each module culminate into an integrated written assignment (either a report or portfolio of evidence). Each coursework module has an examination-based assignment (summative assessment): portfolio of evidence and/or oral examination. During the second year (research) learners should provide evidence of learning competency (knowledge, skills, attitudes and expertise) by means of an approved research proposal (obtained in year 1) and dissertation of limited scope (year 2) in a specialised field of industrial and organisational psychology that complies with master's degree level standards. Coursework: Weight of formative assessment = 40%/ Weight of summative assessment = 60%.

The compulsory theory/application modules relate to the practice areas of the industrial psychologist. The course work component in each module aims at equipping learners with the applied competencies they need to successfully complete an internship (work placement/experiential learning) in the various industrial and organisational psychology practice areas specified by the professional body (HPCSA). Learners are also guided by supervisors on planning the internship (work placement experiential learning) programme during the coursework programme.