Start with a short course
Our online short courses provide an alternative entry route to this online Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) if:
- you want to get your postgraduate studies started without committing to a full PgDip
- you’ve missed the deadline to apply for the full PgDip, or
- you do not meet the formal PgDip entry requirements.
A way to study for this online PgDip without a degree
Our entry-route short courses are self-evaluating.
This means you do not need to provide formal qualifications to study them. If you believe you’re academically capable, you’re welcome to join a course.
To help you decide if a short course is right for you, check the entry guidance on each course page. It explains the level of teaching involved.
How it works
- Complete at least 30 credits’ worth of short courses that are part of this online PgDip.
- Then apply to transfer to the online PgDip when you’re ready.
By earning 30 credits or more successfully, you’ll have proved you’re capable of learning at this level.
You’ll then be eligible to apply to transfer to the online PgDip, even if you do not hold the formal PgDip entry qualifications.
Buy
Purchase and complete at least 30 credits’ worth of short courses that are part of this online PgDip.
Apply
We’ll contact you during your studies to help you apply to transfer to the online PgDip.
Transfer
Provided the degree coordinator is happy with your performance, and you meet our English language requirements, we can then transfer you.
Get started on the short course route
To start on the entry path to this online PgDip, complete 30 credits’ worth of the following recommended courses.
Some are compulsory courses, others are optional electives that you can use to tailor your qualification to your interests.
Review the full course options for PgDip Psychology in the Workplace before you decide what to study.
All courses are delivered at Masters level. At this level, you’d usually have:
- a 2:2 UK undergraduate degree (or equivalent), or
- relevant experience that supports this level of study.
Courses starting on 22 September 2025
Human Factors in Industrial Practice (15 credits)
Learn to evaluate and improve safety wherever you work, using human factors knowledge to reduce human error and increase productivity.
Buy Human Factors in Industrial Practice
Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace (15 credits)
Investigate how mental health, wellbeing and work are related. Learn to evaluate psychological research, and to improve wellbeing in your workplace.
Buy Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace
Organisational Culture and Conflict (15 credits)
Explore workplace culture and conflict from a psychological perspective.
Buy Organisational Culture and Conflict
Organisational Psychology (15 credits)
Discover how can we use the tools of psychology to improve the working lives of employees and deal with organisational challenges.
Buy Organisational Psychology
The Psychology of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Work (15 credits)
Learn to use organisational psychology to understand and create more equal, diverse and inclusive workplaces.
Buy The Psychology of EDI at Work
The Psychology of Social Bias (15 credits)
Explore social bias from a psychological perspective. Find out how social bias develops and investigate social biases in the workplace and wider society.
Buy The Psychology of Social Bias
The Psychology of Wellbeing (15 credits)
Gain a psychological understanding of our emotions, behaviour and mental health.
Buy The Psychology of WellbeingCourses starting on 26 January 2026
Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace (15 credits)
Investigate how mental health, wellbeing and work are related. Learn to evaluate psychological research, and to improve wellbeing in your workplace.
Buy Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace
Organisational Psychology (15 credits)
Discover how can we use the tools of psychology to improve the working lives of employees and deal with organisational challenges.
Buy Organisational Psychology
Organisational Safety and Risk
Explore organisational safety and risk management from a psychological perspective.
Buy Organisational Safety and Risk
Safety Critical Skills in Industry (15 credits)
Safety critical skills, also known as non-technical skills, make work safer and more efficient. Learn how to identify, assess and improve these skills in your industry.
Buy Safety Critical Skills in Industry
The Psychology of Social Bias (15 credits)
Explore social bias from a psychological perspective. Find out how social bias develops and investigate social biases in the workplace and wider society.
Buy The Psychology of Social Bias
The Psychology of Wellbeing (15 credits)
Gain a psychological understanding of our emotions, behaviour and mental health.
Buy The Psychology of WellbeingPurchasing your courses
To join a course, apply via the course page and follow the application and checkout process.
Courses are available to purchase until one week after their start date, but we encourage you to purchase your courses as early as possible to ensure a smooth start to your studies.
Study at your own pace
We estimate that each 15-credit course is around 10 – 15 study hours per week.
If you’re planning to study part-time, especially if you’re studying around full-time work, we recommend taking a maximum of 30 credits per term.
You’re welcome to go at a slower pace and begin with one 15-credit course. But you cannot transfer to the PgDip until you have 30 credits from courses that are part of the online PgDip.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to the most common questions we receive about our short course routes.
If your question is not answered here, we’re here to help. Get in touch.
Yes, absolutely.
You can choose to take one or two of these 15-credit courses each term.
- 15 credits is around 10 – 15 study hours per week.
- 30 credits is around 20 – 30 study hours per week.
Because our degrees and awards are flexible, you can also take study breaks between courses.
You’ll be eligible to apply to transfer to the online PgDip when you:
- pass 30 credits’ worth of short courses from this PgDip successfully
- receive your official passing grades for these courses, and
- meet this PgDip’s English language requirements if English is not your first language.
If you fulfil these requirements, you can apply to transfer. The programme coordinator makes the final decision on PgDip transfers.
We’ll contact you during your studies to ask if you’re interested in transferring.
You can then apply to transfer, and we’ll process your transfer once you meet the eligibility criteria.
We’ll support you through the process, providing all the information you need along the way.
If you’re taking the short course route, you do not need to apply for the PgDip separately via our Applicant Portal. Instead, we’ll fast-track you into the online PgDip, providing you meet the eligibility criteria.
If you fail your first attempt at a short course, you’ll be offered one chance to resit the course assessment.
If you fail this resit, you cannot take the course again.
We would then be able to advise you as to your options – you may still be able to qualify with a postgraduate qualification in a different specialism.
No. Once you’ve completed your entry-route short courses, you will not need to study them again when you transfer to the online PgDip.
The credits you have completed will count towards your PgDip.
Once you’ve transferred to the PgDip, you will not need to pay for the courses you have already studied. Your PgDip fee will be adjusted to deduct the cost of the courses you have already paid for.
A pay-as-you-go PgDip
We never charge the full fee for an online PgCert, PgDip or Masters degree upfront. Instead, we charge for our postgraduate qualifications one term at a time, so you can spread the cost.
How pay-as-you-go works
Each term, you decide how many courses you’d like to take. Then you pay for these courses just before term starts. This gives you control over your fees and your workload, term by term.
Each of these 15-credit courses requires around 10 – 15 study hours per week.
This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes. This includes time for independent study, as well as teaching and assessments.
You’ll find more detailed and course-specific study hours on each of our online course pages.
Studying around work?
If you’re planning to study part-time, especially if you’re studying around full-time work, we recommend taking a maximum of 30 credits per term.
If you’ve already submitted an application for this PgDip, please:
- email our Postgraduate Admissions team with your applicant number and ask them to cancel your PgDip application
- then purchase and join your chosen short course(s).