Course start dates:
There are six start dates every academic year, providing maximum flexibility for our students;
January | March | May | July | September | November
Fees
Course fee: £4,080
More information on fees, scholarships and funding can be found below.
Course overview
Foster a positive workplace culture that’s built for success
At a time when it’s needed most, discover how to create better working environments and relationships across a wide range of industries. Become a catalyst for an organisational working culture that promotes kindness and enables employees to flourish and succeed. Delivered 100% online in as little as 8 months, this first of its kind PG Cert course evaluates the different approaches of kindness and wellbeing from an interdisciplinary and contemporary perspective.
You’ll learn from leading academics from both the renowned School of Psychology and the Business School, ranked 13th and joint 14th the UK respectively (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022). The course also draws on expertise from the Sussex Kindness Research network. Using real world case-studies including those of your peers and your own professional experiences, you’ll critically evaluate the origins of kindness and its links with wellbeing.
Upon completion of the course, you’ll be equipped to mitigate common workplace challenges that undermine staff wellbeing, such as occupational stress and toxic leadership, and will be inspired to create a better working environment for yourself and others.
Study online at the University of Sussex
In this video, you’ll meet some of our inspiring online students and learn more about their distance learning experience, as well as the student support they’ve received throughout their postgraduate studies.
Read the transcript
Why did I choose the University of Sussex? I think because they offered a programme that was number one part-time, and number two online. And it was just easy to balance with my job and other commitments I have.
The faculty have been extremely accommodating given the way the course is structured on a very flexible basis. People are not necessarily flowing from one module automatically to the next.
What I’ve really felt on this online course is that the learning materials are such a high quality. They prepare kind of really consumable content for us on what we should be learning.
The course is flexible in the way it allows you to study. So, I have control of when I can do certain things. If, for example at work I have lots of deadlines coming up I could block out a module and then rejoin it in the next module.
A couple of the anxieties I had before I started the course was how does it all work? But it was all very simple. Within the first week you go on there it’s all very easy to use and navigate Any questions I have had I was able to ask the Student Success team and they get back to you very promptly.
The flexibility of having an app having a website having all the materials you need just makes life a lot easier.
Different methods of learning definitely helped I found that podcast for me were really helpful to get the information in.
I found it great if I’m watching videos and lectures to be able to fast forward them pause them rewind them.
The reading list has actually been something that I’ve really enjoyed because I was a bit kind of worried about not being not having access to the library but the reading list has been carefully like selected and it’s so easy to get onto the books and also for me it’s been great because you can download them as PDFs.
So, people connected really well. We did lots of sharing online and actually we feel really connected so there’s lots of people that I met on the course that I’ll now stay in touch with.
I think it’s really great that the cohort is international for the online course. So I’ve made amazing professional connections with people working in Canada, Asia, all over Europe, as well as all over the UK.
I’d like to end up working in the field. I’m going to take my time now I’ve finished the course and again make sure I end up somewhere I really want to. I think the most important thing for me would be somewhere I feel like I’m actually making a difference for the future
Make a real impact in your workplace
By choosing to study our online Psychology of Kindness and Wellbeing at Work PG Cert, you’ll develop the skills required to bring about real change regarding wellbeing and kindness, nurturing positive organisational cultures and making a genuine impact in the workplace. You will also:
- gain in depth knowledge of kindness interventions and develop the transferable skills
- make effective contributions to organisational wellbeing across a variety of roles and industries
- join a course that is one of the first of its kind in the world, drawing on a breadth of expertise across the School of Psychology and the Business School
- study at a university that is ranked 13th in the UK for Psychology & 14th (joint) for Business*
- study with an EQUIS & AMBA accredited Business School – The most trusted accreditations for business schools globally.
- complete the course in just 8 months or a maximum of 20 months should you wish to take a break in studying (maximum break times apply)
- engage in collaborative group work with other professionals on the course
- make invaluable and global connections with professionals across Sussex’s diverse learning community from over 100 countries
- study anywhere and at any time
* Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2022
As a graduate of this course, you’ll be equipped with the understanding and skills to bring about positive change in the workplace and enable you to apply what you learn both professionally and personally. Using real world case studies and ground-breaking research from a range of disciplines, you’ll be able to apply your developed skillset to a wide variety of roles and industries, on a local or global scale.
This course is for professionals working in roles directly responsible for staff wellbeing, such as public sector workers, or those looking to raise awareness of wellbeing to bring about organisational change, e.g. HR and training staff. Recent graduates from all disciplines seeking management roles will also find value in this PG Cert, alongside community leaders and volunteers working directly with members of the public.
Upon completion of the course, you’ll gain the confidence to critically review and assess your current workplace and its practices, leading change from within – asking questions and not just complying – and, ultimately, making your workplace a kinder place.
Each module lasts seven weeks and is delivered via Canvas, a state-of-the-art online learning platform, which can be accessed by a computer, tablet or smartphone alike so you can truly study whenever and wherever you like. You can take control of your schedule by fitting the recommended 20 hours study time per week around your existing commitments and lifestyle.
In order to graduate the course, all of the below modules must be successfully completed:
- Conceptual perspectives on kindness and wellbeing
- Kindness and wellbeing: Methodological perspectives
- Kindness and wellbeing in professional contexts
- Interventions to promote kindness and wellbeing
The PG Cert can be completed in a minimum of 8 months or a maximum of 20 months if you choose to take a break from study.
The course uses multiple assessments methods to assess students’ knowledge, competence development and engagement through individual and groupwork exercises, such as written reports, simulations, essays, project reports, MCQs, and portfolios. An indication for the likely assessment methods of this module is given, though this may be subject to change.
Course Director: Psychology of Kindness and Wellbeing at Work
Rona is a Positive Psychologist: a lecturer in higher education, researcher, practitioner, and author in Applied Positive Psychology. Rona’s key research interests are: Positive Psychology, Positive Work and Organisational Psychology, Mindfulness and Economic Psychology. She has also developed and delivered several training programmes, which incorporate Positive Psychology interventions, tailored for occupational settings, including Stress Management, Resilience Building, Occupational Wellbeing, and Mindfulness.
Head of the School of Psychology
Overarching mentorship and support will be provided by Professor Robin Banerjee, Head of the School of Psychology, and founder of the Sussex Kindness Research interdisciplinary network. Robin also directs the Children’s Relationships, Emotions, and Social Skills (CRESS) research lab. CRESS projects investigate children’s social and emotional development and involve close working partnerships with practitioners and policymakers in the areas of education and mental health.
Senior Lecturer
During my PhD studies at the University of British Columbia, inspired by this relationship with the hot dog lady, I started studying interactions with weak ties. My work since then has focused on the benefits of minimal social interactions with weak ties and strangers, and the barriers that prevent people from connecting. After completing my PhD, I worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Cambridge before taking on a lectureship at the University of Essex. I started my role as Senior Lecturer in the Psychology of Kindness at the University of Sussex in 2022.
Lecturer
I joined the School of Psychology in 2022 having spent six years as a Lecturer at the University of Chichester. My research and teaching primarily focuses on social psychology, leadership, group dynamics, and qualitative research methods. In particular, I am interested in how leaders inspire followers, how leaders work with talented but problematic individuals, how leaders can create positive group culture, and social identity processes.
Joh Foster
Visiting Lecturer
Joh is a lecturer with experience as an Organisational Psychologist and a Change Specialist working within the retail sector. They are a member of the British Psychological Society (Division of Occupational Psychology) and Committee member for Work-Life Balance, Health & Wellbeing. Joh is also a Co-founder of Centre for Psychology at Work.
A second-class (2:2) undergraduate honours degree or above from any UK university or international equivalent. You could also be considered for entry to this course with relevant professional experience and may be required to submit a portfolio of work as part of your application.
English Language requirements also apply, see below for further detail.
Applicants whose first language is not English (and whose first degree was not taught in English) need to supply evidence of IELTS (Academic) High level (6.5 overall, including at least 6.0 in each component).
Course fee: £4,080
Cost per module: £1,020
Fees can be paid on a module-by-module basis, or as a single fee at the start of the course. You may also consider corporate sponsorship and employer funding. Our Admissions Team will be able to assist you with next steps for this method of payment.
Please visit our fees and funding page for more information on funding for Masters students.
Alumni discount; receive 20% discount on your online course
If you have previously studied at the University of Sussex and are an alumnus of any undergraduate or Masters degree or PhD you will be eligible* for a 20% discount on fees on all our online Masters level courses.
Find out more about the alumni discount and eligibility criteria.
*T&C’s apply
Student testimonial video
Meet some of our inspiring learners, hear their reasons for choosing the Psychology of Kindness course at Sussex, and find out how they fit online learning into their busy lives.
Read the transcript
I did quite a lot of research in all the different courses that were available and I wanted an applied Wellbeing course so the fact that it was Wellbeing and Kindness at Work was really important to me and online made it pretty much the first choice because it’s the only way I could fit it in with coaching, training, family, and everything else that we have to juggle.
I think it’s the course of the here and now because it’s what we want to we all want to be able to take care of our wellbeing. So the online experience has been great. Its’s quite overwhelming at first getting to grips with all the different technology that you have to learn but once you know it it’s amazing because you can work, you know, use the tools while you’re at home. I can use the app while I’m on the move so you you can have these little snippets of, I guess, like bite-size learning as it fits into your day.
So people connected really well. We did lots of sharing online, going across the group and sharing our personal experiences of kindness at work, and actually we feel really connected so there’s lots of people that I met on the course that I’ll now stay in touch with.
I think the best thing about the Psychology of Kindness course is that it makes you more aware of kindness. It raises your awareness for yourself, for other people and then those at work and I think it just reminds us that actually we can all be a little bit kinder day to day.
"I missed the opportunity to complete a Masters in my previous career and had always hoped to do one, one day. I have a lot of commitments at home with family and running a business, this format suits both my lifestyle and my choice of subject."
Liana Naylor –UK-based Sussex Online Student