Research Master in Psychology: Individual Differences and Assessment
Become a research expert in the area of individual differences, such as personality, motivation, intelligence, and cognition, as well as how these change over time. In the Research Master: Individual Differences and Assessment, you study how these differences affect people's lives in the areas of work and health. The Research Master’s is an excellent preparation for a PhD or a career in applied research, for example in human resources, developmental psychology, clinical research, or management.
QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023
National Student Survey, 2023 | n = 23
Times Higher Education ranking, 2024
Program and courses
During this two-year Research Master's, you become an expert in the area of individual differences and assessment. Acquire profound knowledge about the biological correlates and development of individual differences, and how these differences affect people's lives in the domains of work and health. The Research Master's offers four lines of learning: content, statistics, scientific writing, and projects. The program is awarded with the highest student satisfaction, according to Elsevier Best Studies 2022, 2023, and Keuzegids Masters 2022, 2023.
- Personalize your education by selecting your supervisors, research topics, electives, and (inter)national traineeships yourself. Acquire a thorough methodological and statistical education and write two scientific papers as part of the curriculum.
- Become part of an ambitious and international group of students, and experience the real ‘cohort’ feeling in a small-scale, interactive learning environment with individual guidance from international experts. Get a glimpse of the atmosphere of the program in the Character Studies blog.
- With a specific combination of major and minor courses, you have the opportunity to combine your studies on individual differences with electives from clinical neuropsychology. Under specific conditions, you can qualify for the LOGO declaration, which is required to enroll in the Dutch postgraduate clinical education (GZ Psycholoog). For more information, please contact the Education Coordinator via rema_ida@tilburguniversity.edu.
- Experience hands-on research into assessing individual differences in various contexts during traineeships.
Typical courses are:
- Biological Correlates of Individual Differences
- Psychometrics: Measurement of Individual Differences
- Dynamics of Individual Differences
- Theoretical Models of Individual Differences
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Eveline Gieles
Research Master’s student"IDA is a super intensive yet equally rewarding program. I love how we get to shape our own curriculum and choose with who we want to work with."
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Flavia Cherecheş
Research Master’s student"We work closely with professors from different departments during projects. They value my input and are open to questions. It's truly inspiring to learn in such an environment!"
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Arian Sarwary
Research Master’s student"Thanks to the programming course, I have a good grasp of R, which benefited me in courses and traineeships. Due to the flexibility of the program, I could create the exact curriculum I wanted."
Career prospects
As a graduate, you are an expert in an area of great societal relevance, such as human resource management, health promotion, and clinical research. The research Master's is also an excellent preparation for a PhD and a position in applied research. It is an excellent preparation for a (international) career such as a policy researcher, advisor or human resources and management consultant, or clinical psychologist.
Examples of our graduates' jobs:
- PhD candidate at Pro Persona - ‘Sporten Versterkt’ research, The Hague
- Associate consultant at Accilium - Consulting Digital Transformation, Berlin
- PhD student, Utrecht University

Application and admission
This Master's program starts:
End of August
Best preparatory programs:
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Pre-Master's program
The Research Master in Psychology: Individual Differences and Assessment does not offer its own pre-Master’s program. However, you might become eligible for admission to the Research Master when you successfully complete the pre-Master’s program in Human Resource Studies of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Please note that all other admission requirements and application procedure still apply.
Tuition fees and scholarships
International students, please find all information about the tuition fees and the scholarships available.
Interested in this Master's program?
More information on this Master's program
Download the brochure with information on program content, admission requirements, career prospects, housing and immigration matters, and student life in Tilburg. Throughout the year you can take part in various types of events: on-campus, abroad or online.
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13:30 - 16:00
Campus Experience
Are you curious about life as a student at Tilburg University, or not sure which university you want to attend? Join our Campus Experience on January 31 or February 21! Discover our compact and green campus with one of our students and find out if Tilburg University is your future home.
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To be announced
Master's Open day
Are you interested in doing a Master's program? Do you want to specialize or are you looking for a Master that broadens your possibilities? Join us at the Master's Open Day on March 23 to find out which (pre-)Master's program suits you best. Learn all about our (pre-)Master’s programs and tracks, and ask teachers, students, and education coordinators your questions.
Interested in the Research Master in Psychology: Individual Differences and Assessment?
Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application