Thinking about going back to study as a business psychology postgraduate? Doing so could be the key to advancing your career and enhancing your practice – as current UQ student Kelly Rae has discovered.
Kelly, who hails from the Baranbinja tribe of northern NSW, has almost completed her Master of Business Psychology. And she’s already seeing the impact of her learnings in her day-to-day work. With new strategies and boosted confidence, she’s more effectively helping people in her community. Plus, by branching out from pure psychology into business psychology, she’s discovering career opportunities beyond the classic clinical settings.
We asked Kelly to shed some light on what it’s like to return to study, including why she chose UQ, her favourite business psychology postgraduate courses, and her advice for future postgrads.
There were quite a few subjects that had great a-ha moments during the semester because they filled a gap in something I had already applied. I felt like this was exactly the finesse I’d been looking for.
What inspired you to become a business psychology postgraduate?
Kelly: I enrolled in psychology with an interest to better understand people – and myself. I hadn’t intended for it to be a career choice, but psychology content is applicable in so many ways that it permeated the lens I was using in the workplace without me even realising it until years later.
I was motivated to continue to postgrad study because I was working in organisational development and wanted to be ‘technically’ better at what I was delivering to really make impactful change.
What was your path to studying the Master of Business Psychology?
Kelly: Partway through my dual Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science, I found I was really good at the psychology subjects over the science subjects. So, I wrapped up an extended major in psychology. I did this part time over a number of years around work and life. I continued on to complete an honours degree in psychology, as I worked in change management and organisational development.
“It was then a natural progression to complete a master’s degree. As I’m already working in the field, I was pleased that choosing the Master of Business Psychology meant I could reduce my studies by a semester (no thesis) and obtain the technical knowledge I was seeking.”
Why did you choose UQ for your master’s degree?
Kelly: I completed my undergrad studies at UQ, it’s a great campus, there are great lecturers who are really specialist in what they do, and UQ has a great reputation in the field of psychology.
How has the Master of Business Psychology helped you achieve your career goals and find success in your field?
Kelly: I loved that at the end of a semester, having learnt new skills, I could take those skills into my workplace and apply them. I feel this really helped embed some of the learning. It's been rewarding for me to be in a role where I get to work across a breadth of organisational development topics and projects.
For many students like Kelly, postgraduate study means thriving and advancing further in their current career. For others, it leads to transitioning into a new line of work. Either way, you’ll be glad to know that UQ postgraduates experience an average pay rise of 36% within 3 years of graduating.
*Based on median salaries reported by domestic postgraduate coursework graduates employed full time and surveyed between 2022 and 2024 in the Graduate Outcomes Survey by Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT).
Which business psychology postgraduate courses and teachers helped you the most?
Kelly: There were quite a few subjects that had great a-ha moments during the semester because they filled a gap in something I had already applied. I felt like this was exactly the finesse I’d been looking for. Examples include:
- Advanced Organisational Psychology with Associate Professor Kirsten Way
- Job & Organisational Design with Professor Andrew Neal
- Principles of Strategic Management with Dr Rosie Gallagher.
How did returning to study impact your routine, and what did you do to prepare for this change?
Kelly: I learnt through undergraduate study that 2 subjects per semester was manageable for me around work, albeit with a few weeks in there that are all work/study and no social life. So, I made that plan each year, kept busy during semester, and then spent the breaks making up social and family time.
I wouldn’t say I prepared too much, but I do aim to eat well, sleep well and keep an exercise routine. This way, when I get to the weeks that feel like chaos, I can mentally and physically weather that for a period of time. Then I return to the routine when I can to get through the workload… then lots of downtime over Christmas!
What did your average day look like as a business psychology postgraduate student?
Kelly: I worked full time, so a day at the office, readings or group meetings, assignments on the weekends. Thankfully, this program offered some subjects in condensed form (i.e. a whole day of lectures every 3 weeks), so some semesters were spaced out like that rather than a weekly evening lecture. It changed every semester depending on subject choice and class availability time.
Condensed subjects and evening lectures are just a couple of the ways many of our postgrad programs offer flexible study options. For example, the Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology is offered entirely online, so you could complete this degree from home before deciding to proceed with the full master’s program.
And what does your average workday look like now?
Kelly: Gosh, I’m not sure there’s such a thing as an average day! Teamwork, bouncing ideas, stakeholder engagement, research and design, balancing risks and cost…
“I’m a really curious person, so what I find most interesting is working on each new challenge like a puzzle that has pieces that go together and we work to get a good fit.”
What advice would you give someone considering postgraduate study in business psychology?
Kelly: Know enough about yourself so you know what you need to balance life, work, study and social commitments – then put the things in place that you need to support yourself. I see many students over-commit and do themselves a disservice trying to keep everything going. Otherwise, in the words of Nike, just do it! If it's in your heart, the reward is already there.
How can you study a business psychology postgraduate degree at UQ?
Along with the Master of Business Psychology, UQ also offers a Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology (available to study online). Other related programs you might consider include the Master of Organisational Psychology, Master of Clinical Psychology and Master of Counselling.
Not sure if you’re prepared to go back to study? Download our guide to getting postgrad-ready in 6 months.
