Erasmus University Rotterdam - Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
International Bachelor in Psychology
Rotterdam, Netherlands
BSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
15 Jan 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Application Deadline (Non-EEA) 15 January
Key Summary
Is this the programme you're looking for?
Do you strive to understand why humans think, feel and act the way they do? Find out if the International Bachelor in Psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam is the right choice for you!
The study programme in a nutshell
"Creating positive societal impact” is the motto that guides education and research at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Psychologists play an important role in achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). SDG #3 “good health and well-being” easily comes to mind. However, psychologists can also contribute to, for example, high quality education (SDG #4) decent work (SDG #8) and reducing inequalities (SDG # 5 and 10).
With one eye on knowledge development and the other on application, we teach a wide range of psychology subjects connected to contemporary societal issues. These include basic topics such as perception and cognition, human learning, motivation, addiction, and mental health challenges. In addition, we teach important skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and self-reflection in our practicals and courses such as cross-cultural psychology.
What does this study entail?
- We emphasize both a theoretical and practical approach to a wide range of psychology subjects such as cognition, learning, addiction, motivation, etc.;
- We make use of small-scale and activating forms of education, which enables you to study more efficiently;
- You are a part of a group of approximately 200 international students. Not only do you get to mingle with students from all corners of the world, but you will also interact with Dutch students during tutorials.
What you will learn
Within our Psychology program, we educate using small-scale and activating forms of education. In small groups, you will analyze real-life problems by looking for information in books, journals, and digital media.
First year
During the bachelor programme in Psychology, you will learn about all the subject areas related to the field. In the first year, you will gain a good overview of the basic and most fundamental disciplines in psychology. Together with your peers you will learn and discuss the various theories and concepts related to a certain type of behaviour. In addition, you will learn practical psychological skills which are required to handle this behaviour. For example, during your course ‘Personal Differences’, you will investigate as to why our personalities make us behave in different ways. Parallel to this, you will undergo, analyse and report on personality questionnaires as part of the ‘Psychodiagnostics’ practical. In other words, what you learn throughout the course is applied in the practical meetings, gearing you up for working life.
You will also follow classes in statistics, research methods and academic and professional skills. You will learn, for instance, how to conduct professional conversations. Furthermore, you will learn how to conduct experiments. Sometimes, you will act as a test subject yourself. Finally, the last quarter of Year 1 is dedicated to gaining a more critical understanding of contemporary psychology from a historical and cross-cultural perspective.
Second and third year
In the second year, you will follow more advanced courses in the fundamental topics as well as courses in the applied fields of Educational Psychology and Work and Organisational Psychology. After the third quarter of the second year of your bachelor, you will have familiarised yourself with all the subareas of psychology, after which you will chose for one of the bachelor specialisation tracks that will start in the last quarter of Year 2.
In the third year of the bachelor, you will have the opportunity to broaden your horizon. In the first quarter of Year 3 you will follow a minor, which can be organized either by our own University or another University in the Netherlands. The minor allows you to explore topics beyond the realm of psychology. The second quarter of Year 3 is dedicated to elective courses, which link naturally to the bachelor specialisation track that you have chosen and to different master tracks our department offers. Examples are “Forensic and Legal” and “Mind in Society (Brain and Cognition)”. This can help you to choose your master and thereafter the career you wish to pursue. You can also spend the first periods of Year three on exchange at a foreign university.
The second half of the third year will again be dedicated to specialization courses in the specialisation area of psychology that you chose. You will conclude your bachelor’s degree with a thesis in which you address a psychological research question in a scientific manner.
Please note that mathematics (statistics) is an important part of this study.
The curriculum may be subject to change. No rights may be derived from this information.
Is this the right program for you?
- Through theory and practice, you will learn about a wide range of subjects in psychology, such as cognition, learning, addiction, motivation, and normal and abnormal behavior.
- By choosing Rotterdam, you choose active learning.
- Class discussion will strengthen your bond with fellow students and help you succeed in your studies.
- During practical sessions, you will also develop skills that are useful in your career
Opportunities after graduating
Studying psychology gives you a multitude of opportunities with regard to your future career. You can, for example, become a trainer, selection and assessment advisor, HR consultant, coach or occupational health professional. Graduates of this programme also become researchers at companies and organisations, such as educational consultancies, school inspection services or research agencies.
Furthermore, a master degree in Psychology provides you with a solid basis to pursue a PhD. Moreover, the faculty offers workshops based on the needs of the students in case of career development.
If you want to become a clinical psychologist or health care professional, it is important to realise that a bachelor and a master degree are insufficient. In the Netherlands, postdoctoral training for clinical psychologists is required. If you want to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist in another country, there might be different requirements. These requirements are usually determined by psychologists' national associations. If you are interested in working within the clinical sector in the Netherlands, then learning the Dutch language is an absolute prerequisite.