Quint Zieltjens_alumnus Economische Psychologie

Program and courses Economic Psychology

Learn to understand and apply psychological and economic insights to understand consumer behavior, financial decision-making and marketing.

Program structure

This one-year 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.

Expand your knowledge and research skills further with a double degree.

Program content

Core courses

You will follow 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:

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 and apply social psychological insights into economic behavior, such as consumer behavior, financial decision making, and marketing.

  • Specialist in Economic Psychology since 1972.
  • Lectures by internationally renowned scholars from dynamic research institutes like TIBER and Netspar.
  • Focus on the critical and valid application of theory in practice, with an emphasis on how economic psychology can be applied to companies, non-profits and policy-making. 
  • Supervision by a team of international, diverse, and enthusiastic researchers
  • Diverse and international classroom, with small-scale and interactive education

Interested in the MSc Economic Psychology?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application

Application and admission

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