1. Preparing your thesis project

1. Preparing your master thesis project

The Master's Programme in Psychology is concluded by writing an individual master thesis within the chosen specialisation: Conflict, Risk & Safety (CRS); Health Psychology & Technology (HPT); Human Factors & Engineering Psychology (HFE); Educational Psychology (EP, former specialiation's name Learning Sciences) or Positive Clinical Psychology & Technology (PCPT).
You will perform an in-depth study of a psychological (research) question and write an individual report on the subject (complying with the APA standards; in English. 

1.1 Requirements

There are several requirements to think about before starting to find a project. These are explained in this paragraph.

Learning goals and conditions

The master's thesis is actually the final exam of your Psychology study, which means that you can show what you have learned over the years. For more information about the learning goals of the master/thesis you can check the final attainment targets (e.g. learning goals) of the master’s programme in Psychology.
The master's thesis contrasts to the bachelor's thesis in its greater depth, size, level of analysis and student independence. The competences acquired in the field of research and design will be developed to a more advanced level. This means that you are required to work on a relatively complex design or research assignment with a high level of independence and to demonstrate the ability to contribute to the development of a scientific theory, model or tool.
The master's thesis (and if selected the internship) also ensures that you gain insight into the future professional field and develop an idea of personal career desires and prospects. Furthermore, you will encounter general, academic and professional skills that you can employ for the benefit of future careers. During the master's thesis you will put the skills in professional behavior into practice in contact with the (internal and if applicable external) supervisors.

Specialisations CRS, HPT, HFE and EP
A master's thesis of 25 EC1 is conducted. In some cases it is advisable to combine the internship and the master's thesis. This means that you do an internship with the (external) organisation where you also carry out your master thesis. In that case the internship usually takes place prior to the master's thesis. Doing the internship first allows you to become acquainted with the organisation and the tasks, and it offers an opportunity, prior to the master's thesis, to carry out a more practically relevant internship project that specifically benefits the organization concerned. More information about the internship can be found at the psychology website

Specialisation PCPT
Depending on the type of internship (consisting of either 10 or 19 EC) a master's thesis of respectively 23 or 14 EC is conducted2.

1: For students who have started the programme in February 2022 and prior, the master's thesis consists of either 25 or 35 EC, depending on whether a internship of 10 EC is part of the programme.
2: For students who have started the programme in February 2022 and prior, a master's thesis of either 10 or 30 EC2 is conducted. If you go on an internship (clinical or research-practice) a master's thesis of 10 EC is conducted. If you do not go on an internship the master’s programme can be completed by doing a 30 EC master thesis. Within this master’s specialisation the possibilities to combine the master's thesis and the internship are very limited. This is in general only possible when there is already an agreement with the internship organization to perform research together. Please note: whether it is possible to complete the master's programme in this former set-up depends on the courses that you have completed so far. Have you not completed all (other) master's courses? Please contact the study adviser for your planning.

Supervision requirements
Master's thesis committees will consist of at least two examiners, both employees of the UT, at least one of whom holds a PhD. The first examiner, who supervises the student and is directly involved in the thesis research topic, is to be affiliated with the Psychology programme at the UT as a teacher and/or researcher. A further requirement is that the first examiner/supervisor is to be affiliated with the (department of the) master's specialisation you selected. This may only be derogated from following approval by the track (specialisation) coordinator of the master's specialisation concerned. When the first examiner/supervisor holds a PhD, the second examiner is at least a lecturer (MSc/drs). When the first examiner does not hold a PhD, he or she is at least a PhD candidate. An external, third supervisor can be engaged as an advisor to the master's thesis committee. If a student (and/or supervisor) in an exceptional case wishes to derogate from the above requirements on the master thesis committee, the student has to submit an application thereto with the Psychology examination board.

1.2 Finding a master thesis project

Finding a suitable project is time-consuming. The student needs to be aware of this to start off well. The ways to find a project are presented here, but will also be explained in more detail and specified for the master’s specialisation you chose at the introductory lecture during the first week of your master’s programme (September or February). For every specialisation there is a coordinator, called track coordinator. These are:

HFE

M.W. Westerhof, MSc.

m.w.westerhof@utwente.nl 

CRS  

dr. S.J. Watson

s.j.watson@utwente.nl

HPT

dr. C.H.C. Drossaert

c.h.c.drossaert@utwente.nl

PCPT

dr. A.M. Sools

a.m.sools@utwente.nl

EP

dr. A.M. van Dijk

a.m.vandijk@utwente.nl

1. The first option is choosing from available projects.
For choosing an available project you check the website with the list of subjects. The exact procedure differs per specialisation and is described on this page. In some cases you need to contact the supervisor of a specific thesis subject yourself and in other cases you need to contact the track coordinator first.

2. The second option is that you search yourself for available projects offered by companies or institutes1.
In order to be able to determine the suitability of a master thesis project you have to keep in mind that the core of a master thesis project implies a design or a research component (including empirical, evaluative and reflective aspects, grounded in a theoretical and scientific framework). If you would like to search yourself for available projects offered by companies or institutes please address the following questions:

Before you approach an organisation about a position/project they offer, contact the track coordinator first. The university has long-existing contacts with many organisations. Even if there is not an assignment available via the aforementioned websites, the university might already be in contact with an organisation for a project or has contacts available to approach. Therefore, it is important that you first check with the track coordinator whether there are existing contacts before you approach an organisation. The track coordinator can also assess the suitability of the project for your master's thesis.
Note: International students may need a work permit to execute a master's thesis project in a company or institute. In this regard, students should contact the Faculty’s Office for International Affairs, Ravelijn 3270: internationalstudentsupport-bms@utwente.nl

3. The third option is that you come up with your own (internal) project1.
In this case, the student has to send a brief research proposal (one A-4 page) to the track coordinator. This should include a clear problem definition, adjacent research questions, scientific relevance and feasibility, and the expected outcomes of the project. If the project seems feasible (e.g. sufficiently concurring with the faculty’s expertise, possibility to embody scientific research questions, doable in the given period), the coordinator will try to find a supervisor who is willing and able to supervise the project.

1. Options 2 and 3 are not possible to opt for in the PCPT specialisation. However, if you consider a 23 EC master's thesis in combination with a research-education internship, please consult the master's coordinator (well in advance) for related possibilities.