Master courses of the professorship

The Chair of Occupational and Environmental Psychology plays a central role in the Master's degree programme in Psychology with a focus on work, environment and health. The working group covers three of the (total of nine) main subject lectures, and the respective modules are supplemented by in-depth seminars.

Module AN.3 Occupational Psychology (summer semester)
The Occupational Psychology lecture builds on the basic knowledge and subject-specific content from the Bachelor's degree programme and establishes links to the topics of technology and the environment. The heterogeneity of the students with regard to their previous knowledge is addressed by means of short repetitions and the targeted use of or recommendations for basic literature. This is followed by an in-depth examination of the central theories and findings of occupational psychology. Topics covered include workplace design and Work 4.0 / digitalised work, job satisfaction and motivation, stress and resources as well as consequences for health and well-being. In fields of action such as risk assessment of mental stress (in accordance with Section 5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act), occupational health management and personnel and organisational development, we deal with typical interventions and their evidence. This provides insights into labour market perspectives and fields of activity.

In the specialisation seminar in occupational psychology , students deal with the content in practice, acquire skills and design applications and interventions themselves. Advanced knowledge of strategic planning, operational implementation and evaluation of occupational psychology measures is taught. Specific content includes Identification of needs, methods and instruments of personnel development, motivation to participate in training and transfer assurance, requirements for personnel developers* and specific evaluation procedures. In the second half of the semester, the newly acquired knowledge is deepened and applied by the participants designing and implementing a training module. The seminar is rounded off with a critical discussion of the various conceptualised measures against the background of current scientific findings.

Module AN.4 Environmental psychology (summer semester)
The environmental psychology lecture deals with the relevant theories, models and methods of environmental psychology. The two central perspectives - the influence of humans on the environment and the influence of the environment on humans - are examined in a structured way at the individual, organisational and societal levels. Sustainability, environmental hazards and crisis management, environmental protection, environmental conflicts and mediation are thematically focussed. Practical examples (e.g. approaches from positive psychology and gamification) are used to illustrate psychological scope for action and possible interventions at the various levels, cross-connections to other areas of application in psychology and professional perspectives.

The in-depth seminar on environmental psychology picks up on selected models and empirical results from the lecture. The focus is on the practical development of approaches to training, intervention and behavioural change. Students are taught key basic skills in negotiation, conflict management and environmental mediation in practice and deepened in simulations. A block seminar concept is used here, which results in positive effects such as, in particular, staggered knowledge transfer, more comprehensive practice opportunities and practical simulations.

Module AN.5 Human-Technology Interaction (winter semester)
The lecture Introduction to Human-Technology Interaction teaches the basics of the human-centred design process, including the central concepts, models and standards (e.g. ISO 9241-210). The central methods - from checklists and guidelines to qualitative inspection methods, focus groups and expert evaluation through to standardised procedures and behavioural observation - are illustrated using practical examples and useful combinations of methods are worked out. Central topics of digitalisation and automation (e.g. artificial intelligence, user experience, trust in digital systems) are part of the course and build a bridge to related fields from occupational psychology, design, computer science and business informatics as well as security technology. The lecture also illustrates the professional field and career prospects as well as future developments and the role of psychology.

The in-depth seminar Applications of Human-Technology Interaction takes up the contents of the lecture in a practical way: Students present failures and best practices in human-centred design as part of short presentations that delve deeper into the topic and discuss consequences from the perspective of the user and the organisation. They apply evaluation methods during the seminar and practise them in depth in the context of selected areas of application. As part of the module, the necessary basics for the basic certification "Certified Professional for Usability and User Experience" (CPUX) are dealt with and interested parties are given information on acquiring this additional qualification.