Maastricht University, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience
International Joint Master of Research in Work and Organizational Psychology
Maastricht, Netherlands
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Mar 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 21,500 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* institutional fees | €2,695 - statutory fees
Key Summary
Work is always evolving due to societal, digital, and technological advances. This programme trains you to be an advanced work and organizational psychologist (WOP), ready to address the demands and complexities of workplaces now, and in the future.
This two-year programme is an advanced research-oriented Master's programme, offered jointly by Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Leuphana University Lüneburg in Germany, and Universitat de València in Spain. This unique collaboration of renowned universities offers a truly international experience. The three universities award a joint degree of Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Work and Organizational Psychology to successful students.
Gaining professional competencies
This programme fosters knowledge and a broad set of professional competencies in work and organizational psychology. It focuses on developing strong theoretical, methodological, and communication skills. These skills are crucial for designing, implementing, and evaluating research and applied projects within the field of work and organizational psychology. Moreover, the program fosters your understanding of the most pressing contemporary challenges of the world of work in the 21st century.
During your studies, you will learn about basic and applied research to gain insights into the theory and practice of the field of work and organizational psychology.
Moreover, you will learn to add value within organizations and contribute to society by addressing questions, such as:
- Under what conditions does work foster human flourishing, and when does it negatively impact well-being and health?
- What are effective methods for designing and evaluating evidence-based interventions?
- What factors determine the effectiveness of a team?
- How can innovation and entrepreneurship be effectively stimulated?
- What are effective human resources practices?
- How can people and organizations develop better sustainable practices?
Studying an international programme
As a joint programme offered by Maastricht University, Leuphana University Lüneburg, and the University of Valencia, each university brings its unique expertise to the programme, with strengths in occupational health psychology, organizational behaviour, entrepreneurship, intervention research, and research methods.
Studying in an international environment across three European countries equips you with valuable intercultural competencies and language skills alongside your professional training. These competencies are essential for professionals and researchers in today's globalised work and organizational landscape. Furthermore, the programme fosters the development of strong international social ties as well as learning to work in international contexts.
Preparing for your career
If you're a highly motivated student, this programme is for you! We look for students who are committed to academic excellence and aspire to pursue careers in academia or management within the field of work and organizational psychology. The programme integrates advanced theoretical and methodological knowledge with practical, hands-on research training, enabling graduates to create positive organizational and societal impact in their professional careers. As a graduate, you are well-prepared for successful careers in both applied and academic settings.
In applied settings, graduates have multiple career options, including leading positions in business management and consulting, HR, research institutes, public administration, or policy advising. Moreover, the international scope of the programme equips graduates with the skills and experience necessary to thrive in international job markets and succeed in careers with globally operating organizations.
If you aspire to an academic career, you will benefit from the programme’s strong emphasis on high-quality training in research methods combined with profound theoretical knowledge. This programme is therefore particularly well-suited to you if you are interested in pursuing doctoral studies in work and organizational psychology after the master’s programme.
First Year
- Work Psychology
- Human Resources
- Introduction
- Practical Training: The Future of Work - Part 1
- Organizational Psychology
- Motivation and Performance
- Practical Training: Collaboration for the Common Good
- Practical Training: The Future of Work - Part 2
- Statistics and Research Methodology
- Critical Reading in Work and Organisational Psychology
- International Human Resource Management
- Work and Organizational Psychology in International and Intercultural Contexts
- Research and Design
- Group Research Project
Second Year
- Interventions in Human Resources
- Interventions in Work Psychology: Work Design and Work Teams
- Organizational Psychology Interventions
- Interventions in Occupational Health Psychology
- Advanced Research Skills
- Preparing Research Project / Master's Thesis
Skills
- Advanced Research Skills and Research Ethics
Thesis
- Master’s Thesis Project
- You’ll have the competencies to be a successful WOP researcher
- You’ll be well-prepared for working in an international environment
- Work as a policy advisor or management consultant on organisational behaviour
There are opportunities to receive financial support during your studies in this programme. The most common opportunity is applying for an Erasmus+ grant. The Erasmus+ scholarship is awarded to students who meet the Erasmus+ conditions by Maastricht University’s Erasmus Office. The FPN International Relations Office will inform you about the possibilities in due course. A scholarship may be granted for the study period in Lüneburg (semester 2) and Valencia (semester 3). Note that funding rates may vary from year to year. As an orientation, in the 2024/2025 academic year, the monthly grant was €390 for semester 2 and €330 for semester 3.
Another opportunity is a full scholarship, which Leuphana University awards to a maximum of 5 students per cohort as part of the DAAD-funded Integrated International Degree Programmes with Double Degrees programme. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic qualifications (top 25% of their year at their university), personal suitability, and interview scores. The scholarship is paid out during the first semester in the Netherlands and the third semester in Spain (about €1,000 per month) plus a one-time travel allowance of about €250 for the Netherlands and €425 for Spain per recipient. Scholarships are awarded for a total of ten months, for a total scholarship value of about €10,600.
Will it suit you?
- Do you want to study at three universities in the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain?
- Do you wish to translate research in WOP to fit societal needs?
- Do you want to acquire a skillset with fundamental and applied competencies?
Graduates will be well prepared for a career in three main domains: The strong methodological focus of the programme will equip the students with the skills to pursue careers as researchers in universities or in institutions closely affiliated to research all around the world.
Additionally, the students will be well prepared for a career in consultancy, either as policy advisors or as management consultants with a focus on organisational behaviour. Due to the strong international scope of the programme, students will also be prepared for (management) positions in international HRM
Learning in an active setting
The programme uses an active, student-centred approach to learning and combines individual with group work. This instructional approach fosters students’ skills in individual and collective reflection, analysing and solving real-world problems, and working cooperatively in teams.