Your future

• Graduated: 2018
• First job: Research at United Nations University/Maastricht Graduate School of Governance
• Current job: Project Manager at an international NGO

In 2018 I graduated from the MSc. Health and Social Psychology. Before this, I obtained a double MSc. Public Policy & Human Development with a specialisation in Migration Studies. The master Health and Social Psychology allowed me to apply scientific theories on human behavior in practice. After the master, I worked as a researcher with United Nations University/Maastricht Graduate School of Governance where I researched mental health within migrants in order to influence public policy. Currently, I am working as a project officer in an international NGO who supports migrants with voluntary return. The master Health and Social Psychology helps me in difficult and emotional conversations with returnees.

• Graduated: 2020
• First job: National Mental Health Programme in the field of education.
• Current job: National coordinator for Adult mental health centres

Studying in Maastricht was one of the best decisions I ever made. I found my true calling, gained lots of knowledge and made beautiful memories. Even though getting a job after graduating was not as easy as I thought it would be, I got a job at the National Institute of Public Health after a year of searching. My first job was on the National Mental Health Programme in the field of education. I am still at the same programme, but I’m currently working as a National coordinator for Adult mental health centres. I’m providing support for the newly established Centres and participate in the development of clinical pathways, work forms, cooperation protocols etc. The master’s programme helped me improve my organizational and research skills, encouraged my critical and analytical thinking, and gave me an insight into people’s behaviour, what affects it and how to try and change it. It also made me realize that prevention programmes are key to a better world, so I am trying my best to contribute to it.

• Graduated: 2018
• First job: Sustainable Communities Specialist at CEMEX (Mexican multinational building materials company)
• Current job: Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor

I am really glad that I did my masters in Health and Social Psychology, since it gave me a variety of tools and skills that led me to work in very international and interesting environments. As soon as I graduated, I came back to my hometown in Mexico and found a job at the Corporate Responsibility Department of one of the biggest building materials companies in the world, CEMEX. Since I focused my thesis research on the behaviour of groups of people regarding sustainability, I gained the skills necessary to perform this job. Most of my job involved my participation in different programs held throughout the world, which sought to develop sustainable communities. 

At the same time, I continued my clinical education by getting certifications on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Eating Disorders. So now, I am a certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and have my online business, where I provide sessions to help people improve their relationships with their bodies, food, and exercise. I like that the master’s provides a lot of tools which can help you go towards many different professional paths. 

• Graduated: 2017
• First job: Research Assistant at the University of Cambridge, Behaviour Change by Design Programme
• Current job: PhD candidate at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam

I often think back about my time in Maastricht and wish I could relive that experience again. It was the perfect combination of a thought-provoking study programme, a lovely city, friends from all over the world and endless opportunities for personal growth. I thoroughly enjoyed the master’s programme and learnt a lot about topics that I was interested in both scientifically and personally, for example – why is it so difficult to change habits? During the second semester I did a research internship to work on a field study in a university cafeteria, an experience that I believe helped me to get a Research Assistant position at the University of Cambridge afterwards. It is not to say that everything was perfect all the time – of course there was stress about the deadlines and sometimes frustrations and disagreements, but overall, it was a year of tremendous academic and personal growth.

• Graduated: 2020
• First job: psychologist in a psychosomatic rehabilitation clinic
• Current job: education to become a CBT psychotherapist while working in an acute psychiatry

Doing the master in Health and Social Psychology was definitely the right choice for me. The wide range of topics gave me a valuable understanding of behaviour on an individual as well as global level. The two things I especially appreciated about the programme were the balance between discussing theoretical models and designing practical applications and combining scientific understanding with creativity when designing interventions to promote healthy behaviour. In terms of the teaching format, the friendly atmosphere of lectures and tutorials made it easy to get in contact with other students and staff alike. The skills I developed during this programme are central for my job now and I definitely miss the study groups, coffee breaks and university events. All in all, I can highly recommend this programme.

• Graduated: 2019
• First and current job: PhD Student in Cognitive, Computational, and Social Neurosciences

I will always be grateful for having the opportunity to study Health and Social Psychology at Maastricht University. I got to Maastricht for the second part of my double degree programme, and I did it with the confidence that I was some kind of veteran of university studies. However, the master surprised me with the richness of the contents and the quality of teaching. In particular, the research-oriented approach of the courses, and the six-month research internship, were extremely helpful for my career. While studying for my PhD, I've always felt I had my back covered by the knowledge and skills I've learned there. I often go back to my notes and papers we discussed during PBLs, and think, "wow, I truly learned a lot there!". Overall, thank you for preparing me for life in academia!

• Graduated: 2020
• First & current job: Marketing Psychologist in the Behavioral Science team of an AI-based fintech company in Berlin, Germany

After my bachelor’s, I was very unsure which path to proceed. Do I see myself becoming clinical psychologist or do I rather want to work in a more business-related setting? Based on that incertitude I decided to pursue the Health and Social Psychology masters as it allows for the possibility to work in either of the fields. In fact, learning about self-regulation and manipulation tactics, bad habits and how to change behavioral patterns overall is not only something that is of great value in the clinical setting but also provides a valuable foundation for working in the business field. Understanding human (and thus also consumers) behavior and learning how to nudge them towards a more desired behavior continues to become more of importance in a world centered on consumption, conversion, retention, and customer satisfaction.

• Graduated: 2015
• First job: Research Assistant
• Current job: Associate Registrar for Recruitment at Nipissing University.

After completing my master's programme in Health and Social Psychology I obtained a job as a research assistant. The focus of our research was on the social determinants of health and their impacts on child development. Currently, I am the Associate Registrar for Recruitment at Nipissing University. I believe that my education from Maastricht was foundational in my career path. In my current role I still use concepts, skills, and theories I learned regularly to inform the work that I do. I enjoyed my time at Maastricht and feel it prepared me well for my career.