Master of Science in Social, Health and Organizational Psychology
Utrecht University
Key Information
Campus location
Utrecht, Netherlands
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 year
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
EUR 2,209 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
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* EU/EEA, Surinam or Swiss students; €17,500: International students
Scholarships
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Introduction
Project-X parties organized via Facebook. Unhealthy eating habits. Workplace bullying. Although a wide range of issues, the same rule applies to all of them: it comes down to the way in which people affect each other's behavior. In this Master’s program, you study human behavior and behavior change in a social, health, or organizational context.
Tracks
During this Master's program, you will choose between the following three tracks:
- Social Influence: about the social influence of behavior and attitude change
- Health Promotion: about improving health-related behavior
- Work and Organisation: about the functioning and wellbeing of individuals and teams in organizations
By choosing track and elective courses you can explore your personal field of interest.
Research-driven
This Master's program connects closely to our research programs Social-cognitive and Interpersonal Determinants of Behaviour, Health Psychology: Self-regulation, and Work and Organisational Psychology. Connecting theory and practice is essential in our Master's. You will develop theory-driven interventions by means of the PATH model (Problem-Analysis-Test-Help).
International orientation
The courses in this Master's program are rooted in international scientific literature and are focused on the international context. You can do your internship and/or thesis abroad or in (international) organizations in the Netherlands, such as Trendsactive, Coca Cola, Hays, Sogeti (in Dutch), Philips, and Nutricia.
As our student, you are primarily responsible for finding your own internship organization. The department of Social, Health, and Organisational Psychology has a database of internship organizations and has an international network that you can use.
Program Outcome
You will gain specialized knowledge, skills, and insights in the fields of Social Psychology, Health Psychology, and/or Work and Organisational Psychology. Your development as an academic professional is of central concern.
As a Master's graduate, you will be able to analyze and propose interventions for social, health, or organizational issues, such as:
- Integration and participation issues
- Consumer behavior
- Employability of employees
- Innovation and performance in organizations
- Radicalization
- Gender inequality
- Self-regulation issues
- Health-related behavior
Curriculum
Tracks
When you apply for this Master's program in Social, Health, and Organisational Psychology, you will choose one of the following three tracks. At the beginning of the program, you will also choose two elective courses, either from another track or from another Master’s program.
Social Influence
The following courses are compulsory for this track:
- Communication: effective interaction in theory and practice
- Social Influence, Public Communication, and Advertising
This track is based on the research program 'Social-cognitive and Interpersonal Determinants of Behaviour'.
Health promotion
The following courses are compulsory for this track:
- Health promotion
- Nudging
This track is based on the research program 'Health psychology and Self-regulation'.
Work and Organisation
The following courses are compulsory for this track:
- Work and Performance
- Organisational Development
This track is based on the research program 'Work and Organisational Psychology: Occupational Health Psychology'.
Career Opportunities
Entering the Labor Market
The knowledge and skills that you gain in this Master's program provide access to a broad spectrum of occupational opportunities. Graduates get (sometimes after a traineeship or further education) a large variety of jobs in commercial organizations and in the public sector. You can also start your own company. Due to the strong international focus of our program, you are an attractive employee for organizations from all over the world.
Professional jobs
- organizational consultant (KPN, Berenschot or Cap Gemini)
- trainer, coach (Pure Talent, Universities of Applied Sciences)
- expert in behavior change (d&b, Milieu Centraal, Arcadis Nederland)
- health psychologist (Nutricia, Philips, Local Community Health Service (GGD), first-line basic healthcare institutions (e.g. general practitioners))
- project manager (Team Alert, Publicis Amsterdam)
- consultant for public communication (Hilversum Media Campus, NPO)
- consultant for marketing or advertising (Coolblue, STER reclame, Booking.com)
- consultant for recruitment & selection, HRM (Yacht, Hays, Akerendam, CEB, Randstad)
- consultant for policymakers (Government, ministries, township, NS (in Dutch))
- work psychologist (Falke & Verbaan, Volker Wessels)
- researcher (TNO, Trendsactive, Motivaction, TNS NIPO, Bol.com, Toota Research, CBS, Ipsos, Anti Discriminatie Bureau Radar)