What does it take to become a clinical psychologist

After completing this Master’s programme, you will fulfil the requirements to become a basic psychologist (Dutch Association of Psychologists (NIP)). This gives our Dutch students an excellent starting position in a junior level job. For our international students, the programme prepares you either for a fine career in or outside academia. Your career prospects are partly determined by your specialisation and which country you want to pursue your career.

Accreditation

The requirements to registration as licensed health psychologist or clinical psychologist vary across the world. The Clinical Psychology Master’s curriculum is accredited within the Dutch system of education and training in clinical psychology. Formal accreditation in other countries is conducted by the national association of psychologists of the particular country. For more information, please contact your national association of psychologists for more information (for addresses please visit http://www.iupsys.net/about/members/national-members/ or http://www.apa.org/international/networks/organizations/national-orgs.aspx).

In the Netherlands, post-graduate training is required to become a registered Health Care Psychologist ‘Gezondheidszorgpsycholoog’ (2 year program) or registered Clinical Psychologist ‘Klinisch Psycholoog’ (an additional 4 year program). Note that these post-graduate programmes are offered in Dutch only. The Clinical Psychology track when having done a clinical internship meets the admission requirements for the Health Care Psychologist training.

These websites provide more information regarding admission requirements and regulations of the post-academic training in the Netherlands: www.rinogroep.nl/GZ, https://www.ppo-opleidingen.nl/, http://www.vlogo.nl/categorie/logo-verklaring.

ACADEMIC CAREER

• Researcher, e.g. PhD candidate

What will your work entail?
As a PhD candidate you will conduct four years of research at a domestic or foreign university. You will publish scientific articles and give lectures to students. After defending your PhD thesis, you can continue in a research position. 

TRANSITION TO THE LABOUR MARKET

The programme prepares you for work in the mental healthcare field.

You will, for example, be qualified to work as:

• a basic psychologist (in a clinical setting)

You can work at various types of institutions such as:

• institutions for (ambulatory) mental healthcare (such as the Riagg ambulatory mental health services)
• hospitals
• care and nursing homes
• rehabilitation centres
• psychiatric institutions
• institutions for refugee care
• judicial institutions
• practice support General Practitioner care

What will your work entail?

• diagnostics
• treatment
• policymaking

Further development
The clinical track is a basic prerequisite for specialised BIG Post-Master’s programmes.

Career development

To help you prepare for your career and familiarise yourself with the labour market the programme, the faculty and Utrecht University offers several services and activities.

During your study programme you will already be exposed to your future profession in various ways. Your internship will often be outside the university. Moreover, many of your lecturers work (part-time) in the healthcare sector. 

Many lecturers within the Clinical Psychology are active in clinical care themselves. They also contribute to the Post-Master’s Healthcare Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist programmes. They ensure authentic case studies are included in the course programme. 

The programme works closely with various important healthcare institutions such as:

• Altrecht (particularly geared towards anxiety disorders)
• ARQ Foundation (particularly geared towards trauma and loss)
• Foundation Centrum ’45 (trauma and loss)
• Doctors without Borders (trauma and loss)
• Military Mental Healthcare (trauma and loss)

This cooperation takes the form of research projects, doctorate defences and clinical internships. 

What's Next?!

Every year, the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences organises What's Next?! to prepare you for the world of further studies, internships and job-hunting. Over the course of two weeks, you can attend all kinds of free workshops intended to help you plan your future and acquire new skills which will come in handy after your studies. Keep an eye on the What's Next?! web page for more information about the upcoming edition of this event.

UU Career Services

Career Services offers training related to career orientation and job application skills; examples include writing an job application letter and a resume or how to conduct a job interview.  You can find more information about career services on Career Services for Dutch students or Career Services for international students.

UU CareersDay

Once a year Utrecht University organises the CareersDay, which brings students and companies together. The Careers Day offers you the opportunity to sign up for workshops and trainings, and to meet recruiters at the Career Fair. For example, you can attend a job application training or have your resume checked.

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