International Joint Master of Research in Work and Organizational Psychology

What is your current job? 
I work as an Analyst at Deloitte in the Technology and Transformation department, helping companies digitalise their human resource department.

What was your motivation for starting and completing this master’s programme?
Having always lived in Madrid, I wanted to challenge myself by living abroad, experiencing new cultures, and stepping out of my comfort zone. 

Which part of the study programme did you appreciate the most, and why?
Its strong focus on research. Coming from a mainly theoretical psychology background, I valued learning how to critically analyse existing research and develop a more analytical and evidence-based mindset. I also greatly appreciated the multicultural environment of the programme, as I met people from very different cultural backgrounds and learned a lot from them. 

What surprised you most during the master’s programme?
The research component and how much I gained from it. It opened up a whole new world for me and significantly changed the way I understand and approach academic work. On a more personal level, the experience also helped me realise that with effort and consistency, anything can be achieved.

How did you experience having to relocate multiple times for this master’s programme?
Overall, I experienced relocation in a positive way. From a psychological perspective, even if I occasionally felt some stress, I considered it a natural and logical part of the experience. In general, I really enjoyed changing homes and adapting to new environments.

What learning experience during the master’s programme has shaped you or your future/career the most?
This programme helped me develop a strong critical mindset. I learned to question information, think beyond conventional approaches, and approach problems from different perspectives. It also taught me the importance of searching for information from reliable sources, comparing different sources, and not taking conclusions at face value.

In addition, the experience helped me become more flexible when working with others. I learned that not everyone shares the same background or way of working, and that letting go of preconceptions from the very beginning is essential for effective collaboration and mutual learning.

What concrete advice would you give to students who are considering this master’s programme?
My main advice would be to be aware that the programme requires continuous work, but that the workload is manageable if it is handled consistently. If you keep up with the readings and prepare the required papers on a daily basis, everything flows much more smoothly and there is no need for last-minute studying late at night.

I would also strongly encourage students to learn from both their classmates and their professors, as everyone brings different perspectives, experiences, and ways of working that can be very enriching.

Finally, enjoy the experience. It is a great international opportunity that allows you to live in three very different cities and cultures. Go into it with an open mind, take the time to explore, travel, rest, and enjoy yourself. There is time for everything—studying, socialising, travelling, and taking care of yourself. In the end, the experience itself is what you will remember forever and what you will truly take with you.

What is your current job?
Work and organizational psychologist in occupational health management for the Hamburg Police. My main responsibility is the psychological risk assessment at work. Additional responsibilities include the psychosocial emergency care for emergency personnel, health-oriented training programs, and workplace conflict resolution.
Part-time, I also work as a self-employed coach and mediator, supporting individuals and teams in personal development and conflict resolution.

What was your motivation for starting and completing this master’s programme?
I wanted to become a work and organizational psychologist to support employees with everyday work-related challenges. At the same time, I wanted to explore the possibility of a PhD and continue studying in an international context.

Which part of the study programme did you appreciate the most, and why?
I really value the friendships that developed during the programme, especially because we shared challenges and a home across the different locations. In addition, I appreciated the research-oriented perspective, as it gave me the confidence that, should I decide to pursue a PhD in the future, I would be well prepared to do so.

How did you experience the workload and supervision during the master’s programme?
Due to the involvement of three universities with different teaching approaches and supervision styles, the learning experience varied, meaning that each student encountered formats that suited them well and others that were more challenging. Personally, I love the independent learning approach in Maastricht, while the lecture-heavy formats in Lüneburg and the continuous small assignments in Valencia were less aligned with my learning style, although I recognise that these structures worked well for other students. A shared benefit across all three universities: As a small international and somewhat unique academic cohort, we felt that professors were genuinely interested in us as a group and committed to ensuring that we felt academically well supported.

How did you experience having to relocate multiple times for this master’s programme?
I really wanted to use this time to live in different places and get to know new environments and people. Although some things, like finding accommodation, were challenging, we were always able to support each other, so it never felt overwhelming.

How did this master’s programme help you find your first job after graduation?
As a graduate, new opportunities open up, the difficulty is finding your niche. For me, the primary goal was to work closely with people and the real-world challenges they face in the workplace, where employers can make a meaningful impact.

What makes your current job enjoyable or a good fit for you as a person?
I find my role rewarding because I work closely with people, particularly with emergency personnel, contribute to improvements in their work environment, experience real-life crisis situations, and can bring research insights into practice.

What concrete advice would you give to students who are considering this master’s programme?
If you can embrace the programme’s challenges and diversity, and are prepared to adapt to different teaching styles, workloads, statistical methods, cultural environments, and peers from diverse backgrounds, it offers a unique opportunity at a stage of life that is hard to find elsewhere.

What is your current job?
Strategy Consultant, TTE Strategy GmbH

What was your motivation for starting and completing this master’s programme?
My interest was to deepen my understanding of Work and Organizational Psychology, particularly in how to research and apply its principles. I believe that sustainable ways of working are key to building a healthy and fulfilling career.

Which part of the study programme did you appreciate the most, and why?
Studying at three different universities allowed me to experience diverse education systems and develop the ability to navigate and adapt within them. I particularly enjoyed the statistical component, using data to generate insights and translate them into actionable outcomes beyond the “ivory tower” and into real-world applications. Finally, I appreciated to be in an international environment both, student and academic wise. 

What surprised you most during the master’s programme?
The breadth of topics within Work and Organizational Psychology and the wide range of career opportunities available beyond pursuing a PhD after completing the programme.

How did you experience having to relocate multiple times for this master’s programme?
I found it incredibly exciting. I loved experiencing different cities, connecting with people, especially through sports, exploring diverse lifestyles and culinary cultures, even though the constant search for housing over nearly two years was sometimes mentally demanding.

Which knowledge or skills acquired during the programme do you use most in your current work?
Critical thinking, critically evaluating methodologies, developing hypotheses, and testing them, even if in a less formal, non-academic context.

In what ways does research currently play a role in your work?
I conduct extensive research across a range of topics, which makes it essential to know where to find reliable information and how to quickly distill key insights. I also apply principles from Work and Organizational Psychology to my project work whenever relevant.

What makes your current job enjoyable or a good fit for you as a person?
I enjoy project-based work that allows me to dive into different topics and industries, continuously develop new skills, and deepen my understanding of evolving dynamics. I also thrive in high-performance teams that are driven, translate ideas into action quickly, approach problems creatively, and foster continuous learning.

What concrete advice would you give to students who are considering this master’s programme?
Before starting the programme, carefully assess your motivation and resilience. It is highly valuable, teaches a wide range of transferable skills, and provides capabilities that are useful even if you do not plan to pursue an academic career. Remain flexible and adaptable, as your environment and circumstances will continue to evolve.

What is your current job?
PhD Researcher, UGent, Researching entrepreneurial well-being

What was your motivation for starting and completing this master’s programme?
My motivation for starting this master’s programme was to deepen my specialisation in organizational psychology, which had already become the focus of my bachelor’s dissertation. I wanted to learn more about how people work together, what enables teams to function effectively, and which factors improve collaboration and performance. The master’s further developed my interest in team processes and laid the foundation for the work I now do in my PhD, where I focus more extensively on team research. Looking back, it was a very natural and meaningful continuation of the academic path I had already started to shape.

Which part of the study programme did you appreciate the most, and why?
Its international and interdisciplinary character. Studying in different countries and academic environments, engaging with different research traditions, and learning alongside people from very diverse backgrounds made the experience incredibly valuable. It helped me grow both personally and intellectually, broadened the way I think about research and collaboration, and gave me not only a rich academic toolkit, but also friendships that I still deeply value today.

What surprised you most during the master’s programme?
The exceptionally high academic level of the programme and the amount of trust placed in us as students. The freedom and responsibility we were given in our dissertation projects, the research project in Lüneburg, and the intensive but highly stimulating discussions in courses like Critical Reading really showed me how seriously our ideas and work were taken. Now that I am doing my PhD, it often feels like I had already completed two years of PhD-level preparation during the master’s programme.

Which knowledge or skills acquired during the programme do you use most in your current work?
Resilience, self-directed learning, independent research skills, and the ability to build strong interpersonal connections. These skills are essiential in my PhD, where I continuously rely on them to design studies, conduct research, manage long-term projects, and collaborate with others. 

In what ways does research currently play a role in your work?
It plays a central role in my current work, as my work involves designing studies, collecting and analysing data and understanding and contributing to the scientific literature. 

What concrete advice would you give to students who are considering this master’s programme?
My advice would be to embrace the programme fully, both academically and personally. Be open to the mobility, the diversity of perspectives, and the challenges that might come with adapting to the new environments. Those aspects can feel demanding at times, but you'll growth into it quickly. Be proactive, engage with the other students and use the programme to build both skills and relationships.

What is your current job?
PhD Candidate (Eindhoven University of Technology) & Lecturer at TH Rosenheim; I am mainly involved in researching about the challenges and opportunities of AI at the workplace, specifically focusing on group dynamics. I present those results and discuss insights in various conferences. Further, I am involved in teaching a range of organisational behaviour topics (e.g., well-being, motivation, leadership). 

What was your motivation for starting and completing this master’s programme?
I was intrigued by the promise of doing evidence-based consultation on organisational problems. Based on my psychology studies, I was putting great value on rigorous research practices and commercialising scientific insights that can create measurable impact. In addition, I was ruminating about the possibility of a research career and wanted to learn more about what's happening behind the curtain. Thus, I was motivated by becoming more specialised in organisational behaviour as well as exploring the potential of a research-heavy career. 

Which part of the study programme did you appreciate the most, and why?
I think the biggest and long-lasting effects come from the Course "Critical Reading" as well as performing our own research project under guidance of prof. dr. Loschelder. Both courses gave me valuable insight on how to think about, discuss and evaluate science, both positively and negatively. In addition to this, the general structure of IJMRWOP that relates to coming to three different universities with partly overlapping but still specialised expertise and foci, as well as the small but highly international community, was exciting. 

How did you experience having to relocate multiple times for this master’s programme?
I saw it as a privilege and never thought about it as a burden. We had some small struggles (like really small (e.g., timetables not communicated early enough or missing letters/confirmations from one uni to the other). Some students never get the chance to study, live and experience in a foreign country, and we had three of them. 

What learning experience during the master’s programme has shaped you or your future/career the most? 
I think the ability to think critical and not taking one study result, approach or message for granted. As a result, my whole perspective on science, science communication as well as engaging in socio-political discussions at large has changed a lot. On the downside, I feel like I can hardly take on jobs anymore where things are performed without proper preparation or evaluation (thats a bit of irony speaking here). 

What concrete advice would you give to students who are considering this master’s programme?
Try it. Even if you do not stay in academia, you will learn crucial things about your own resilience and person, about how proper research, intervention design or evaluation is conducted as well as what it means to work hard. This programme will not only open up doors better in terms of academia, but also provide you with so much depth of knowledge on a range of organizational phenomena and thinking skills that you are ready to rock your career in whatever organizational department you want to explore yourself further. And this is only content-based, completely neglecting the fun and international experience in itself. 

What is your current job?
Psychologist at European Institutions - Research, Innovation & Test Development at the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)

Which part of the study programme did you appreciate the most, and why?
I mostly appreciated problem based learning in Maastricht, because it combined reading scientific studies and having fruitful discussion in which students were encouraged to think critically. The best aspects of the programme were those that focused on applying our knowledge in real life scenarios, and preparing us to work outside academia. 

How did you experience the workload and supervision during the master’s programme?
There was a lot of workload, and the master's programme was intense, but I always felt we had great support, great professors, and enough supervision. The programme requires a lot of studying, preparing and good organisation skills. Nevertheless, it is also possible to have good work life balance, to volunteer next to your studies and enjoy your student days.

What learning experience during the master’s programme has shaped you or your future/career the most?
Strong methodological approach, statistical and data analysis skills, as well as applying this knowledge through courses on interventions in HR. 

How did this master’s programme help you find your first job after graduation?
The programme equipped me with strong research skills and knowledge about organisational behaviour, which helped me find the first job. By specialising in these two domains I was able to stand out among many candidates who specialised in only one domain. In addition, intercultural experience of studying in different countries helped me find and quickly adapt to a job abroad. 

In what ways does research currently play a role in your work?
Working as a psychologist in psychometrics, I apply research methodologies to develop and validate tests, and use statistical analysis to evaluate reliability, validity, and item performance. Research principles guide how I design assessments and interpret data with scientific rigor.

What makes your current job enjoyable or a good fit for you as a person?
Combining scientific thinking with practical impact. I enjoy collaborating with other psychologists and experts from different fields, which broadens my perspective and keeps the work intellectually stimulating. I also enjoy using my knowledge to develop tests and then see them applied in real-world practice. I find it especially rewarding to work in a dynamic, international environment and to continuous learn.

What concrete advice would you give to students who are considering this master’s programme?
My main advice would be to know yourself well before starting. The programme can be incredibly rewarding if you enjoy traveling, experiencing new cultures, and meeting new people. However, adapting to a new environment while managing a high academic workload can be challenging, so it’s important to be prepared for that balance.

Also, don’t be discouraged if you feel unsure about your statistical skills. Even though the programme has a strong focus on statistics, it is taught in a structured and supportive way, and you will have time to truly learn and understand it. These skills may feel demanding at first, but they will become extremely valuable in your future career.