Psychology | Pre-master | MSc University of Twente

What is a pre-master's programme?

A pre-master's programme is a transfer and bridging programme for University of Applied Sciences (Dutch HBO) or Research University bachelor's programme students who wish to obtain a university master's degree, but who cannot be admitted directly. Students with a related previous education will gain the knowledge and skills needed for participation in the Master’s. Once you’ve successfully completed the pre-master's programme, you’ll be granted admission to the Master’s programme in Psychology.

University of Applied Sciences (HBO) students

If you are graduating from a university of applied sciences, we advise you only to sign up for the Psychology (pre-)Master’s if you are among the top students in your programme (with an average grade of 7.0 or higher). In addition to that, it is important that you are motivated to gain deeper knowledge and to learn to think scientifically. We furthermore advise you to brush up your English and Mathematics/Statistics skills before you start the pre-master’s programme. Additional courses can be found at Babel en Boswell Bèta or Open Universiteit or at Saxion for Saxion-students.

You can do the pre-Master’s programme after completing your other programme, but you may also be able to incorporate it in your current programme as a transfer minor.

Research University students

The study programme and number of EC the pre-master’s programme for university students consists of depends on your previous education and will not be the same for everyone. Pre-master’s programmes for university students range between 10-45 EC.

content of the pre-master’s programme

The standard (45 EC, for Dutch HBO students) pre-master's programme Psychology consists of a generic / academic part (30 EC), a module that prepares for the specific master’s specialization (15 EC) (admissibility depending on previous education) and a tutorial package (so called ‘zelfstudie deel’) with written test (0 EC, study load approximately 5EC) in the summer (holiday).

Generic / academic part (30 EC)

The generic part consists of methods and statistics courses, research and design courses and an orientation to the Psychology disciplines. This generic component which is offered twice a year is the first part of the pre-master. Students start with this part on September 1 or on February 1st. The generic part is as follows:

Block 1A/2A:

201300063 Research methodology and descriptive statistics – 5 EC
192901050 Introduction to psychology – 5 EC
201200093 Academic writing – 5 EC

Block 1B/2B:

201300064 Inferential statistics – 5 EC
192983010 Design methodology for psychology – 5 EC
201300078 Pre-master Research Practical – 5 EC

Besides these courses the student has to autonomously finish the obligatory component:

192993100 Professional ethics – 0 EC

Module that prepares for the master’s specialization (15 EC)

The second part of the pre-master consists of a module to prepare for the (elected) master’s specialization. Students follow a 15EC (full-time) module (from the BSc program) in block 1A or 1B. Whether a student is admitted to a particular module (and the accompanying specialization) depends on the previous education of the student. This part of the pre-master’s programme is offered only once a year: in semester 1.So you follow one of these modules (that belongs to the specialization that you’ve been admitted to).

Block 1A:

201600004 Health Psychology & Applied Technology (HPT)
201400121 Psychology in Learning & Instruction (LS)
201600005 Psychology of Safety (CRS)

Block 1B:

201400123 Human Factors & Engineering Psychology (HFE)
201600104 Psychische gezondheid (PPT)

Written test based on self-education (study load approximately 5 EC) (in summer)

Prior to the 15EC module, the student has to successfully complete a written test in the summer (holiday) (preparation based on self-education). This self-education takes the form of knowledge gathering around one of the basic disciplines of psychology, which is relevant to the (chosen) master’s specialization. Some of the students for instance gather knowledge in the field of social psychology, and other students gather knowledge in the field of cognitive psychology.

Schematic overview of the pre-master's programme

Schematically the complete pre-master's program is as follows:

	Sem 1 2017/2018	Sem 2 2017/2018	Summer 2018 or..	Sem 1 2018/2019
Start September	Generic part 30 EC		Written test	Module 15 EC
Start February		Generic part 30EC	Written test	Module 15 EC

Please note that the above sequence of pre-master components is obligatory.

Start Date

For the standard pre-master’s programme of 45 EC (for HBO students) there are two terms of enrolment. You can start either in September or February. In case of an individual pre-master’s programme the (advised) start date also depends on the specific deficit programme needed.

Language

The pre-master’s programme is taught in English.

Full-time

The Master’s programme is offered on a full-time basis, with a study load of about 40 hours per week. We do not offer evening or weekend courses. The pre-Master’s programme involves courses on three or four days per week, and two to eight hours of classes on any given day.

Rules of the pre-Master’s programme

The pre-master’s programme is designed not only to address any deficiencies in your prior knowledge, but it is also an effective way to find out whether studying at a research university in the field of Psychology is right for you. To this end, in the pre-master Psychology programme several rules, as a Binding Recommendation (Bindend Studieadvies), are applicable. There is for example limited time in which you have to complete the pre-master. You also have to earn sufficient marks with a maximum of one re-sit per course. That said, in practice almost all motivated students complete the programme in the allotted time.

More information/the elaborate version of the rules

The pre-master’s programme is designed not only to address any deficiencies in your prior knowledge, but it is also an effective way to find out whether studying at a research university in the field of Psychology is right for you. To this end, in the pre-master Psychology programme several rules, as a Binding Recommendation (Bindend Studieadvies), are applicable. In case of a negative binding recommendation (i.g. the student does not meet (one or more of) the requirements as listed below) the student will be excluded from further following courses (this means that the pre-master is terminated) and is no longer entitled to enroll in the pre-master and master’s programme Psychology at the University of Twente .

The following rules/requirements apply in the pre-master Psychology (and transfer minor):

Within a period of two blocks/quartiles (one semester) the student must have obtained at least 20EC of the pre-master’s programme. Possible exemptions granted are not included in the EC’s to be gained. If the student does not meet this requirement the student is excluded from further following courses (with which the pre-master is terminated).
Within a period of four blocks/quartiles (the first year) the student is required to have successfully completed the generic / academic part of the pre-master (30EC). If the student does not finish the 30EC generic part within four blocks/quartiles the student is excluded from further following courses (with which the pre-master is terminated).
The student can attempt for a pre-master's course at an exam / assignment up to a maximum of two times. Students who, after the second exam attempt, have not passed one (or more) pre-master's course(s), are excluded from further following courses (with which the pre-master is terminated).
To be allowed to start the 'Pre-Master Research Practical’ course (in the second block/quartile) a minimum grade of 5 needs to be achieved for the course "Research Methodology and Descriptive Statistics' and the course "Academic Writing" needs to be successfully completed. When a student does not successfully complete the ‘academic writing’ course in the first attempt/block, then the opportunity of an early second/re- exam attempt (at the beginning of the second block/quartile) is offered. When this early re-exam is successful, it is possible to take the ‘Pre-Master Research Practical’ course in the second block/quartile (without study delay).
To be allowed to start with the (15EC) module in preparation for the master’s specialization, the:-(Written) exam (‘zelfstudie’ part) in summer must be successfully completed (grade 6). A re-examination of this written test (in summer) is (only) possible when the student attended the first opportunity and achieved a minimum grade of 4,0.
Entire generic / academic part of the pre-master (30 EC) must be successfully completed.
The module in preparation for the master's specialization must be achieved at the first attempt (under predetermined conditions repair of a part of the module is possible).

Note: The above rules apply also to students who are taking the transfer minor.

Admission

If you will be eligible for admission to the pre-master's programme in Psychology depends on your previous education. More information on admission.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact our Study Information Centre or send an e-mail to our studyadvisor (studieadviseur-mps@utwente.nl).