• You should be interested in developmental psychology issues, and
• enjoy working with children, adolescents, and their families.

Entrance requirements for the Master of Science degree program Psychology – Childhood & Adolescence are:

• Proof of a bachelor’s degree in psychology from a higher education institution in Germany or an equivalent degree obtained 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.

Course sequence

Focus on childhood and adolescence:

These seminars will give you an in-depth overview of research in developmental psychology and perspectives on applications in childhood and adolescence. The courses both build on and complement each other in terms of the material covered. The seminars include the following topics:

Fundamentals: Overview of typical cognitive and socio-emotional development. The seminar focuses on either a particular age (infancy, childhood, or adolescence) and/or area of function (e.g., theory of mind, language, perception).

Research: Methods and current results in fundamental developmental psychology research in a specified topical field (e.g., perception, language, memory) and in-depth study of relevant theoretical developmental psychology models.

Application: Developmental psychology applications (prevention and intervention programs, assessment of development through tests and questionnaires, etc.) with regard to possible practical fields (e.g., school psychology, youth welfare services, developmental disorders).

The project work will give you an in-depth overview of current research and empirical methods.

Your master’s thesis is the final achievement of the degree program.

Additional content:

• Advanced statistical methods
• Advanced diagnostics (preparation of expert reports, test theory)
• Clinical psychology (fundamentals of neuroscience, mental disorders over the course of a lifetime)
• Specializations in the fundamentals and practical application (two elective seminars each)
• Internship (at least 6 weeks)
• Minor (lecture and seminar)

You may select one of the following areas as a minor: economics, law, psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, sports science, and computer science.

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

As a part of your program of study, you will take part in an internship lasting at least six weeks and consisting of practical psychological work. We recommend completing this internship during your third semester of studies.

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.

As a graduate of the program, a variety of exciting professional fields are open to you, primarily in the fields of diagnostics, prevention, and counseling. Expertise in developmental psychology is central in many career fields, including

• Family and parent counseling (e.g., assessment of risk factors in the development of children and adolescents, preparation of evaluations in custody cases),
• School psychology (e.g., diagnosing giftedness, learning and developmental disorders or behavioral disorders, and carrying out necessary interventions),
• Child and youth welfare services,
• Supporting children, adolescents, parents, teachers, and caregivers in promoting inclusion in schools and other institutions.

After graduating, you will be qualified to practice as an independent and autonomous psychologist specialized in developmental psychology.

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.