PSY2407 – Introduction to Personnel Psychology
Course description
Course content
Personnel psychology is increasingly gaining importance in managing human resources in organizations. This course provides an overview of topics occurring in the life cycle of an employment relationship from being hired to leaving the organization.
The course covers topics such as recruiting and selecting employees, managing their performance and rewards, developing employees’ skills and competencies as well as their careers and managing diversity of employees in an organization.
The course combines an individual perspective, for example in building one’s career, and an organizational perspective, for example in developing the competencies of the workforce.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
You should be able to:
- Describe the main theories in the field of personnel psychology
- Understand research results presented in a scientific context
Skills
You should be able to:
- Analyse research results against a theoretical background
- Analyse practical situations against a theoretical background
- Apply theoretical knowledge for solving problems
- Apply theoretical knowledge for making decisions
General competence
You should be able to:
- Apply selected personnel psychology theories in the field
- Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of their application
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
If there are more applicants than available places, the students that has this course as an obligatory course in their education plan will be preferred. Read more here (only in Norwegian)
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Students must have completed a minimum of 10 ECTS in introductory bachelor courses in psychology.
Overlapping courses
- 5 credits overlap with PSY2406 – Introduction to organizational psychology (discontinued).
- 5 credits overlap with PSY2406P.
Teaching
The teaching will consist of activity through seminar and lectures
Mandatory activity in the seminar: Case studies and feedback on case studies in student groups. 4 mandatory case studies must be handed in. The seminars are compulsory and attendance must be at least 5 of 7 times.
Compulsory activities are valid for the 2 next semesters after approval date.
More information about obligatory activities .
Information regarding change of seminar group
Absence from compulsory tuition activities
If you are ill or have another valid reason for being absent from compulsory tuition activities, your absence may be approved or the compulsory activity may be postponed.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
Students will be evaluated on the basis of a 2 week home exam at the end of the course.
Examination support material
All exam support materials are allowed during this exam. Generating all or part of the exam answer using AI tools such as Chat GPT or similar is not allowed.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
If you are sick or have another valid reason for not attending the regular exam, we offer a postponed exam later in the same semester.
See also our information about resitting an exam.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- How to use AI as a student
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.