Occupational Health Psychology (MSc)

Kirsten van Wijk

Former Occupational Health Psychology student

During this programme you learn how you can use theoretical knowledge to solve problems. I liked the small-scale character of the specialisation, as I could really get to know my fellow students and teachers.

Choosing a Master's programme was very difficult for me. I was interested in Health as well as Social Psychology and I wanted a programme that is really applicable on society. Therefore, Occupational Health Psychology was the ideal programme for me. During this programme you learn how to use theoretical knowledge about Occupational Health Psychology for identifying and solving problems. Putting science into practice was the best part of this programme. And I liked the small-scale character of the specialisation, as I could really get to know my fellow students and teachers.

After the Master I was looking for a challenge where I could apply what I had learned and where I could learn more. I didn't expect to find something so quickly that matched exactly what I was looking for, but I did! Two months later I started working as a trainee at WERKbedrijf (UWV). 

What does this master's programme entail?

Are you interested in the new but rapidly developing area within psychology? “Occupational Health Psychology concerns the application of psychology to improving the quality of work life and to protecting and promoting the safety, health and well-being of workers” (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health – NIOSH). Occupational Health Psychology is designed to address the contemporary societal concerns for occupational health and safety. The term ‘health’ in ‘occupational health psychology’ does not only include workers’ physical state, but also emotional, cognitive, motivational and behavioural aspects.

Reasons to choose Occupational Health Psychology at Leiden University

• Leiden University is the only university in The Netherlands where you can study this unique specialisation.

• Occupational Health Psychology is widely oriented at the job market; from researcher to consultant, coach or HR manager

• You will learn to look at the context of the workplace from different disciplines: Health Psychology, Social and Organisational Psychology and Applied Cognitive Psychology. This makes Occupational Health Psychology a very versatile specialisation.

• You will study relevant subjects, like stress, safety and work-life balance. You can make a real difference to the well-being of people.

Why Leiden University?

The master’s specialisation Occupational Health Psychology in Leiden includes courses from three disciplines in psychology: health psychology, social and organisational psychology and applied cognitive psychology. Besides the mandatory courses students can choose an internship position, a thesis subject and several electives of their own interest within these various disciplines in psychology. In this way students are able to choose specific topics depending on their own interest and ambitions. The integrative approach and the combination of theory with analysis of realistic case studies make the master’s specialisation in Occupational Health Psychology at Leiden University unique and useful for a wide range of careers.