Psychology | Work and Organisational Psychology

Application deadlines

The master’s programme in Psychology starts in September.
The deadlines below are applicable to applicants who want to start their studies in September 2026 .

Note: if you are viewing this webpage on your phone, we recommend using landscape mode.

^{*Studielink is the national registration system for higher education,
**The MyApplication portal is Maastricht University’s application and enrolment platform.}

General requirements: previous education

The admission requirements for the academic year 2026-2027 for the master's programme in Psychology depend on your previous education. Please check below which requirements apply to you.

Please note: The Board of Admissions cannot give any advice about your admission chances on the basis of email information. If you want to know if you qualify for admission, you must apply in Studielink/MyApplication portal.

Equivalent bachelor's and/or master's degree

In order to determine if a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree is equivalent to a Dutch university bachelor’s and/or master’s degree, the Board of Admissions makes use of NUFFIC diploma recognition. NUFFIC issues recommendations on the value of higher or secondary education diplomas obtained outside the Netherlands. Where possible, the foreign diploma is compared to a Dutch diploma. As well as evaluating the diploma, NUFFIC is also able to determine whether a study programme or an educational institution is officially recognised. Bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees that NUFFIC judges as non-equivalent to a Dutch university bachelor’s and/or master’s degree will not be admitted.

If you are uncertain whether your bachelor’s and/or master’s degree is equivalent to a Dutch university bachelor’s and/or master’s degree you are strongly advised to submit a request via the NUFFIC website to have this checked prior to submitting your application.

The same holds for the combination of a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from a university of applied sciences (HBO) and a pre-master's in Psychology. The bachelor’s degree must be equivalent to a Dutch university of applied sciences (HBO) bachelor’s degree according to NUFFIC.

Additional requirements

You need to complete the 'Academic background form', which you will find in the MyApplication portal under the task 'Prove your academic capabilities'. In this form, you have to provide details regarding the relevant courses, and the number of (ECTS) credits that you obtained per course.

• 27 ECTS in statistics and research methods on a research university level. This should include courses on statistics, methods, psychometrics, data management, or research ethics, as well as practical experience in carrying out an empirical research project.
• 10 ECTS in academic writing (preferably in English) on a research university level. This should include academic writing courses, academic writing assignments (e.g. bachelor theses), or systematic literature searches.
• 24 ECTS in theoretical courses and skills training covering general knowledge of psychology. This should include courses related to Psychology and/or your chosen specialisation within the programme, such as Introduction to Psychology, Social Psychology, Personality Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuropsychology and/or Biopsychology, Clinical and Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Communication Skills, Intervention and/or Rehabilitation, Psychodiagnostics, Decision Making, or History of Psychology.

If your university does not use the ECTS credit system, you are required to translate the number of obtained credits into the ECTS system (1 ECTS = 28 hours study load). You must upload proof of this credit conversion in the MyApplication portal (e.g. link to a website).

Language requirements for English-language master's programmes

As English is the language of instruction in this study programme, it is essential that your English language skills are sufficient for you to undertake intensive and challenging academic courses that are taught and examined in English.

Answer the questions below to find out if you meet the language requirements.

Statistics

Statistics is a key issue in the master Psychology at Maastricht University and good knowledge of statistics is essential for succeeding in the programme. 

You need to complete the 'Statistics and Methodology checklist', which you will find in the MyApplication portal under the task 'Prove proficiency in statistics'. On this form, you have to indicate the topics you studied in your statistics and methods courses. Applicants must be familiar with the majority of topics mentioned in the checklist.

The statistics topics can be found, for example,in the following book: Andy Field, Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th edition). 

Relevant bachelor’s and/or master’s degree

Your bachelor's and/or master’s degree must be substantially relevant to the master's specialisation of your choice. 

For example, if you have a bachelor's degree in International Business you may - under certain conditions - qualify for admission for the master's programme specialisation ‘Work and Organisational Psychology’ but not for the specialisation ‘Cognitive Neuroscience’.

Motivation letter

If you have followed a bachelor’s programme other than Psychology you are requested to complete the motivation letter form, which you will find in the MyApplication portal under the task 'Upload motivation letter'. In this letter, you need to specify why you want to follow the master’s programme in Psychology and the specialisation of your choice. You must explain how you fulfil the admission requirements for this master's programme and how your background fits with the specialisation of your choice.

Pre-master's programme

In case you do not meet the abovementioned admission requirements, you may qualify for admission to the Dutch-taught pre-master Psychologie programme at FPN.

Click here for more information about the pre-master Psychologie.

Applicants who received their previous education in a non-EU/EEA country (handling fee)

Applicants for this study programme who received their previous education in a non-EU/EEA country will have to pay a handling fee. More information on this handling fee and how to arrange this payment can be found on the handling fee page.

Documents required for application process

During the application process for this study programme you will need to complete a number of tasks for which you will have to upload several documents. The list below gives you an insight into what documents you need to prepare.

Please note: 

• The documents must be uploaded in the MyApplication portal before the application deadline (see ‘Application deadlines’ on this page).
• The documents must be in PDF or Word format. We do not accept ZIP files.
• All documents must be in English.
• Important: Only complete applications will be taken into consideration. Applications that are incomplete at the time of the deadline will not be considered.

  We recommend that you start your application on time, as you will not be able to revise your application after the deadline. 

Required documents for application to this study programme

• A recent passport picture
  The passport picture must satisfy certain requirements. You can find these requirements in the task description 'Upload portrait picture' in the MyApplication portal.
   
• A copy of your valid passport or your EU/EEA identity card*
  Make a copy of the page with your personal details. Save this copy as ‘passport copy’ and not as ‘passport picture’.
  As a UM student you do not need to upload this document in the MyApplication portal unless your passport is not valid on 1 September 2026. In that case, you do have to upload a copy of your passport. 
   
• A copy of your grades transcript and/or diploma of your bachelor’s/master’s degree
  If you have not graduated yet, you can upload the official grades transcript of your bachelor's or master’s programme. This document should include all the courses of the entire bachelor's or master's- programme.
   
• Curriculum vitae
  List your education, relevant extracurricular activities and internship/professional experience.
   
• Statistics and Methodology checklist
  The form will be offered to you in the MyApplication portal.
   
• Academic background form
  The form will be offered to you in the MyApplication portal.
   
• Document(s) that demonstrate your proficiency in English
  Answer the questions concerning language requirements under ‘Language requirements for English-language master’s programmes’ on this webpage to find out if you need to provide additional documentation. The outcome of your answers will indicate which document(s) you can use to prove your proficiency.
   
• A motivation letter
  The form will be offered to you in the MyApplication portal.
   
• Permission for document verification form
  If your diploma is not verified by DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch government agency responsible for education-related matters), you will need to upload the form ‘Permission for document verification’ in the MyApplication portal. This form allows Maastricht University to verify your diploma, grades transcript or other required documents directly with the issuing institution or relevant qualification registry. 

*Please note: 

• Students with a bachelor’s degree other than Psychology need to upload a motivation letter. 
• Students with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from a Dutch university do not need to upload the Academic background form, motivation letter and the Statistics and Methodology checklist 
   

How do we assess your application?

When you want to apply or are applying for this study programme, it is useful for you to know how we assess your application. You can find more information about this in this section.

The Board of Admissions decides whether you qualify for admission based on the application requirements and the documents you have submitted. The board will carefully review your application and decide if you have sufficient background in psychology, statistics, research methods, and academic writing, and if your bachelor's degree fits the specialisation you have chosen. Once the Board of Admissions has come to a decision on your qualification for admission, you will be informed about this by email. We strive to let you know if you are offered a place or not within six weeks after completing your application.