Certificate in Business Psychology

Study psychology and study business, by distance education, to learn how to manage staff, clients and colleagues in a business environment for success in business.

Course Code: VPS017
Fee Code: CT
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 600 hours
Qualification
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STUDY BUSINESS PSYCHOLOGY ONLINE


Become a leading Business Coach, Entrepreneur, Inspirational Manager Successful Business Owner, Human Resource Manager...
 
Business Psychology examines the relationship between people and work. And provides insights into how to improve the performance and well-being of the workers, and enhance the overall operations of the business.
 
Businesses are going through continuous improvements, and in the current global financial situation businesses have been forced to re-evaluate existing structures, procedures, work culture etc. People with business psychology knowledge and skills are an incredibly valuable asset to ensure the ongoing success of a business... Become one of these people by enrolling now!

Modules

Core ModulesThese modules provide foundation knowledge for the Certificate in Business Psychology.
 Industrial Psychology BPS103
 Marketing Psychology BPS107
 Business Coaching BBS304
 
Elective ModulesIn addition to the core modules, students study any 3 of the following 9 modules.
 Industry Project I BIP000
 Leadership BBS110
 Motivation VBS111
 Stress Management VPS100
 Careers Counselling BPS202
 Conflict Management BPS201
 Entrepreneurship BBS204
 Ethics BPS217
 Business Planning BBS302
 

Note that each module in the Certificate in Business Psychology is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.


WHAT DOES BUSINESS COACHING INVOLVE?


The business coaching process has to start with an assessment of the business’ or individual’s current challenges and potential and looks at the priorities for action and looking for desired outcomes. This provides the business coach with information on how to create coaching goals and strategies to support the client and a method to evaluate their progress. 

In later sessions, the coach will provide other resources to supplement the coaching process, such as

  • checklists
  • assessments
  • articles
  • management models

Business coaching derives much of its methodology from management, behavioural sciences and psychology. Firstly we’ll look at some of the underlying models of business coaching. 

Cognitive behaviour therapy is one approach where the client is first helped to identify which behaviours are resulting in, or maintaining their problems or lacks, then to identify behavioural strategies for addressing those behaviours. The focus is on self-motivated behaviour change. To work, it requires that the client understands where their own behaviours have been harmful or a hindrance to their wellbeing or progress.

Our beliefs and attitudes about situations in life are often our biggest obstacle in obtaining emotional stability and making productive life choices. Coaching focuses on increasing a client’s awareness of the attitudes and beliefs that limit them. The cognitive behavioural approach is the preferred method of many coaches. The cognitive behavioural approach looks at the client’s current behaviour and asks them to consider:

How is my current attitude or belief working counter-productively for me? 

How might changing this be of benefit to me?                                 

The cognitive-behavioural approach focuses on difficulties which are present right now, and depends upon the client and the therapist developing a common view on the individual’s problem. Then the life coach develops strategies to help the client. These strategies are continuously monitored and re evaluated.

The approach can be used to help anyone irrespective of cultural, gender and abilities.

So how can this approach help when related to business? There are a number of ways, consider these examples –

  • A business man who thinks he can’t succeed with his new business because his previous business failed.
  • A business woman who won’t try new areas in her business because she is worried they won’t work.
  • A business man who is always talking himself down in front of others.
  • A business woman who thinks she can’t cope with her work life balance.

All of these examples could be helped to think in a more positive way about what they hope to achieve.

A goal-centred approach focuses on identifying and clarifying the client’s goals, prioritising them, and then devising strategies for achieving them. This includes breaking larger goals into smaller ones, which are more easily achieved and then monitoring results. The focus is on establishment of clear, realistic goals. Then the coach will support the client to achieve some or all of the goals. To work, this approach requires the client’s full commitment to achieving the priorities, and his/her understanding of the realities within which the goals must be achieved, such as the person’s skills etc.

A goal centred approach works well for individuals who get discouraged by imagining their ultimate aim to be too big to achieve, which then leads to them giving up. For such individuals a goal centred approach will be more productive.

This approach can be very effective for business coaching in encourage clients to set goals and consider ways to achieve them.

Another variation of this is a reality-based approach, which focuses on identifying the client’s current reality (what their situation really is, and what they really are and do), and comparing it to the client’s desired reality (what they want their situation to be and who they really want to be). Then, the client is helped to identify strengths and potentials within the current reality that can be developed to move towards a realistic desired reality. The focus is on understanding and accepting what is as a starting point for future action. To work, this approach requires that the client let go of illusions, take a realistic perspective and become fully involved in the present as a basis for movement into the future.

A motivational approach focuses in boosting the person’s self-esteem, overcoming self-doubt and fear of failure. Here, the client’s emotions and attitudes are the key factors, and the achievement of goals is a means to change negative attitudes into positive attitudes. To work, this approach requires the client’s willingness to let go of self-defeating attitudes.

Note that none of these approaches involves psychotherapy, attempting to deal with a client’s existing emotional issues or past issues, which require much deeper counselling and psychological skills. You would refer a client to a counsellor or a psychologist for these.

As we said previously, a client may come to a business coach for support to change how their business works or for how they as an individual work, so the best method, will depend on what they are hoping to achieve. A business coach will often use a range of methods when working with a client.

Coaching follows a particular process through which the coach will work with their client. Consider the stages of the coaching process. 
 
SUPPLEMENTARY READING

The school's bookshop is publishing a new e book every few weeks, providing our students with a reliable and up to date source of supplementary reading material.
 
At a time when many publishers are suffering, bookshops are closing and less printed books are being published; we believe it is important to ensure students can get books that they are referred to by their tutors, and the only real way to ensure this is to have our staff write and publish the titles.
In addition, these books are written with the courses in mind; and as such are more in line with your needs as a student.
 
Visit the bookshop at www.acsebook.com




Why You Should Study This Course

This course is a little different to your typical business qualification. Instead of focusing on operations, sales and marketing it leans more towards understanding employees and the behaviour of business users. The course is ideal for people who want to have some different insights which can be applied in the workplace to enhance employee morale and business productivity.  Graduates will have knowledge and skills which mark them out from other potential employees and make them attractive to employers.

The course is designed to be of benefit to people working in or aspiring to work in:

  • Management
  • Personnel management
  • Human resources
  • Business ownership   
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Occupational psychology
  • Business coaching

 

STILL NOT SURE? SPEAK WITH AN EXPERT

CLICK HERE FOR EXPERT HELP AND ADVICE


How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

Simply click on the ENROL OPTIONS button at the top of this screen and follow the prompts.

You can see the course price at the top of this page. Click 'enrolment options' to see any payment options available.

You can pay by Credit Card, PayPal, Afterpay or bank transfer.

Yes! We have payment plans for most courses. Click 'enrolment options' to see the available payment plans.
We also have Afterpay that will allow you to pay for your course or payment plans in four instalments (if you are in Australia).


What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course is aimed at providing you with a solid understanding in your selected discipline. It has been designed to take 600 hours, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and more. When you complete the course, will have a good understanding of the area/ industry you want to work in.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exams (6 exams) and you will be able receive your course certificate- a Certificate. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

Yes, our courses are built to be applicable for people living anywhere in any situation. We provide the fundamentals, and each student can apply their own unique flair for their own interests, region and circumstances with the one-on-one guidance of a tutor. There is also a bit of student directed research involved.

Employers value candidates with industry skills, knowledge, practical skills and formal learning. Our courses arm you with all of these things to help prepare you for a job or start your own business. The longer you study the more you will learn.

ACS has an arrangement with OAMPS (formerly AMP) who can arrange Professional Indemnity from Australian and New Zealand graduates across all disciplines. Ph: 1800 222 012 or email acs@oamps.com.au.


Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
We are focused on developing innovative courses that are relevant to you now and what you will need to know in the future.
We are focused on helping you learn and make the most of your experience.
You can enrol at any time, you can work on your course when it suits you and at your own pace.
We are connected to many industry bodies and our staff participate in continuous improvement and learning activities to ensure that we are ahead of what learning is needed for the future.

Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

Our courses are written by our staff, who all have many years experience and have qualifications in their speciality area. We have lots of academic staff who write and update our courses regularly.


How do I enrol my staff/ sponsored students?

Yes, you can do a request for a bulk enrolment and request an invoice on our Invoice Request Form

We can prepare an invoice, quote or proforma invoice. Simply complete your details on our Invoice Request form

We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

Yes, we have many students who are in locked facilities, such as prisons or hospitals. We can cater by also offering paper notes at an additional cost.


What if I have any more questions or need more information?

We can assist you to find the right course for your needs. Get in touch with us via email (admin@acs.edu.au) call on +61 7 5562 1088 or complete our course advice form.


What if I change my mind?

Please get in touch with studentservices@acs.edu.au if you would like to be removed from our mail list.

If you would like ACS Distance Education to delete your information at any time (whether you are a customer or a prospective customer), please contact our privacy officer and we will process this ( admin@acs.edu.au ).

If students require a reproduction of their certificate, an electronic copy can be provided at a cost of AUD$35 incl GST. Printed copies are not available.




Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Lyn Quirk

M.Prof.Ed.; Adv.Dip.Compl.Med (Naturopathy); Adv.Dip.Sports Therapy
Over 30 years as Health Club Manager, Fitness Professional, Teacher, Coach and Business manager in health, fitness and leisure industries. As business owner and former department head for TAFE, she brings a wealth of skills and experience to her role as a tutor for ACS.

Kate Gibson

Kate has 12 years experience as a marketing advisor and experience as a project manager. Kate has traveled and worked in a variety of locations including London, New Zealand and Australia. Kate has a B.Soc.Sc, Post-Grad. Dip. Org Behaviour (HR).

Tracey Jones (Psychologist)

B.Sc. (Psych), M.Soc.Sc., Dip.Social Work, P.G.Dip Learning Disability, Cert Editing, Cert Creative Writing, PGCE.
Member British Psychological Society, Member Assoc. for Coaching, Member British Learning Assoc.
25 years industry experience in writing, editing, education, psychology, and business. Tracey has several books and hundreds of articles published; in both fiction and non fiction.





Tutors

Meet some of the tutors that guide the students through this course.

Julia Mayo-Ramsay

Dr Julia Mayo-Ramsay is a practicing environmental and agricultural lawyer. She holds a PhD in International Environmental Law, LLM, BLJS, GDLP, LLM (Environmental Law) and a Master of Applied Science (Agriculture).
Julia started out in agriculture working on various dairy farms in the 1980s before working as dairy manager / tutor at Hawkesbury Agricultural College Richmond NSW. Julia then went on to work at Riverina Artificial Breeders at Tabletop (Albury) NSW as an embryo transfer technician assisting vets with artificial breeding and embryo transfer in cattle, sheep and deer. This was followed by two years as a herd manager for a very large commercial dairy herd milking 3,000 cows over three dairies on the outskirts of Sydney before heading overseas. In 1994 Julia accepted a position in NE Thailand at the Sakhon Nakhon Institute of Technology (now a University) training farmers and students in cattle breeding and dairy farm management. On returning to Australia in late 1996 Julia completed a Master of Applied Science in Agriculture at Hawkesbury Agricultural College (UWS) as well as law degrees and maritime studies. Julia now works as a Lawyer in the area of environmental and rural law.
Currently Julia teaches a variety of maritime subjects for Marine Rescue NSW.
As well as teaching Julia is working on a number of environmental research projects.

Lyn Quirk

Lyn has 35 years of experience in the Fitness, Health and Leisure Industries. She has a string of qualifications that are far too long to list here; being qualified and registered to teach, coach or instruct a wide range of different sports and other skills.

Lyn established and managed Health clubs at three major five star resorts on Australia's Gold Coast, including The Marriott. She was a department head for a large government vocational college (TAFE), and has conducted her own aquafitness business for many years. Lyn has among her other commitments worked as a tutor for ACS for almost 10 years, and over that time, participated in the development or upgrading of most courses in her fields of expertise.

Jade Sciascia

Former Business Coordinator, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Secondary School teacher (Biology); Administrator (Recruitment), Senior Supervisor (Youth Welfare). International Business Manager for IARC. Academic officer and writer with ACS for over 10 years, both in Australia and in the UK.

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