Quint Zieltjens_alumnus Economische Psychologie

Program and courses Economic Psychology

Become an expert in economic behavior, consumer psychology and decision-making related to marketing, financial behavior and communication. Discover how organizations and governments can use knowledge of economic and psychological reasoning, to understand and influence consumer decisions and financial behavior. This program has a strong practical focus with leading professional expertise.

Program structure

This one-year Economic Psychology track of MSc Social Psychology consists of 60 credits (ECTS):

  • 4 core courses (24 ECTS)
  • 1 Master's internship (18 ECTS) or 1 Master's internship (12 ECTS) and 1 elective course (6 ECTS)
  • Master’s thesis (18 ECTS)

Classes start at the end of August.

You can expand your knowledge and research skills further with a Double Degree program.

Program content

Core courses

You will take four mandatory courses (24 ECTS in total) and one mandatory internship (at least 12 ECTS).

Block 1: August - October

  • The Psychology of Economics
    Learn the fundamentals of economic psychology, a field that combines insights from social psychology and economics.
  • Money and Financial Behavior
    This course deals with economic and psychological perspectives on money, how money influences behavior, and how it can cause adverse consequences (for instance, greed, materialism, and corruption).
  • Master's thesis

Block 2: October - December

  • Psychology and Marketing
    Learn about the psychological insights that are crucial for inspiring effective and ethical marketing strategies.
  • Master's thesis

Block 3: January - March

  • Consumer Analytics Using Big Data
    In this course, you will learn about how companies use online behavior to understand and predict consumer choices.
  • Master's thesis

Block 4: March - June

  • Master's Internship I  Economic Psychology or 

  • Master's Internship II Economic Psychology and an in-depth course 

Internship

You can choose between an internship of 12 ECTS or 18 ECTS.

  • If you opt for Internship I Economic Psychology of 18 ECTS, you can start your internship in Block 3.
  • If you opt for Internship II Economic Psychology of 12 ECTS , you must also take an in-depth course (6 ECTS).
  • An internship (in the Netherlands) is embedded in the program. In this way, you can gain practical experience by applying the theories you have learned and the skills you have obtained in practice. 
  • You arrange the internship yourself, so you can decide which internship is most interesting and most suitable for you. 
Master’s Thesis

At the start of the program you will begin to work on your Master's thesis, and work on it in the first three blocks. Supervisors in the department provide you with a list of topics for your thesis, from which you will choose one. You will write your thesis in the form of a scientific journal article, written in English, ready to be submitted to an APA-journal.

Thesis examples:

  • Decision-making 
  • Tax fraud 
  • Emotions and decision-making 
  • Perspective taking in economic games 
  • Perceptions of doubt 
Double Degree

Expand your knowledge and research skills with a Double Degree program:

You will find a detailed description of the courses and required literature in our course catalog.

Go to the course descriptions

Please note: programs are subject to change. We advise you to look up the current program in OSIRIS Student at the start of the year.

Do you want to know more about this Master’s program?

Find out more during one of our events

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Short overview of Economic Psychology

Study economic behavior, consumer psychology and decision-making related to marketing, financial behavior, and communication in a small-scale, international classroom, focused on applying theory to practice.

  • This program has been a specialist program in Economic Psychology since 1972. It is unique in the Netherlands with its focus on practical application of theory, in the areas of consumer behavior, marketing, financial decision-making and implications for public finances.
  • Not only do you delve into the theory of economic psychology, you also learn to apply theory to practice, with an emphasis on how economic and consumer psychology can be applied to companies, non-profit and policy-making.
  • You will be part of an international, diverse classroom, with small-scale, interactive education and led by internationally renowned scholars from dynamic research institutes like TIBER.
  • Challenge yourself by doing the ingrained internship or by doing a Double Degree at the University of Osnabruck, in Germany.

Interested in the MSc Economic Psychology?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application

Application and admission

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