COURSE CURRICULUM

The Research Master’s program in Education and Child Studies is a two-year, research-oriented program that combines rigorous academic training with practical experience to prepare students for careers in research and professional practice. The structure is designed to gradually build both theoretical and applied expertise. The compulsory component, worth 50 ECTS, provides a solid foundation in the research process, ranging from designing projects and conducting analyses to presenting findings and writing academically. Within this part, students complete nine unique courses in small groups, including Conducting and Evaluating Empirical Research, Presenting Research and Academic Writing, Methods and Instruments in Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Designing Research for Science and Society, Applied Multivariate Data Analysis, Recent Advances in Education and Child Studies, Small Sample Size Approaches in Relational and Intervention Designs, Test Theory and Scale Development, and Research Colloquia. Alongside compulsory courses, students specialise further by selecting one of six profiles worth 25 ECTS, which link research to the practice of education and child studies. Three of these profiles—Forensische Gezinspedagogiek, Orthopedagogiek, and Leerproblemen—are clinically oriented and provide eligibility for Dutch professional registration (NVO) as Basis Orthopedagoog, requiring Dutch proficiency. The other three profiles—Educational Science, Parenting and Child Development, and Applied Neuroscience in Human Development—are non-clinical and accessible without Dutch proficiency. Each profile contains three mandatory courses and two electives, offering both depth and flexibility. In the second year, students gain practical skills through a 20 ECTS research internship at an external organisation, tailored to the chosen profile. Non-clinical profiles may complete internships in schools, research institutions, or family support organisations, while clinical profiles focus on placements in clinical facilities. The program culminates in a 25 ECTS Research Master’s project and thesis, beginning in the first year and continuing throughout the second. Working closely with experienced researchers in a master-apprentice model, students contribute to a larger project and produce a thesis written in the form of an academic article suitable for submission to an international peer-reviewed journal.