Health and Medical Psychology (MSc)

Admission requirements

Is this the master's specialisation of your choice? Please read here about the admissibility for this programme.

Please note: we cannot assess a candidates eligibility via e-mail. All interested candidates are required to submit an application. See ‘Application procedures’.

Diploma Requirements

Students that meet the diploma requirements can be admitted after a qualitative selection procedure. All candidates have to submit a request for admission.

To be eligible for admission to the master’s specialisation Health and Medical Psychology at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements:

General admission criteria

Requirement 1:

have earned a Bachelor degree in Psychology from a research university and possess the skills, understanding and knowledge that are required for earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Leiden University, and;
possess the skills, understanding and knowledge that are required for earning the bachelor’s degree; more specifically knowledge on university level of the following topics:
- Introduction to Psychology
- Social and Organisational Psychology
- Personality Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuropsychology and/or Psychophysiology and/or Biopsychology
- Clinical and Abnormal Psychology
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Theory or training in interpersonal skills, such as interview, counselling, discussion techniques
- Theory or training in psychodiagnostics

Note: if you have not obtained a degree in Psychology but an equivalent degree (equivalent to the bachelor degree in Psychology at Leiden University), you may also submit an application for admissions. The Board of Admissions will then assess your admissibility.

Requirement 2*:

• have obtained at least 30 ec in advanced courses on topics pertaining to this master specialisation,

Requirement 3*:

have sufficient knowledge of Methodology and Statistics (at least 20 EC): introductory and more advanced courses in methods and statistics of psychological research (including psychometrics, multivariate data analysis) and the use of statistical software.

*An internship and/or thesis do not count towards this requirement.

Qualitative Selection criteria

Applicants who meet the admission requirements will need to take part in the selection process for the master’s specialisation Health and Medical Psychology. Note: only applicants who meet the admission requirements will participate in the selection process, these are two separate and consecutive steps in the whole admission process.

In the selection process applicants need to demonstrate how they score on the following two selection criteria:

Selection criterium 1

Selection criterium 1 is a good academic record as indicator for academic excellence. Applicants must use the 'Application Form' (see required documents) to show their achievements in three domains (1.a, 1.b and 1.c).

1.a The results earned in the bachelor on general psychology courses on the following topics:

Introduction to Psychology
Social and/or Organisational Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Neuropsychology and/or Psychophysiology and/or Biopsychology
Clinical Psychology
Developmental Psychology

1.b The results earned in the bachelor on courses pertaining to the Clinical domain (at least 3 courses) on the following topics:

Psychodiagnostics
Interpersonal skills, such as interview, counselling
Psychopathology and/or Psychological treatment

1.c The results earned in the bachelor on courses pertaining to knowledge and skills in Methodology and Statistics (total at least 20 EC on basic and advanced level), including the following topics:

Psychometrics
Multivariate Data Analysis
Statistical Software such as SPSS or R

Selection criterium 2

Selection criterium 2 is a motivational statement for the master’s specialisation Health and Medical Psychology. Applicants must use the 'Motivation Letter Form' (see Required documents) to describe their motivation.

Maximum capacity

Detailed information maximum capacity

Health and Medical Psychology has a limited capacity (72 in September 2025-2026, 36 in February 2026-2027).

The Master in Psychology specialisations Child and Adolescent Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, Health and Medical Psychology, School Psychology, and Klinische Psychologie (Dutch-track) are subject to a maximum capacity (i.e. fixed number of places). Therefore we have a selection process for these specialisations. The section below provides detailed information with regards to the maximum capacity as well as our selection procedure.

Capacity limitation

The number of places available per clinical specialisation per intake are:

Specialisation	February	September
Child and Adolescent Psychology	25	80
Clinical Neuropsychology	40	110
Clinical Psychology	36	50
Health and Medical Psychology	36	72
School Psychology	10	20
Klinische Psychologie (Dutch)	36	50

For each intake, it is likely that there will be fewer places than admissible students for each of the clinical specialisations. As a result, students who apply for one of these specialisations and meet the admission requirements will then be selected and ranked for admission based on additional selection requirements.

With regard to admission to the programme, the Admissions Committee evaluates the knowledge and skills of the applicants on the basis of the documents they have submitted with their application. On the basis of this evaluation the Admissions Committee decides:

which applicants meet the admission requirements and can participate in the selection procedure;
which applicants cannot be admitted because they do not meet the requirements.

Assessment method of qualitative selection requirements

Only after it has been decided that the applicant meets the admission requirements will the qualitative selection requirements be measured or assessed according to the following method:

Score on selection requirement 1

The weighted average grade for each of the three components (General Psychology, the Clinical domain and Methodology and Statistics) will be ranked as:

Excellent (≥8.0*)
Sufficient (6-7.9*)

*Dutch grading system; or international equivalent based on conversion by Central Admissions Office Leiden University.

The following applies:

All three components must be scored Excellent (≥8.0) in order to have a ‘Excellent’ score for selection requirement 1.
In case one or more courses have been assessed according to a pass/fail system, this (these) course(s) still count(s) towards the necessary minimum ECTS for the requirement. However this (these) course(s) do(es) not count towards the weighted average.
The average grade will be based on the available grades at the time of application. If no grade is available for a courses and therefore the average grade cannot be determined, the applicant will be placed in the sufficient category.

Score on selection requirement 2

Selection requirement 2 is a motivational statement and will be scored based on:

quality and structure of the reasoning;
connection of personal interests and motivation with the content of the programme;
overall clarity, use of language and presentation.

Possible scores are:

Excellent,
Sufficient or
Insufficient.

All three criteria must be scored Excellent for requirement 2 to be Excellent. If one of the criteria is scored as Sufficient, the total score for requirement 2 is Sufficient. If one of the three criteria for requirement 2 is Insufficient, the total score for requirement 2 is Insufficient.

Method of application categorisation for the selection

The Board of Admissions will weigh the selection requirements and candidates who meet the admission requirements, their application, will be classified into one of the following categories based on their score on the above selection requirements:

Excellent: the candidate falls into this category only if the scores on selection requirement 1 and 2 are Excellent
Sufficient: one or more Sufficient scores on selection requirement 1 and 2
Insufficient: Insufficient score on requirement 2*.

*If the motivational statement (requirement 2), is scored as insufficient, the student is invited for a conversation with the selection committee. Based on that conversation the application will be classified in the sufficient category or turned down.

Method of selection

The Board of Admissions will use the following method of selection on the grounds of the selection requirements:

Applications marked as Excellent from candidates for whom the specialisation is the first choice will be admitted to the programme. If there are more applications from this category than available positions, the positions will be distributed by a draw from the Excellent applications but only for candidates for whom the specialisation is the first choice.
If there are positions left after the Excellent applications from candidates for whom the specialisation is the first choice are admitted, a draw will be made from the Sufficient applications from candidates for whom the specialisation is the first choice.
If there are positions left after the Excellent and the Sufficient applications from candidates for whom the specialisation is the first choice, a draw will made from the other applications (Excellent and Sufficient applications from candidates who have entered the specialisation as a second choice).
Candidates who didn’t get a position will be put on a waiting list. The ranking for this list will be based on a draw.
The waiting list per specialisation consists of (if applicable) 1. Excellent candidates for whom the specialisation is the first choice, 2. Sufficient candidates for whom the specialisation is the first choice 3. Excellent and Sufficient candidates who have entered the specialisation as a second choice.
Insufficient applications won’t be admitted.

The draw is done by the Selection Committee using software.

Deadlines for the selection

Candidates will be notified before:

May 31 (September intake)
December 15 (February intake)

whether they are selected and placed into the programme or placed on the waiting list.

In case of cancellation by selected candidates, candidates from the waiting list are placed up to the maximum capacity.

Information with regards to the status update of the placement procedure will be published here below once the selection procedure has taken place.

Language requirements

English language proficiency

The following requirements apply:

IELTS Academic modules only, on paper or on computer: 6.5 overall, with at least 6.0 for each separate component score.
- We do not accept IELTS Academic online except in the following situation only:
  - You are unable to take an in-person test on location because test centres are inaccessible or closed due to unsafe conditions in a country.
- We do not accept IELTS General Training, IELTS Indicator, or IELTS One Skill Retake
TOEFL internet based, for academic year 26-27*: 90 overall, with at least 4.0 (new 1-6 scale as of 21 January 2026) or 20 (old 0-30 scale) for each separate component, or, for academic year 27-28: 5.0 overall, with at least 4.5 for each separate component (or 90 overall and 20 for each separate component if taken before 21 January 2026).
- We are not able to accept The TOEFL IBT Home Edition™, except in the following situation only:
  - You are unable to take an in-person test on location because test centres are inaccessible or closed due to unsafe conditions in a country.

- We do not accept the following types of test: TOEFL My Best™ scores (multiple test scores combined), TOEFL Essentials™ or institutional tests such as ITP.
Cambridge English Exam C2 Proficiency, or C1 Advanced (180), with a minimum score of 169 for each separate component.
LanguageCert Academic: Test Centre only, 70 overall, with at least 65 for each separate component score.
PTE Academic English test | Pearson PTE: 66 overall, with at least 61 for each separate component score.

Note that English test results may not be more than two years old and must be obtained in one single test.

* New TOEFL grading scale 2026
In January 2026, TOEFL introduced a new grading scale. Test certificates issued in 2026 and 2027 will show overall scores in both the old grading scale (0-120) and the new grading scale (1-6). Component or band scores will only be shown in the new grading scale. Leiden University’s 2026-2027 overall score requirements will be based on the old grading scale . If you took your test on or after 21 January 2026, you must meet the overall score requirement shown on our website in the old grading scale (0-120), and the component score requirements shown on our website in the new grading scale (1-6). Leiden University’s 2027-2028 score requirements will be based on the new grading scale and the language test appendix to Code of Conduct October 2026

*You do not have to submit an English proficiency test if you have completed your education in the USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada (except French-taught programmes in Canada) Singapore, South-Africa or Malta; or if you have obtained an English-taught International Baccalaureate™; or if you have completed a Dutch VWO diploma or an English-taught degree at a Dutch research university or (for September intake) a diploma of an English-taught higher professional education (hbo) programme completed at a Dutch university of applied sciences.

For detailed information, including exemption criteria and methods of submission, refer to English language proficiency.

Go to the next step: Check the application deadlines