Program and courses Work and Organizational Psychology
Apply science-based solutions to human problems in work and organizational settings. Learn to optimize employee performance, improve processes and relationships, enhance fairness and equity in teams and increase well-being in organizations. With this program's strong practical orientation, you will gain practical as well as theoretical skills and knowledge.
Program structure
This one-year track Work and Organizational Psychology of MSc Social Psychology consists of 60 credits (ECTS):
- 4 core courses (24 ECTS)
- Master’s internship (18 ECTS)
- Master’s thesis (18 ECTS)
This program has one entry moment 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 follow four mandatory courses (24 ECTS) and one mandatory internship (18 ECTS):
Block 1: August - October
- Work Group Psychology
Learn what organizations and individuals can do to improve the effectiveness of teams in the workplace. - Personnel Psychology
Find out how to find and select the best candidates for the job, assess your employees’ performance, prevent unethical behavior in your organization and increase diversity. - Master's thesis
Block 2: October - January
- Leadership and Organization
We examine leadership development within organizations from an identity perspective, and this requires students to examine their own identities as either leaders or followers. - Occupational Health Psychology
Discover what employees and employers can do to motivate different kinds of employees and prevent them from burning out. - Master's thesis
Block 3: January - March
- Master's internship
- Master's thesis
Block 4: April - June
- Master's internship
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 have to 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:
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Moral Decision Making
- Leadership
- Ambition
- Inclusion, Identity and Well-being
- Gender Stereotypes
Thesis examples:
- Language bias in job advertisements
- When people craft their own jobs
- Decision making by algorithms and trust in organizations
- Negative recruitment in competitive organizations
Double degree
Expand your knowledge and research skills with a double degree:
- Double degree in Cross-Cultural Economic Psychology – Tilburg University and University of 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.
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
Short overview of Work and Organizational Psychology
- The program focuses on the critical and valid application of theory to practice, emphasizing how work and organizational psychology can improve employee and team performance. It has a strong practical orientation by bringing expertise into the classroom through input from professionals from the work field and practical assignments as part of each course.
- Become part of a diverse and highly international classroom, with small-scale, interactive education from a group of international, young, and enthusiastic researchers.
- Gain practical experience and develop your professional skills by doing an internship, which you arrange yourself based on your interests and preferences.
- Expand your knowledge and gain international experience by doing a Double degree in Cross-Cultural Economic Psychology at the University of Osnabrück, Germany.
Interested in the MSc Work and Organizational Psychology?
Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application