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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)
  • Master's internship (18 ECTS)
  • Master’s thesis (18 ECTS)

Classes start at the end of August.

You can expand your knowledge and research skills further with the Double Degree program in Cross-Cultural Economic Psychology at the University of Osnabruck, Germany.

Program content

Core courses

You will take four mandatory courses (24 ECTS in total) and one mandatory internship (18 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

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

  • Master's internship Economic Psychology
  • Master's thesis

Block 4: March - June

  • Master's internship  Economic Psychology 

Internship

Internship (18 ECTS)

  • The internship will take place in block 4, but it’s possible to already start your internship in block 3.
  • 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.
  • During your Master’s program you will take a series of modular workshops developed with Career Services to help you prepare for applying for an internship. 
    • In the workshop 'Talent Management' you will get to know yourself better and become more aware of how you can translate your personal qualities, motivations, and ambitions into a career that really suits you. 
    • In the workshop 'Talent Pitch' you will learn how to effectively prepare and present yourself in the best possible way to future employers.
  • The program also offers an Internship Market (Internship Market MSc Economic Psychology & MSc Work and Organizational Psychology | Tilburg University), where you will get to know different organizations from the job market. All organizations offer one (or more) internships. You can easily get in touch with the organizations and learn more about their businesses and the internships they offer. 
Master’s Thesis

You will write your Master's thesis in the first three blocks of the program and proceed through each step of your thesis project in a series of supervised modules. You will work on your thesis in thesis circles in which you will provide peer feedback on each other’s work. 

Supervisors in the department provide you with a list of topics for your thesis, from which you can select up to 5. After a topic has been assigned to you, you will formulate your own research question related to the topic of your thesis project. All projects involve quantitative, empirical research. 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 topics examples: 

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

Thesis examples:

  • Using Emojis in webcare: Thumbs up or down? 
  • How much is enough? Greed and consumer behavior 
  • The role of reactance in rule compliance 
  • Brand Activism
Double Degree

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

  • Double Degree in Cross-Cultural Economic Psychology at Tilburg University and University of Osnabrück (Osnabrück, Germany).
    •  At Osnabrück University you will study the similarities and differences in behavior among individuals of different cultures. 
    • At Tilburg University you can learn to understand and apply psychological and economic insights to understand consumer behavior, financial decision-making, and marketing. Or you can choose to study the psychological aspects of work processes, organizations, and employee and diversity management.

Watch a trial lecture

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?

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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.

  • Tilburg University is a specialist 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, but you also learn to apply theory to practice, with an emphasis on how economic and consumer psychology can be applied to companies, non-profits, 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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