The study programme in a nutshell
The study programme of the Master Health Psychology incorporates both theory and practice. The master adopts an active learning approach combining elements of traditional problem-based learning with a project-oriented learning approach, working on cases deriving from real-life challenges in communities and society at large, with the goal of trying to solve them.
As such, this master will train students to become all-round professionals who are able to apply scientific knowledge in practice. Graduates will have an advantage because of their good theoretical basis and excellent research and professional skills and competences (e.g., team work, project management, scientific integrity and transparency, communication skills, project management, etc.).
Curriculum
The curriculum consists of three core courses and three practical courses. The first core course focuses on theories of behavior change and the process of understanding and analysing targeted behavior. The second core course dives into the world of ehealth and how to design, implement and evaluate digital interventions. The third core course is uniform for all Psychology master tracks: a course in multivariate statistics.
In parallel to the core courses, you will also follow three practical courses focused on acquiring key professional and research skills in the field of behavior change. The Health Psychology Master will provide you with the relevant content expertise and the skills necessary to work effectively in the field.
All teaching activities are taught in English. The lectures, study manuals, examinations and used literature are also in English.
Internship to apply your knowledge
In the second semester, from February onwards, you will complete a practical, professional internship and a research internship leading to your final thesis. Both can be carried out either in external organisations and companies working in the field of behaviour change and/or e-health, or in the research areas of our faculty. The internships can also be combined into a longer one, where both practical experience and research work can be integrated into a larger project.
By completing these internships, you will have the opportunity to practice the skills and competences acquired in the first semester and gather professional and research experience in the field. You will have the opportunity to experience the work of a health psychologist and behaviour change specialist in real-life settings, creating the basis for entering the job market.
Our internship network includes public and private organisations offering exciting and relevant internship positions to our students across a variety of topics and domains, such as public health promotion (at the local or national level), sustainability, digital health and wellbeing, policy development and implementation, etc. Examples of organisations include the municipality of Rotterdam, the GGD (local public health services), research organisations (consultancy firms, Trimbos Institute, national and international research consortia), e-health providers, software and start-up companies working in digital behaviour change. An internship abroad is also possible in an organisation relevant to the contents of the master programme.
The educational programme is subject to change. No rights can be derived from the information below.
The Health Psychology master employs a mix of educational methods, including traditional lectures, problem-based learning, and project assignments based on real-life scenarios, to be carried out independently or in groups. Our educational approach is student-centered: students play an active role in their learning process. In this model the accent is not on lecturing in order to accomplish information transfer (as is the case in traditional educational systems), but rather on active participation of the students in small groups (constructivist learning). Most of the time, it is not the teacher who is explaining, but the students themselves, leading to deeper learning and learning by doing.
This programme includes plenary lectures and workgroups where students work together to address real-life problems tapping into multidisciplinary subjects. These are open-ended problems with more than one solution, simulating a real-life professional situation. Students will have to search for information that they will discuss with their group and work out a concrete solution. The students use their own knowledge and skills as a base to acquire new knowledge and refine their competences.
On average, there are 12 contact hours per week. This time is distributed over lectures, workshops and individual office hours with the course coordinators. Students spend a large part of their time on individual study and projects / assignments, which can be done individually or in groups. Most students spend approximately 40 hours per week on their studies.