Career prospects

After completing this Master’s programme, you will fulfil the requirements to become a basic psychologist (Dutch Association of Psychologists (NIP)). This gives our Dutch students an excellent starting position in a junior level job. For our international students, the programme prepares you either for a fine career in or outside academia. Your career prospects are partly determined by your specialisation and which country you want to pursue your career.

Accreditation

The requirements to registration as licensed health psychologist or clinical psychologist vary across the world. The Clinical Psychology Master’s curriculum is accredited within the Dutch system of education and training in clinical psychology. Formal accreditation in other countries is conducted by the national association of psychologists of the particular country. For more information, please contact your national association of psychologists for more information (for addresses please visit http://www.iupsys.net/about/members/national-members/ or http://www.apa.org/international/networks/organizations/national-orgs.aspx).

In the Netherlands, post-graduate training is required to become a registered Health Care Psychologist ‘Gezondheidszorgpsycholoog’ (2 year program) or registered Clinical Psychologist ‘Klinisch Psycholoog’ (an additional 4 year program). Note that these post-graduate programmes are offered in Dutch only. The Clinical Psychology track when having done a clinical internship meets the admission requirements for the Health Care Psychologist training.

These websites provide more information regarding admission requirements and regulations of the post-academic training in the Netherlands: www.rinogroep.nl/GZ, https://www.ppo-opleidingen.nl/, http://www.vlogo.nl/categorie/logo-verklaring.

ACADEMIC CAREER

  • Researcher, e.g. PhD candidate

What will your work entail?
As a PhD candidate you will conduct four years of research at a domestic or foreign university. You will publish scientific articles and give lectures to students. After defending your PhD thesis, you can continue in a research position. 

TRANSITION TO THE LABOUR MARKET

The programme prepares you for work in the mental healthcare field. 

You will, for example, be qualified to work as:

  • a basic psychologist (in a clinical setting)

You can work at various types of institutions such as:

  • institutions for (ambulatory) mental healthcare (such as the Riagg ambulatory mental health services)
  • hospitals
  • care and nursing homes
  • rehabilitation centres
  • psychiatric institutions
  • institutions for refugee care
  • judicial institutions
  • practice support General Practitioner care

What will your work entail?

  • diagnostics
  • treatment
  • policymaking

Further development
The clinical track is a basic prerequisite for specialised BIG Post-Master’s programmes.

Career development

To help you prepare for your career and familiarise yourself with the labour market the programme, the faculty and Utrecht University offers several services and activities.