Testimonials

Alumna Loes Hermelink shares her experiences as a Master's student and talks about her current job.

Alumnus Ruben Asselbergs shares his experiences as a pre-Master's and Master's student

Jasmine: 'Overall, this course has taught me a lot about how to put the child’s best interests at heart'

"Through this Master’s I have learned a lot about how the different aspects of a child’s environment can impact a child’s life, from even before birth. As a student, I was able to visit a number of professionals working in the field, which meant I could gain insight into a multitude of careers involved in helping children and their families. On top of this, one of the classes required me to visit a family in a home observation and interview task, which I feel aided in the practical development of me as a professional. These practical experiences were also well complimented by the more theoretical courses of the programme, such as the classes on ethics when working with children and families, as well as how to self-reflect as a professional. The majority of my learning experience throughout this year was a result of my thesis on the relationship between working memory and mathematical achievement. In particular because I was able to collect my own data by working with children in a primary school. The experience in a school environment has helped to guide me into a job in this area. Overall, this course has taught me a lot about how to put the child’s best interests at heart, and it is this message that I hope to carry with me into the workforce."

Jasmine Taylor
Alumna 2017/2018

Simone: 'I wrote my Master's thesis on depression; a subject that has intrigued me for years.'

"During my Master's I got the chance to discover new sides and interests of myself. You can choose between different elective courses. I chose courses in forensic psychology, a topic which really suited me although I would not necessarily have predicted this beforehand. You also get a lot of room to develop and specialise in the areas that interest you the most. I specialised by writing my Master's thesis on depression; a subject that has intrigued me for years. Lecturers gave me the freedom to conduct and organise my thesis the way I wanted it. Because of this, I no longer felt like a starting student, I felt like an equal colleague for the first time. What I value the most about this programme is that it's so much more than just learning monotonous study material by heart and sitting in a lecture hall for hours. You can gain a lot of experience in practice, and not only through an internship: some courses are also aimed at developing both academic and clinical skills. Because of this, I now feel competent to start working as an 'orthopedagoog’: a professional in the field of Clinical Child, Family and Education Studies."

Simone Sormani
Alumna 2017/2018

Shruthi: 'I travelled to India to complete a 3-week internship, working with special needs students.'

"As an international student I did my internship at the Clinical Skills Lab. We got the opportunity to meet a number of educational psychologists and clinical practitioners around the country. I also travelled to India to complete a 3-week internship, working with special needs students. This experience provided me with great insights: it taught me the practical and theoretical skills required to work with children and their families. Furthermore, the courses and electives offered a wide range of theoretical information: from psychological perspectives to different disorders. We learned how disorders can affect children at an individual level but also the societal impact they may have. My time at Utrecht University and completing the Master's programme has definitely been the highlight of my year!"

Shruthi Krishna Pillai
Alumna, 2017/2018