Developmental Psychology (research) (MSc)
Career prospects
A master's degree in Psychology at Leiden University combines theoretical knowledge with academic and professional skills, making you an attractive candidate for many employers.
Sabine Peters
Research alumna
'I looked at both cognitive and affective aspects of development. I focused on adolescence because it is a very interesting period with a range of developments, especially in the brain. Cognitive brain regions play a role in complex processes like planning, reasoning and reflecting on your own behavior.'
Sabine Peters of Leiden University investigated how the development of cognitive and affective brain regions relates to learning and risk-taking behavior, such as alcohol use. She showed that, contrary to predictions from prior research, brain regions for cognitive control could be recruited even by young children and adolescents, but in different situations than adults.
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After graduation, you will be able to conduct research, analyse data and be able to write scientific papers in the field of Developmental Psychology. You will be able to review relevant literature, apply your knowledge in the field of Developmental Psychology and know how to present your findings.
Positions our alumni hold
A master's degree in Psychology from Leiden University will prepare you adequately for entering the job market. The bar chart below indicates in which different fields our Psychology alumni work.
*Note: this is a general list for all our Psychology alumni, not specifically for this master's specialisation Developmental Psychology.
Source: Elsivier - Beste Banen (2016)
Where do our former students work?
The master’s programme provides an ideal preparation for students who want to continue with an academic career and obtain a PhD in psychology. The research master’s programme also prepares students for positions where basic or applied psychological research is used to support the development of corporate or public policy. These include research agencies such as TNO, NIA, IOWO, as well as private firms (e.g. software and hardware development, safety control), municipal, and governmental (SCP) institutions focusing on research and consultancy.
Post-master vocational training
If students wish, they can combine the Research Master’s track Developmental Psychology with the programme of the one-year MSc specialisation Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, in order to qualify for post-master vocational training in the field of mental health care. Successful completion of this extended programme results in one master diploma (RM) with additional certificates to prove that the student meets the requirements for post-master vocational training.