Social and Behavioural Sciences

Are you an excellent student and interested in conducting scientific research in the social and behavioral sciences? Then this is the Master program for you! The Research Master's program provides talented young researchers from all over the world with the tools they need to conduct fundamental scientific research in the field of social and behavioral sciences.

Our Research Master in Social and Behavioral Sciences is unique in the Netherlands, offering an interdisciplinary approach by integrating the different perspectives offered by social psychology, sociology, organization sciences and methodology to the study of human social behavior.

During this two-year English-taught Master of Science program, you will follow state-of-the-art courses, led by the best researchers in the field. You will be involved hands-on in their research area, actively participating in innovative projects and internships.

This Research Master in Social and Behavioral Sciences offers one major in Individual in Social Context and a choice from one of three minors in:

Social Psychology

Social Sciences

Methodology and Statistics

The program is challenging and intensive. For that reason, the number of places available on this program is limited to 30, ensuring that only talented applicants, with strong analytical skills, a good academic record, and with a strong motivation for scientific research, are successful.

The major Individual in Social Context focuses on individual behavior in three types of social contexts; social psychology, sociology, and organization studies. Each context is studied separately, but also in connection to the other contexts.

The three contexts are studied in three different content courses - each of which takes one context as its focus and relates it to the other two - and two methodology courses, which connect the contexts and studies them from both a content perspective and a methodological perspective. In addition, the major also offers two statistics courses and a skills course - writing scientific articles and presenting research.

In their first year, all students start with the major Individual in Social Context. You will choose one of the three minors at the moment of application.

Major Individual in Social Context

The major Individual in Social Context focuses on individual behavior in three types of social contexts; social psychology, sociology, and organization studies. Each context is studied separately, but also in connection to the other contexts.

The three contexts are studied in three different content courses - each of which takes one context as its focus and relates it to the other two - and two methodology courses, which connect the contexts and studies them from both a content perspective and a methodological perspective. In addition, the major also offers two statistics (Methodology & Statistics) courses and a skills course - writing scientific articles and presenting research.

In their first year, all students start with the major Individual in Social Context. You choose one of the three minors at the moment of application.

Minors

Students specialize in an area of the social and behavioral sciences by choosing one of the three minors:

• Minor Social Psychology
• Minor Social Sciences
• Minor Methodology and Statistics

All minors have the same structure but offer courses that are specifically tuned to the particular minor.
Each minor offers four content courses; students need to follow three out of four. The third course can be chosen from the courses offered by any one of the three minors.

Every minor has a specialized statistics course that will teach you advanced statistical techniques related to the specific field of research the minor covers. A largest part of each minor consists of research skills and activities: Students learn everything there is to know about doing scientific research by means of a hands-on approach. This entails taking part in research of the research groups involved in the research master and doing your own research supervised by a researcher from these groups.

The specific activities are: international traineeship, intern traineeships, visiting seminars and colloquia, learning about ethics, writing a First-Year Paper and the Master Thesis, the latter two involving doing actual research. For more information and the curriculum please visit our website.

In order to be accepted directly onto our Research Masters program in Social and Behavioral Sciences, you will be required to have the following academic background:A Bachelors and/or a Masters degree;Academic training in a relevant discipline e.g. psychology, sociology, organizational sciences, human resources;An average score of 75% for the courses in the last two years of the Bachelor's program (or an equivalent score for the Master's program);Strong motivation, excellent skills and sufficient talent for doing scientific research, which you should demonstrate in your letter of application and other application documents.Unfortunately, work experience or an interest in Social and Behavioral Sciences cannot be taken into account for the admission process without a sufficient academic background.Proof of English language proficiencyProof of English language proficiency is required by all applicants EXCEPT passport holders from the following countries: Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, UK, or USA OR those who have studied their entire Bachelor (or Master) program in one of these countries. No exemptions from this requirement will be made other than those mentioned here.Results required:TOEFL: 600 (paper); 100 (internet)Academic IELTS: overall 7.0 + no part less than 6.5Cambridge Proficiency: All gradesCambridge Advanced English: Grades A and BIf you do not have this at the time of application, please include confirmation of the date of the test with your application. You will not be considered for a Tilburg University Scholarship if you have not met these language requirements by 1 April 2014.The test results must not be older than two years and must therefore be taken after 1 January 2012.**STUDENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE THE GRE TEST TO BE ADMITTED TO THIS PROGRAMME. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 TOEFL paper-based test score : 600 TOEFL iBT® test: 100

Tilburg University Scholarship for Academic Excellence

For the academic year 2014-2015 Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences has 8 scholarships available for excellent international students who are admitted to a Master's program at our School.

The Tilburg University Scholarship for Academic Excellence includes:

· A scholarship of 5000 for living expenses;

· A partial tuition waiver

For whom?

To qualify for a Tilburg University Scholarship for Academic Excellence, you must fulfill the following admission requirements, in addition to the regular requirements for admission to a Master's program:

· Candidates must have graduated with an average result of at least 8 (out of 10) in their relevant (under)graduate program or graduate in the top 10% of their class.

· Candidates should provide a motivation letter.

· Candidates must have been admitted to one of the graduate programs at
Tilburg University.

· Candidates must be newly enrolled at Tilburg University

Selection criteria

On the basis of the following selection criteria, the selection committee of each school will select the recipients of the Tilburg University Scholarship for Academic Excellence:

· The academic results in the relevant (under)graduate program

· The quality and content of the motivation letter

· The language test score

Tilburg University strives for a balanced participation in terms of nationality.

Duration

Tilburg University Scholarships for Academic Excellence are awarded for one academic year. Candidates applying for one of the Research Master programs will have to apply for the scholarship again for their second year of their Research Master program.

Application procedure

To apply for a Tilburg University Scholarship for Academic Excellence you should:

1. State in the application form that you graduated with an average result of at least 8 (out of 10) in a relevant (under)graduate program or graduate in the top 10% of your class.

2. Download the motivation letter

3. Send the motivation letter together with your application for the Masters program before the deadline of 1 April 2014.

Accreditation

Accredited by NVAO