Psychology is a mix of social and natural science. An interest in interacting with people, whether individually or in teams, and an appreciation for the natural sciences and mathematics, especially statistics, are a must for this program.

Entrance requirements for the Master of Science degree program Psychology – Clinical Psychology are:

• Proof of a bachelor’s degree in psychology from a higher education institution in Germany or an equivalent degree obtained in Germany or abroad in a subject area that does not differ significantly
• Passing a subject-specific scholastic aptitude test

If you have not yet received your bachelor’s degree certificate by the application deadline, but have earned at least 135 credits in your bachelor’s program, you must apply by the set deadline with a transcript (certified copy issued by your university) of all coursework and exams completed to date, including your average grade to date.

Applicants who have not obtained a university entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution or a degree in a German-speaking course must provide proof of sufficient German language skills. These must correspond to the level DSH-2 of the “German Language Proficiency Examination for Admission to Higher Education for Foreign Applicants” and must be proven by the time of enrollment at JGU.

Good to know: The legally binding basis for selection, admission and enrollment is the text of the entrance requirements as specified in Section 2 of the currently valid examination regulations and, where applicable, in the appendix.

You can find more information in the examination regulations (in German).

First academic year

• You will expand upon the knowledge that you have already acquired during the bachelor’s program, especially in the areas of research methods, statistics, diagnostics, and assessment.
• You may select from six areas as part of the “scientific specialization”: personality psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, general psychology, clinical and cognitive neuroscience, or health psychology. You will work intensively with psychological research in the chosen area. The courses in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy build upon the fundamentals acquired during in the bachelor’s program and expand upon your knowledge of disorders and treatment methods.
• The module “Advanced Practice of Psychotherapy” serves to convey key practical professional skills, including in planning and conducting clinical interviews, conceptualizing cases, running diagnostics, and planning therapy. It also serves to convey the necessary means to document and evaluate psychotherapeutic treatment procedures.

Second academic year

• Practical experience in inpatient psychotherapy: You will complete a practical inpatient assignment in one of the three cooperating clinics of the Mainz University Medical Center (the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, or the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy).
• Practical experience in outpatient psychotherapy: The psychotherapeutic university outpatient clinics of the Institute of Psychology (Research and Teaching Outpatient Clinic I – for adults – and Research and Teaching Outpatient Clinic II – especially for neuropsychology) and the University Outpatient Clinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Psychotherapy offer suitable opportunities for your practical outpatient assignment. A central aspect of your professionally oriented education is self-reflection in parallel to your outpatient activities in psychotherapy. This skill will enable you to critically analyze your strengths and weaknesses regarding your professional work.
• At the same time, you will be able to apply your acquired knowledge of methods to an individual project as a part of your master’s thesis and thus broaden your practice-oriented research skills.

Further information on the structure of the degree program can be found on the department’s website.

Stays abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

Internships

During your second academic year, an integral aspect of the degree program are your assignments which provide you with professional qualifications. As described in the program structure, you will gain practical experience in psychotherapy via both inpatient and outpatient assignments.

In doing so, you will expand your practical knowledge in the area of psychiatric-psychotherapeutic care. You will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge, which you will have acquired within the area of advanced practice, in authentic treatment settings and in direct contact with patients.

If you are interested in pursuing a professional field in another areas of psychotherapy:

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

The master’s degree program Psychology – Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy (M.Sc.) is congruous with the requirements of the German Psychotherapist Law (PsychThG). As a graduate of this program, you will be on the right path to obtain your license and work as a psychotherapist. Therefore, if you would like to work as a psychotherapist, the completion of this degree program is a must.

However, the knowledge and skills acquired in this degree program will also open up further career opportunities for you, for instance in the following fields:

• Education, youth, and family counseling
• School counseling
• Labor market and educational counseling
• Management consulting and organizational development
• Personnel selection and management
• Coaching and continuing education
• Market and public opinion research
• Basic research and applied science at universities
• Research and development in industry, banking and insurance, medical technology, and digital media (usability, user interface design, complex information visualization)

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.