The master's specialisation Occupational Health Psychology draws upon and integrates knowledge of several disciplines in psychology, with a clear focus on workers and their work setting.

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.

About the programme

The major aim of the specialisation Occupational Health Psychology is to equip you with advanced training in research methods and professional skills. This will prepare you both for a career involving psychological research as well as for the application of scientific knowledge and methods in various professional settings.

Programme overview

We offer a very diverse programme that takes you through all the indispensable elements of Occupational Health Psychology.

Educational methods

We use various modes of instruction to augment the learning experience:

• In the lectures the literature you have read will be applied to real life, by examples, to enhance your knowledge of the subject at hand.
• In the small (10 to 24 students, depending on your specialisation) work group sessions you'll delve deeper into the course material. There is room for discussion. Work groups sessions require active participation and attendance is therefore mandatory.
• In practical sessions you'll work on your skills. You'll gain, for example, skills in interviewing, observation and using statistical computer programmes (depending on your specialisation). Attendance is also mandatory in these practical sessions.
• In the online course environment students review their peers’ assignments and prepare for examinations with online mock exams and recorded lectures.