Postgraduate Prospectus

Professor John Richards
Course Leader - MSc Management Psychology

John Richards is Special Professor in Management Learning in the Institute of Work Health and Organisations (IWHO) and the Nottingham University Business School.

A Chartered Occupational Psychologist, John is a member of the British Psychological Society and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. He has degrees from the University of Oxford (PPE), The Open University (Psychology) and The University of Nottingham (MBA).

John started work in the steel industry, moved to become Training and Development Manager with British Shoe Corporation, spent seven years as Senior Training Development Consultant with ITS and then 18 years with The Boots Company PLC as Training and Development Manager and then Head of Senior Management Development.

He left Boots in 2001 to take up the teaching position at the University and to become Leadership Development Adviser to the then Trent Leadership Centre, now Trent Strategic Health Authority (until 2004).

John combines roles as a teacher, coach, facilitator and consultant in the areas of strategic management, leadership development and organisational learning.

Within IWHO, John is a member of the Directorate, Director of the Management Psychology Programme and module convenor for: Strategic and Human Resource Management; Organisational Learning; Work Place Counselling and Career Development; and Organisation Development and Change.

In the Business school he is co-convenor on the Strategic Management and Strategy and Organisational Learning modules.

He is co-author (with Ken Starkey and Paul Dobson) of Strategic Management Issues and Cases published by Blackwells.

Dr Shirley Thomas
Course Leader – MSc Rehabilitation Psychology

Shirley Thomas is a Lecturer in Rehabilitation Psychology in the Institute of Work, Health and Organisations (IWHO). A Chartered Psychologist and Health Psychologist, Shirley is a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the BPS Division of Health Psychology. She received her BSc (Psychology) and PhD degrees from the University of Nottingham.

Following her PhD, Shirley worked as a Research Fellow in the Division of Rehabilitation and Ageing at in the University’s Medical School, and was a Research Tutor on the Trent Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. In 2009 she was appointed as a Lecturer in Rehabilitation Psychology in IWHO.

Shirley’s research expertise is focused on rehabilitation psychology, in particular the psychological components of chronic illness, disability and rehabilitation. She has published widely in internationally renowned journals, as well as written book chapters, particularly on the topic of the assessment and treatment of mood problems after stroke. Shirley is currently leading a multicentre research project, funded by The Stroke Association, evaluating behaviour therapy for low mood in stroke patients with aphasia.

Within the Institute, Shirley is a member of the Education Committee and Research Committee. She is module convenor for the following taught modules: Assessment of Cognitive Function, Clinical Skills and Forensic, Health and Clinical Research Methods. She is also co-ordinator for the Applied Research Project module.

Randip Arack
MSc in Health Promotion and Psychology

“I did a BSc in Health Studies and Social Welfare before taking a year out. I decided to apply to the MSc in Health Promotion and Psychology as it offered a more specialised programme of study aimed at students interested in promoting health and well-being and encouraging individuals to take control of their own health.

The course offers a wide range of modules covering topics such as health behaviours and research methods. It is supported by lectures from guest speakers who come from diverse backgrounds, and these sessions give a new focus or perspective to the course, which helps you keep it fresh and interesting.

The Institute and the University more generally provide a very supportive environment. Communication within the Institute is really good and essay feedback will be readily given if you ask for it, as well as clear guidelines on assignments or exam preparation.

I am conducting my dissertation research at the QMC through the Q Active Project – I am working with NHS staff to examine staff attitude and compliance surrounding the smoking ban on hospital groups. I chose this as it is quite a controversial subject that stirs up very strong feelings – I am gauging people’s attitudes and reactions through the use of open ended questionnaires.

I really love meeting students from different backgrounds who are able to discuss health promotion initiatives in their home countries, and I think this is a great strength of the course.

I am now applying for health promotion specialist work in the NHS and charities and feel that the course has helped to clarify my career aims.

My advice to prospective postgraduates would be to do a lot of background research into your chosen course and department. I found that all the information I needed was available online and gave me a great flavour of what was on offer.”

Yin Yin Zang
MSc Management Psychology (2009)

I chose this course because I felt it would help prepare me for an interesting and well paid career. I became particularly interested in the area when I was working as an intern in a hospital. Many of the staff were experiencing issues and problems related to their health and their work. I wanted to find out how to manage and prevent this. 

I really enjoyed the leadership topic. It was very interesting, especially transformational leadership. In China, we already use many of the methods that we were discussing and it was interesting to be in the UK and to consider how this style can affect an organisation. It is a very philosophical style.

One of the highlights of the course is the chance it gives you to compare business and management styles in different countries and cultures. It gives you an international perspective on management which is valued in the business world. There is a diversity of students in the class which raises many questions and ideas. The whole course was fascinating.

Ruth Seed
MSc Rehabilitation Psychology

Ruth completed her Masters course with distinction in 2009 and now works as an assistant psychologist. Here is what she says:

“I graduated in 2009 and am now working as an assistant psychologist in a residential unit in Liverpool for adults with acquired brain injuries, run by the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust. I work with service users to write behavioural guidelines, six-monthly reviews, and meet with them weekly to discuss their mood, behaviour and goals. I’m currently learning how to conduct neuropsychological testing, something I learnt about from a research perspective in my MSc.

I completed a number of neuropsychology modules as part of my degree and became very interested in brain injuries and their impact on cognitive functioning and everyday life. I had decided to apply for an MSc as I know that they can be valuable when applying for the clinical psychology doctorate. The MSc in Rehabilitation Psychology offered by the University of Nottingham sounded perfect in terms of meeting my interests. It was an area I wanted to specialise in later following the clinical psychology doctorate, and I thought it would be helpful in improving my CV and giving me an edge over other competitors for jobs.

The course provided a strong basis in brain injury, in the many impairments that can present, how these can be rehabilitated, and the importance of sound research methods. It made me read journal articles in a more critical way, it provided an opportunity to conduct meaningful research with clinical populations, and I met people with similar interests to me.

I believe that having an MSc was a significant contributing factor to me getting a job as an assistant psychologist in a brain injury unit. It gave me confidence in the interview because of my solid knowledge base, it provided me with critical analysis skills, and showed that I had a level of specialism above other people without an MSc.

Another reason I applied for this course was that I love living in Nottingham. I completed my first degree at Nottingham University too and it is a fantastic city to live in. It has a great night life and music scene, good shopping and restaurants, and a great student-feel. The lecturers are friendly and approachable and the small size of the Rehab Psychology course creates a friendly atmosphere and an easy environment in which to make friends.”