Study Programme

If you are interested in research, then you can write your thesis at a research institute like TNO or the university. But if you’re more interested in a hands-on job, then you can do an internship at a design- or usability bureau.

Programme outline

Learn to apply knowledge of cognition and behaviour

You will learn how to formulate and solve practical problems in a scientific manner by attending courses, doing an internship and writing a Master’s thesis.

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

Courses

You will study a variety of phenomena, such as:

• human decision-making
• signal detection theory
• ergonomics
• information theory
• research in a commercial setting
• visual ergonomics for advertising

You will also attend lectures by external speakers from the professional field (including alumni), and you will complete relevant assignments.

Academic Professional module
Over the course of the year, you will also work on the Academic Professional module, which deals with issues such as:

• scientific and professional integrity
• ethics
• working in multi-disciplinary teams
• career orientation
• life-long learning

Internship

In order to become acquainted with the profession or to acquire relevant skills, you will conduct an internship. The internship may be completed internally at Utrecht University, for example:

• as part of one of the research projects at the Helmholtz Institute

Or you can opt for an external internship, for example at one of the following companies:

• Philips
• Stichting wetenschappelijk onderzoek voor verkeersveiligheid (SWOV)
• NLR (Netherlands Aerospace Centre)

Master’s thesis

At the end of the Master’s programme, you will write your Master’s thesis. This will teach you how to apply knowledge of psychology, and how you can study a real-world problem in a scientifically responsible manner.