Study Programme

Programme outline

 First semesterSecond semester

First year

  • Behavioural Regulation I: Affect and Motivation 7.5 EC
  • Behavioural Regulation II: Thought and Cognition 7.5 EC
  • Multivariate Statistics in Practice 7.5 EC
  • Integrative Practicum I: Research Skills 7.5 EC
  • Advances in Research in Behavioural Regulation I: Social Interaction and Social Behaviour  7.5 EC
  • Advances in Research in Behavioural Regulation II: Health  and Health Behaviour 7.5 EC
  • Integrative Practicum II: Research Methods 7.5 EC
  • Research Training I 7.5 EC

Second year

 

  • Research Training II 15 EC
  • Research Seminar I: Theory, Hypotheses and Testing 7.5 EC
  • Elective course 7.5 EC
  • Research Seminar II: Analyse data, report and communicate results 7.5 EC
  • Master's Thesis 22.5 EC

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.

Three course clusters

The curriculum of the Master’s programme in Social and Health Psychology (Research) is organised into three course clusters:

  • Theory
  • Methodology
  • Research

Theory course cluster: four advanced courses

  • Behavioural Regulation I and II
  • Advances in Research in Behavioural Regulation I and II

These courses will familiarise you with current theories, models, and core concepts of behavioural regulation as well as translating this knowledge into behavioural regulation strategies and interventions.

Methodology course cluster: methods and statistics

You will take three comprehensive courses in psychological research:

  • Multivariate Statistics in Practice
  • Integrative Practicum I and II

This course cluster will train you skills to design and program studies, to collect, analyse and visualise complex data and to write a research report.

Research course cluster: integrate theory and methodology into research

This cluster is the largest part of the programme and integrates the knowledge and skills of the theory and methodology clusters. One part consists of an individual research assignment in the form of short research training (I). A second part consists of a larger research training (II) dedicated to writing a research proposal and setting up research for the Master’s thesis. This part especially trains you in using systematic procedures of data registration and management of experimental and/or survey research, data analyses and interpretation of your research project, and the professional responsibilities towards research subjects (Research Seminar I and II). You will conduct individual studies embedded in the research programme at the Psychology department or other programmes with (inter)national research partners. In all cases, students are supervised by one of our faculty staff.

Elective course

The curriculum includes at least one elective course, chosen by the student. Most students select courses in advanced theory, societal applications or methodology and statistics, to broaden their view and to support the research for their Master’s thesis topic.

Master’s thesis

In previous years, students wrote theses dealing with several topics, such as:

  • habit formation and change of sustainable behavior
  • nudging healthy choices
  • solving conflict in interpersonal and group context 
  • studying moral judgment and decision making in society 
  • fostering social justice and equality
  • designing social robotics to enhance human autonomy
  • treating posttraumatic stress disorder
  • studying self-awareness problems in mental disorders