Master of Science in Development and Socialization in Childhood and Adolescence
Utrecht University
Key Information
Campus location
Utrecht, Netherlands
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
EUR 2,209 / per year *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* EU/EEA, Surinam or Swiss students; €17,500: International students
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Introduction
How do socialization contexts influence the development of children and adolescents?
Why is it that young males, in particular, tend to get involved in crime? Is it because they have the "wrong" friends? Were they not socialized properly? Is it due to dispositional factors? Are there hereditary factors at work?
From the day a child is born, his family and the culture in which he’s raised have a huge impact on his socio-emotional development and psychological adjustment. As he grows up, his school and networks of friends and peers become more and more influential in his development. The two-year Master’s program in Development and Socialisation in Childhood and Adolescence (DaSCA) gives you the theoretical and methodological background to analyze this development.
"The Master’s is definitely challenging, but the professors and staff put a lot of time and energy into the students. The classes are quite small, so you get a lot of personal attention and you get really close with your fellow students. It felt like we were all in it together."
Maartje van den Essenburg
Normal and Abnormal Socio-emotional Development
The program focuses on both normal and abnormal development processes. Explicit attention is given to the study of interventions and risk factors in children’s and adolescents’ cognitive and social-emotional development and adjustment. Working through the course topics, you’ll address questions such as:
- What are the early markers of development that have gone awry?
- How can we improve the way negative outcomes in children and adolescents are prevented or treated?
This Master’s program combines advanced coursework with the development of hands-on skills.
International Focus
All courses and communications are in English. The program is designed to allow you to practice advanced English communication skills while gaining an international perspective on topics related to development and socialization. Some of the lecturers are from abroad (US, Belgium, and Croatia) or hold positions abroad (UK), and the program attracts a number of international students. You will also have the opportunity to visit English-speaking conferences held in the Netherlands that are organized by the participating research groups.
High-quality program
In the renowned 'Keuzegids Masters 2021', Development and Socialisation in Childhood and Adolescence received one of the highest scores of research masters in the field of education and pedagogy sciences in the Netherlands.
The program got an above-average assessment for the components: examination, teachers, facilities, and guidance. For the components program content, scientific training, and challenging education, the Master's even received a high above-average score.
Program Outcome
The Master’s program in Development and Socialisation in Childhood and Adolescence is designed as preparation for a Ph.D. position. By starting the program with the foundation of a Bachelor’s degree in (developmental) psychology, pedagogy, or interdisciplinary social sciences, you’ll develop into a qualified researcher with excellent job perspectives. The program is strongly driven by research, and your lecturers and supervisors will be members of the four interdisciplinary research groups in the research priority Child and Adolescent Studies (CAS).
Do you wish to pursue a professional career as a researcher outside of a university environment? This program provides training for that as well.
High-quality student research
The Master’s program Development and Socialisation in Childhood and Adolescence at Utrecht University provides you with all the tools to conduct high-quality research. Our students have won recognition for their contributions to the field, even before their graduation. In the recent past, DaSCA student Debbie van Bommel won the national Unilever Research Prize 2017 (article in Dutch) for her Master’s thesis, in which she studied conflicts between mothers and their adolescent children.
Features and focus
The DaSCA program offers you a distinctive learning environment characterized by:
- An interdisciplinary setting that combines pedagogy, developmental psychology, and interdisciplinary social sciences.
- A focus on processes within the individual (“development”) in the social context (“socialization”).
- Strong emphasis on the interactions between individual characteristics and social context.
- Exploration of development and socialization in the first 25 years of life.
- The ability to make use of the capacity and experience of researchers from four well-established research programs.
- Extensive training in advanced statistical modeling.
Curriculum
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 socialization 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
Career Opportunities
The connection between this Master’s program and the job market is excellent. DaSCA alumni from previous years have generally been very successful in finding a job after their studies.
The program is designed as preparation for Ph.D. studies. However, it also provides training for students who wish to pursue a professional career as a researcher outside of a university setting.
Academic Careers
Of our graduates, 65% entered a Ph.D. program. They are working in Ph.D. positions in universities such as:
Utrecht University; Radboud University; University of Amsterdam; VU University Amsterdam; University of Groningen; Leiden University; University of Nottingham (UK), Colombia University (US), Leuven University (Belgium), University of Reading (UK), University of Roehampton (UK).
What does your job involve?
As a Ph.D. student, you will conduct four years of research at a university in the Netherlands or abroad, writing scientific publications and working as a teacher for Bachelor’s and Master’s students. After you obtain your degree, you can apply for a research function.
Professional Careers
Other alumni (35%) pursued careers outside of academia. They are working in positions such as:
- Researcher (Office for National Statistics, UK; Department of Methods and Statistics, Utrecht University; TNO; Zorgverzekeraars Nederland)
- Clinician (Opdidakt, Altrecht, Trajectum)
- Software developer
- Teacher
- Senior policymaker (Dutch Knowledge Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
What does your job involve?
- Researcher in social education issues: You will perform research at institutions and organizations in the field of child welfare or education.
- Teacher/trainer in pedagogical skills: You will give pedagogical explanations about problems and teach professionals how to practice therapeutic conversation.
- Special education generalist/remedial educationalist: You will perform diagnostic studies, suggest treatment plans, and execute these plans in settings such as welfare or special education schools.