Study programme

Programme outline

 First semesterSecond semester

First year

  • Human Development and Developmental Psychopathology 7.5 EC
  • Context of Psychosocial Development: Family Processes, Peer Relationships and Culture 7.5 EC
  • Multivariate Statistics in Practice 7.5 EC
  • Research Practicum I 7.5 EC
  • Relationships, Personality and Adjustment in Adolescence 7.5 EC
  • Social and Cultural Dynamics of Development and Socialization 7.5 EC
  • Introduction in Multilevel and Structural Equation Modelling 7.5 EC
  • Research Practicum II 7.5 EC
Second year
  • Elective course 7.5 EC
  • Assessment, Treatment, and Evaluation 7.5 EC
  • Internship 7.5 EC
  • Research Seminar I 2.5 EC
  • Master’s Thesis (year-round) 30 EC
  • Research Seminar II 5 EC
  • Master’s Thesis 

Year 1

In the first year of the curriculum, you will learn to integrate theories (from both the theoretical and research courses) and methods (from the methodology and statistics courses) in specific assignments for the research practicals. This first year consists of three types of courses:

  • General courses on theory and research in development and socialisation in childhood and adolescence
  • Methodology and statistics courses
  • Research practica

Year 2

The second year includes:

  • Two general courses on theory and research
  • One course on academic skills and methodology and statistics
  • Research internship and writing a Master’s thesis

Below, you will find an overview of courses from the current academic year of this Master's. This overview is meant to give you an idea of what to expect. The course offer may change in the coming academic year.

The internship turned out to be of extreme value for my future research career, and I gained much more knowledge and confidence than I had previously imagined I could.

Elective course according to your specific interests

One of the courses in this programme is an elective course. The aim of this course is to provide useful additional expertise in selected fields of development and socialisation research, complementing what you have learned in other DaSCA courses. The elective course is chosen individually, according to the specific needs of each individual student and in close consultation with the coordinator.

Theses from recent graduates

Students in this programme have written Master's theses on a wide variety of subjects, and some have successfully gone through the process of getting their work published in academic journals. Some examples from recent years include:

  • Snijders, V. E., Bogicevic, L., Verhoeven, M. & van Baar, A. L. (2020). Toddlers’ language development: The Gradual effect of gestational age, attention capacities, and maternal sensitivity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (21), 7926.
  • Kühl, E., Geeraerts, S., Deković, M., Schoemaker, K., Bunte, T., Espy, K. & Matthys, W. (2021). Trajectories of executive functions and ADHD Symptoms in preschoolers and the role of negative parental discipline. Developmental Neuropsychology, 46, 537-554.
  • Van de Wetering, J., Leijten, P., Spitzer, J., & Thomaes, S. (2022). Does environmental education benefit environmental outcomes in children and adolescents? A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 81, 101782.
  • Sneijders, G., Reitz, E. & Endendijk, J.J. (2025). Profiles of Sexual Double Standard Norms and Their Association with Sexual Pleasure in the Context of Sexual Intercourse among Dutch Adolescents: A Person-Centered Approach. Archives of Sexual Behavior.