Psychology: Child and Adolescent Psychology

Master

Description

Children and adolescents may experience a wide range of psychological difficulties.

This Master’s specialisation offers intensive studies in developmental psychopathology, helps students translate theory into practice in addressing the varied needs and difficulties experienced by children and adolescents, fosters the development of key skills for clinical work with young people, and prepares students for entry into Post-Masters training programmes and employment in education and mental health settings.

The focus of the Master’s programme is on psychological and educational problems in childhood and adolescence, but good understanding of atypical development requires a solid understanding of normal development.

In the process, students will have developed skills to empower young people and their families and teachers to overcome psychological problems that can occur among children and adolescents. Students will be expert in both the normal development of children and adolescents, and in the psychological problems that may arise.

This program can also help prepare students for entry into Post-Masters training programmes and employment in education and mental health settings.

Visit our Masters In Leiden page for more information about Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Objectives

Child and Adolescent Psychology prepares students for the assessment and treatment of psychological difficulties that may be experienced by children and adolescents. Students acquire in depth knowledge about:

theoretical models of social and cognitive development and the interplay of risk and protective factors in atypical development;
ways to differentiate atypical from typical development and the use of classification systems of childhood disorders; and
choosing and applying the most appropriate intervention strategy for each problem area.

Curriculum

The curriculum of 60 EC offers a variety of courses and a supervised master thesis. The specialisation consists of:

4 mandatory courses (20 EC)
thesis (20 EC)
practical internship (10 EC) and 10 EC elective course(s) or a clinical practical internship (20 EC)

Master's Kick Off

At this day (29 August 2024 for students starting in September and 30 January 2025 for students starting in February) your attendance is strongly advised.

During the Master's Kick Off you will be handed important information on how to organise your studies at Leiden University. The coordinator of your specialisation will be present. You do not want to miss this!

You can find the event page of the Master's Kick Off on the right-hand side of this page.

First year

From academic year 2024-2025, the course Behaviour Training with Children (BTC), which is compulsory for students in the Child and Adolescent Psychology (CAP) specialisation, will be replaced by the new course Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Semester 2).

For students who started in the master's programme before September 2024 and have not yet successfully completed the compulsory Behaviour Training with Children course, this course will be offered once more in Semester 1 of academic year 2024-2025.

Students who start in the master’s programme per September 2024, will follow the new course Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Semester 2).

Course	EC	Semester 1	Semester 2
Compulsory coursework Students take either Behaviour Training with Children or Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (depending on start date, see above)
Advanced Psychodiagnostics in Children and Adolescents	5
Solution Focused Therapy	5
Behaviour Training with Children	5
Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology	5
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with Young People	5
Master Thesis in MSc. Psychology	20
Choose one of the following options as internship
Clinical Practical Internship Psychology	20
Internal Practical Internship (IPI)	10
Internship Psychology	10
Recommended electives If an internship of 10 EC is chosen, add 10 EC electives. See overview of all electives
Advanced Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	5
Giftedness and Talent Development: A Transactional Perspective	5
e-Health Interventions in Mental Health Care	5
Perspectives in Clinical Neuroscience	5

More info

Additional information

Contact

Student representative

Find your student representative in the overview of programme committee members: Student representative

General coordinator

Dr. M.G.N. Bos m.g.n.bos@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Career Perspective

Career preparation in the master specialisation Child and Adolescent Psychology

In addition to offering you a solid university education, Leiden University aims to prepare you as well as possible for the labour market, and in doing so contribute to the development of your employability. In this way, it will become easier for you to make the transition to the labour market, to remain employable in a dynamic labour market, in a (career) job that suits your own personal values, preferences and development.

'Employability' consists of the following aspects that you will develop within your study programme, among others:

Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
Knowledge and skills specific to your study programme.
Transferable skills
These are skills that are relevant to every student and that you can use in all kinds of jobs irrespective of your study programme, for example: researching, analysing, project-based working, generating solutions, digital skills, collaborating, oral communication, written communication, presenting, societal awareness, independent learning, resilience. But also think of job application skills: preparing a CV, formulating a cover letter, compiling a LinkedIn profile, networking, practising job interviews, preparing and holding a pitch.
Self-reflection
This involves reflecting on your own (study) career (choices), reflecting on your own profile and your personal and professional development. Gaining insight into, among other things, your competences and personality, your (work) values and motives. what can you do with your knowledge and skills on the labour market?
Who are you, what can you do well, what do you find interesting, what suits you, what do you find important, what do you want to do?
Practical experience
Gaining practical experience through practical and social internships and work placements, external research internships and projects, practical assignments, which are integrated into an elective, minor or graduation assignment, business challenges etc.
Labour market orientation
Gaining insight into the labour market, fields of work, jobs and career paths through, for example, guest speakers from the work field, alumni presentations and experiences, career events within the study programme, the use of the alumni mentor network, interviewing people from the work field, and shadowing/visiting companies in the context of a particular subject.

Employability in the master specialisation Child and Adolescent Psychology

In your programme, you will also find these employability elements.

Subject-specific and transferable skills
These skills are addressed in the various courses of the programme. Check the specific course descriptions in the study guide to see which skills are involved.

Examples of courses that pay attention to the other employability elements are:

Self-reflection

Practical experience

Labour market orientation

Activities to prepare for the labour market outside the curriculum

Every year, various activities take place, within, alongside and outside of your study programme, which contribute to your preparation for the labour market, especially where it concerns orientation towards the work field/the labour market, (career) skills and self-reflection. These may be information meetings on decision moments within your programme, but also career workshops and events organised by your own programme, the faculty Career Service or your study association.

For example:

Workshops and (faculty) career events organised by the (faculty) Career Services
Workshops and career events of study association Labyrint and SPS NIP

Career Service, LU Career Zone and career workshops calendar

Faculty Career Service
The Career Service of your faculty offers information and advice on study (re)orientation and master's choice, (study) career planning, orientation on the labour market and job applications.

Leiden University Career Zone Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career. You can find advice, information, (career) tests and tools in the area of (study) career planning, career possibilities with your study, job market orientation, job applications, the Alumni Mentor network, job portal, workshops and events and career services.

Workshops and events
On the course calendar you will find an overview of career and application workshops, organised by the Career services.

Links: