Applied Cognitive psychology

Specialisation of: Psychology
Degree: Master of Science in Psychology
Mode of Study: Full-time
Duration: 1 year
Start date: September and February
Language of instruction: English
Location: Leiden
Croho/isat code: 66604
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Are you interested in addressing and remedying important practical problems in society? Do you want to help raise people’s performance levels? You can use the knowledge you acquire in this programme in the following areas:

Cognitive Enhancement

  • Optimising the cognitive capabilities of people of all ages
  • Advice on the optimal circumstances for performance and learning
  • Studying the effects of drugs on human performance

Cognitive Ergonomics

  • Developing accident-prevention programmes, e.g. safety research in industry and traffic
  • Developing user-friendly tools and interfaces
  • Improving decision-making processes: psychology and law, including the topics of eyewitness memory, false confessions and jury decision-making

Entry requirements

Prospective students should:

  • Possess the skills, understanding and knowledge required for earning the bachelor’s degree, including the following introductory courses:
    • Introduction to Psychology
    • Social and/or Organisational Psychology
    • Personality Psychology
    • Cognitive Psychology
    • Neuropsychology and/or Psychophysiology and/or Biopsychology
    • Clinical Psychology
    • Developmental Psychology
  • Possess advanced knowledge at the level of a third year bachelor’s course on the topic of the master’s specialisation;
  • Have sufficient knowledge of methods and statistics (up to 20 EC): introductory and more advanced courses in methods and statistics of psychological research (including psychometrics, multivariate data analysis) and the use of SPSS;
  • Have earned the degree of bachelor at a university not being a university of professional education, or demonstrate the ability to meet the requirements for such a degree.
  • Have proof of thorough proficiency in English: IELTS 7 or TOEFL 100/250/600 evidenced by an appropriate test.
    This requirement does not apply if you have:
    • completed your education in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia, or
    • an International Baccalaureate, or
    • a Dutch VWO diploma

For this specialisation applicants with a higher professional education (HBO) degree in Applied Psychology from the Hogeschool Leiden, with a Leiden University pre-master’s can apply for admission.
Other applicants with a higher professional education (HBO) degree in a related field of science may also be considered. Please contact the study adviser for more information.

If you don’t meet these requirements and you are a Dutch native speaker, you can apply for the pre-master’s.

Students who have a BSc in Psychology from Leiden University do not have to apply for admission.