Students at their graduation ceremony

Career prospects Research Master in Psychology: Individual Differences and Assessment

The Research Master in Psychology: Individual Differences and Assessment prepares you perfectly for a career in science, such as PhD student, or applied researcher. You will be a desirable candidate for positions as a researcher of individual differences in personality and health, or individual differences and work. You are also well prepared for an international career or a research position in applied field, as policy research, policy advisor, human resources and management consultant or clinical psychologist.

Great social relevance and impact

During this program, you work on relevant scientific research in the domains of work and health. The work you do as a researcher contributes enormously to the understanding of how individual differences affect people's well-being and work. For example, our graduates have researched the effect of job crafting: the process of adapting the work context to the strengths and interests of the individual employee. Or in the field of health, there is an increased awareness that personalized medicine is the key to cost-effectiveness and patient satisfaction. This refers to the use of individual factors to determine which treatment is most effective for the patient.

  • Robin

    Robin van der Linde

    TOP class candidate at GGZ WNB

     "For my PhD, I write scientific articles and guide the treatment study 'schema therapy for dissociative identity disorder'. The skills I developed during the Research Master really help me with this."

  • Lisanne

    Lisanne de Moor

    PhD candidate at Utrecht University

    "The Research Master gave me a solid foundation to base research questions and hypotheses on. I developed the tools and experience needed to collect and analyze data. I started thinking more critically, which I use in my research."

  • Iris

    Iris Frowijn

    Lecturer at Department of Developmental Psychology

    "The program not only enabled me to grow and explore topics of interest, it also shaped me as an individual. One of its strengths is the enthusiasm and involvement of the teachers and the diversity of the students."

Excellent career prospects

Alumni from the Research Master in Psychology: Individual Differences and Assessment have excellent career prospects. They are highly desirable candidates for scientific vacancies as PhD students (if you want to have a research career), of which Tilburg University has a lot to offer. They are also desirable candidates for positions as an applied researcher of individual differences in personality and health or in the field of individual differences and work. The Research Master's is also an excellent preparation if you are looking for an international career or for a research position in applied fields, for example, as a policy researcher, policy advisor, human resources and management consultant, or clinical psychologist.

Of our alumni:

  • 92% have a job at an academic level.
  • 50% work as a PhD at a research university in the Netherlands or abroad.
  • 13% work as a junior researcher at a research university in the Netherlands.
  • 8% have a position at a Mental Health Institution.
  • 8% work in a management position at a commercial company. 

Recent placements include:

  • Topclass candidate: 6-year training trajectory GZ- and Clinical Psychologist in combination with PhD trajectory at GGZ Oost Brabant 
  • PhD candidate at Pro Persona - ‘Sporten Versterkt’ research, The Hague 
  • PhD student, Tilburg University
  • PhD Candidate at Vrije Universiteit Brussel 
  • Associate consultant at Accilium - Consulting Digital Transformation, Berlin
  • PhD student, Utrecht University  
  • PhD student, Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis (children’s hospital), Utrecht 
  • PhD Candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  • Data Analyst at Tilburg University
  • Clinical Psychologist at "Impegno", The Hague
  • Management position at Grocery Stores Engrotus, Slovenia

After your Research Master

Your transition to the labor market

We help you prepare for your transition to the labor market by offering a number of career services:

  • Coaching, support and training courses offered by our Student Career Services to improve your employability and communication skills 
  • Dedicated Career Services Officers who can give you individual career guidance or help you to find interesting and relevant internships
  • Get in touch with alumni to learn about future career options and develop professional and networking skills in our Career Mentor Program
  • Familiarize yourself with the labor market and meet potential employers by participating in several career events, which are organized every year in collaboration with the study associations
  • Those who wish to discover and develop their entrepreneurial talent, we offer education and support services
Working in the Netherlands after graduation

After obtaining a Master’s degree in the Netherlands, non-EEA students can apply for a residence permit under the Orientation Year for Highly Educated Persons’ scheme. This allows you to spend a period of up to twelve months in the Netherlands to find employment.

Interested in the Research Master in Psychology: Individual Differences and Assessment?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application

Application and admission