Study programme

An international programme in English

This programme’s working language is English. This means that English will be used during lectures, for scientific exchange between students and staff. You may opt to use Dutch or English for your thesis and individual assignments. Certain parts of the programme, such as a clinical internship in an institution with Dutch speaking clients or patients, are only available to students who speak Dutch.

Programme outline

The academic year is divided into 4 periods. You will take courses and, at the same time, immediately start (preparations for) your internship and Master’s thesis. This enables you to benefit from the interaction between theory and practice.
You choose between two tracks; 

1. Care for Children, Youth and Parents
2. Care for Children, Youth and Parents: A Transnational Perspective

Below, you will find an outline of courses from the current academic year of this Master's. This outline is meant to give you an idea of what to expect. The course offer may change in the coming academic year.

You will find a description of the courses per track below in the drop-down menu.

Period 1

Every student starts with the core course ‘Critical Analysis of Parenting, Educational and Care issues: an Ecological Systems Approach’.  The track you choose will help you 'personalise' the assignment for the course. 

The Academic Professional course runs throughout all four periods. This module focuses on themes such as scientific and professional integrity, legal aspects, ethical issues and labour market orientation.

Internship / Clinical Skills Lab and Thesis
The internship or Clinical Skills Lab (for Track 2 students) teaches you working skills for your future career. Writing your thesis helps you become competent in conducting independent research. You will do your internship and write your thesis from period 1 to period 4.

Period 2

You will take an elective course and make a choice from the courses offered in cooperation with other master’s programmes in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, or from a broader spectrum of elective courses in or away from the faculty. One of our own elective courses is Diagnostic Registration in which you do three clinical cases regarding diagnostic assessments: you can choose this if you can do a clinical internship that allows you to do diagnostic assessments. The course runs throughout the year.

Students following Track 2 will choose an elective course but will also attend 'Frontiers in Clinical Child, Family and Education Studies: research at Utrecht University and transnational comparisons'. 

Examples of elective courses offered by the faculty:

• Prevention 3.0 (in collaboration with the Master’s programme Youth, Education and Society)
• Developmental Neuropsychology (in collaboration with the Master’s programme Neuropsychology)
• Forensic Psychopathology for Children and Adolescents (in collaboration with the Master’s programme Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology) 
• Interventions in Diverse Contexts (in collaboration with the Master’s programme Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology)

You will continue doing your internship, or the Clinical Skills Lab, writing your thesis and attend the Academic Professional course.

Period 3 

Besides doing your internship, or the Clinical Skills Lab and writing your thesis, you will follow the core course ‘Clinical Professional in Different Contexts'. 

Period 4

You will finish writing your thesis, doing your internship, or the Clinical Skills Lab and attend the last period of the Academic Professional course.