Maastricht University, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

Forensic Psychology

***Awarded 'Top Rated Programme' label, Keuzegids 2018***

Are you ambitious, self-critical and eager to learn? Are you curious about the psychology of people who come into contact with the law? And would you like to pursue a career in forensic mental health? Then Forensic Psychology might be the perfect programme for you. It will provide you with a mix of theoretical and empirical knowledge. You will study scientific literature in relation to real-life problems and work on projects in small tutorial groups. Furthermore, the programme includes hands-on training in forensic assessment, therapy and expert witness skills. After graduation, you will be qualified to work in prisons, forensic psychiatric facilities, police services, probation services, and in areas such as child protection and domestic violence.... [-]

Which working conditions help prevent mental fatigue? What determines the effectiveness of a team? And how do you stimulate innovation? These are the types of questions you'll be asking if you specialise in Work and Organisational Psychology. The programme covers topics such as human resources, human organisation and work psychology. You’ll also attend a series of workshops that specifically focus on practical skills, such as applying job analyses and measuring human performance. After you’ve obtained your master’s, you’ll have all the preparation you need to become an organisational psychologist. But you could also pursue an academic career, studying the psychology of work and organisations.... [-]

How does our brain separate the sound of a Ferrari from the background noise of other car engines, or the face of a friend from other faces in a crowd? How do different parts of the brain interact when we perform everyday activities like riding a bicycle, typing a summary and drinking a cup of coffee? And how are fMRI signals related to neural activity? If these questions intrigue you, the Cognitive Neuroscience specialisation of the master's in Psychology might be a good fit for you. You’ll gain in-depth knowledge of human brain function and cognition, and you'll get practical training in the application of non-invasive brain imaging techniques such as EEG and fMRI. Upon graduation, you'll be an expert in cognitive psychology as well as in neuroscientific methods, leaving you well-equipped for a career in applied and clinical research at universities, research institutes, educational institutes or commercial research organisations.... [-]

Are you curious about how psychological and biological factors, such as genetics and biochemistry, play a role in cognitive development? Do you want to investigate which factors contribute to the development of disorders such as autism or dyslexia? Are you interested in learning how to measure brain processes and use various diagnostic tools? Then the master’s specialisation in Developmental Psychology could be right for you. You’ll study the most recent developmental theories and research findings. And you’ll learn to apply various diagnostic and research tools in the clinical field and developmental research. This will make you well-prepared to work as a psychologist or researcher in mental health or educational institutions.... [-]

Why is it so hard for some people to limit their alcohol consumption? Why do some people lose their temper easily? Do you like finding answers to questions such as these? And can you see yourself helping people change their habits? Then you should consider specialising in Health and Social Psychology. The main focus of this specialisation is on understanding how people’s personalities, cognitions and social environment influence their health and social functioning. You'll analyse the underlying mechanisms of unhealthy or antisocial behaviour using recent theories and models from various psychological disciplines. And you'll use this knowledge to set up behaviour-change programmes. After completing your master’s, you can become a researcher in an academic or applied health setting, or work in communication planning, health promotion or policy-making.... [-]

How reliable are eyewitness testimonies? Which tests can you use to detect malingers? You'll explore topics like this in the specialisation in Legal Psychology. This programme, the only one of its kind in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, includes courses on topics such as lie detection, eyewitness testimonies, interrogation techniques and false confessions. By combining theory with practical skills, you’ll be equipped with all the training you need to pursue a career in police investigation units, juvenile offenders’ institutions, child protective services and high-security forensic facilities.

In the master’s specialisation Legal Psychology, you’ll learn how to apply principles from cognitive and – to a lesser extent – clinical psychology to issues in the legal system. Questions that are typical for Legal Psychology are: ‘How reliable are eyewitness testimonies?’ and ‘Do serious criminals have brain dysfunctions that make them permanently dangerous to society?’. Psychologists with a background in Legal Psychology ask questions that have direct relevance to the legal arena and conduct research to address these questions.... [-]

Are you fascinated by the relationship between the brain and behaviour? Would you love to learn more about neuropsychiatric disorders like attention deficits, schizophrenia and dementia? Are you curious about how certain drugs can influence the processing of information in our brain? Then you should consider specialising in Neuropsychology. The programme focuses on normal and deviant behaviour in relation to brain structure and function. You'll study congenital, acquired or degenerative brain dysfunctions; related neuropsychiatric disorders; and the neuropharmacological mechanisms that underlie behaviour. After you’ve finished your master’s, you'll be a versatile and skilled researcher capable of pursuing a successful career at a university, research institute, hospital, rehabilitation centre or pharmaceutical company.... [-]

Which working conditions help prevent mental fatigue? What determines the effectiveness of a team? And how do you stimulate innovation? These are some of the topics that a Work and Organizational Psychologist studies. The International Joint Master of Research in Work and Organizational Psychology goes one step further and prepares you for a research career within or outside the walls of academia. Are you interested in both creation and valorisation of research outputs? Do you want to have a truly international study experience that takes you to three universities: Maastricht University (Netherlands), Leuphana Universität Lüneburg (Germany), and Universitat de València (Spain)? Then read more about the International Joint Master of Research in Work and Organizational Psychology.... [-]

Are you fascinated by the brain functions that make us see, hear, move, feel and think the way we do? Are you eager to gain the knowledge and skills needed to flexibly apply the most advanced brain imaging and brain stimulation techniques in fundamental, applied or clinical research settings? Then Cognitive Neuroscience is the right choice for you! This highly multidisciplinary programme is embedded in the M-BIC (Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre) and provides you with the theoretical background and hands-on research skills necessary for becoming a versatile brain researcher. Cognitive Neuroscience is an ideal choice for those who aim for an academic or related career focused on understanding normal and/or abnormal brain function.... [-]

What is the molecular biology behind memory? Which genetic alterations make you more vulnerable to stress and depression? And which cellular targets can be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease? If these questions intrigue you, the specialisation Fundamental Neuroscience might be what you are looking for. You’ll study the mechanisms that underlie psychological processes, as well as psychiatric and neurological disorders. The courses are organised along the mechanisms and disorders, and include practical training sessions in which you will acquire laboratory skills you’ll need to study them. You will also take several courses that focus on improving your academic skills, such as writing papers and research proposals. After you’ve completed the programme, you will have obtained all the knowledge and skills you need to embark on an academic career in fundamental neuroscience.... [-]

Are you fascinated by the complexities of human choices? Are you eager to combine ideas and methods from economics, neuroscience and psychology to understand the cognitive and social aspects of human decision making? Then Neuroeconomics is the right track for you. You will learn how the different disciplines have studied human behaviour, their research tools and how they can be combined for a holistic perspective on human decision making and the role of the brain in it. The programme will prepare you for an academic career in behavioural economics or decision neuroscience or other occupations where a comprehensive understanding of human behaviour is important (consulting, public policy).... [-]

***Awarded 'Top Rated Programme' label, Keuzegids 2018***

Are you fascinated by the relationship between the brain and behaviour? Would you love to learn more about neuropsychiatric disorders like attention deficits, schizophrenia and dementia? Are you curious about how certain drugs can influence the processing of information in our brain? Then you should consider specialising in Neuropsychology. You’ll study both the cognitive and the emotional-affective aspects of human behaviour, and you’ll learn more about how behaviour can be influenced through food and medication. The programme also contains several courses that focus on improving your academic skills, such as writing papers and research proposals, providing you with an excellent basis for an academic career. But you will also have the opportunity to combine clinical and research internships, which means that positions in healthcare will also be open to you.... [-]

***Awarded 'Top Rated Programme' label, Keuzegids 2018***

Are you intrigued by the complexities of the wide range of mental disorders? Are you eager to develop the knowledge and research skills needed to understand how such disorders come about and to find new ways of treating and preventing them? Then Psychopathology is the right choice for you! This highly multidisciplinary programme provides you with the theoretical background and clinical insight necessary for research in the fields of experimental psychopathology, clinical psychology and psychiatry. Psychopathology is also an ideal choice for those who intend in the future to combine science and clinical practice.... [-]