First Semester:

The first semester serves as an intensive introduction to the master's program, offering students a broad overview of organizational psychology and leadership. Given the diverse academic backgrounds of incoming students, this semester introduces many to key concepts, theories, and issues for the first time. It is designed to equip students with foundational knowledge and practical skills, establishing a solid base for the rest of the program.

Individual Differences and Psychological Testing: This course provides insights into understanding and measuring differences between individuals. Students learn about key concepts such as personality and intelligence and how these differences impact performance, career development, and leadership. The course has a practical focus, offering experience with psychological tests and psychometric methods, while encouraging critical reflection on their quality and applications. It also helps build a class community through shared activities.

Strategic Organizational Behavior: A common course taken alongside students from other master's programs, it offers a holistic view of organizations. The aim is to develop students' understanding of how strategic, structural, cultural, and human factors interact to create performance, well-being, and competitiveness. This course bridges organizational psychology with modern workplace challenges.

Training and Development in Organizations: Focuses on how individuals change, learn, and adapt in the workplace. Students gain insights into psychological theories of learning and development and how these can be applied to enhance both individual and organizational performance. The course also covers planning and evaluating strategic development processes, relevant for those interested in leadership development, career counseling, or HR work.

Influence and Impact in Organizations: Examines psychological processes that enable leadership. Students explore how leaders exert influence and impact, and how power, politics, and relationships shape organizational dynamics. The course covers both classical and modern leadership theories, such as charismatic and transformational leadership, and psychological topics like emotions, psychological safety, and relationships. Through case studies and real-world examples, students apply theory to practice and develop skills in analyzing complex leadership processes.

Second Semester:

The second semester marks a shift from a broad introduction to a focus on specialization, methodology, and core concepts. Students develop advanced skills in research methods and analytical thinking, gaining deeper insights into key topics like motivation and stress. This semester is crucial for preparing students for further specialization and the master's thesis in the fourth semester.

Quantitative Methods: Provides an advanced introduction to quantitative research design and analysis methods. The course combines theoretical perspectives with practical use of statistical software, working with empirical examples from recent research. Students learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of various methods and conduct analyses that are scientifically robust and relevant to practice.

Qualitative Methods: Offers a practical and analytical approach to qualitative research design, methods, and philosophy of science. Students gain experience in planning, conducting, and analyzing qualitative studies, and learn to critically reflect on ethical challenges in the research process. The course emphasizes discussions and analytical skills, providing a broader toolkit for studying complex organizational issues.

Motivation and Performance in Organizations: Addresses one of the central themes in organizational psychology: what drives people to perform. Students are introduced to both classical and modern motivation theories and learn how organizations can promote or hinder employee motivation. The course also emphasizes the role of leaders in motivating employees and how motivation can be measured and developed. Through case studies and real-world examples, students gain practical skills in analyzing motivation processes and proposing measures to enhance performance.

Stress and Performance in Organizations: Provides an in-depth look at how stress affects individuals and organizations. Students learn to understand stress as both a potential challenge and a possible resource. The course covers how various factors—individual, organizational, and leadership—contribute to creating or reducing stress, and how this impacts performance. Students discuss preventive measures and how stress can be managed constructively, gaining insights into models for addressing stress-related challenges in organizations.

Third Semester:

The third semester offers students flexibility to shape their own study experience and competence profile. After two semesters of core and specialization courses, this semester allows students to gain new experiences, meet new people, and explore organizational psychology and leadership in new contexts.

Students can choose from three main paths:

Internship: Students can apply for an internship in a relevant organization, where they have the opportunity to apply theory and methods from the program in practice, gaining experience in solving concrete challenges under supervision. Internships provide valuable insights into how organizational psychology can contribute to development and value creation in the workplace.

Exchange: Students can spend all or part of the semester at a foreign university, offering a unique opportunity to experience new academic environments, perspectives, and cultural contexts for organizational psychology and leadership. Exchange enhances academic understanding, language skills, and intercultural competence.

Elective Courses: Students can choose elective courses at their own institution, allowing for specialization in topics that complement the program and provide a broader competence base, either through interdisciplinary perspectives or more specialized insights within organizational and leadership fields.

The third semester is therefore an exploratory semester where students can tailor their learning while building networks and experiences that can be crucial for the master's thesis and future career.

Fourth Semester:

The fourth semester is dedicated entirely to the master's thesis, representing the program's culmination. The thesis is a substantial independent research project conducted in pairs, with academic supervision throughout.

Students are expected to combine and apply knowledge and skills from the entire program to address a self-chosen research question with clear relevance to organizational psychology and leadership. The question can be rooted in both classical and modern topics from the field but must allow for systematic exploration, analysis, and reflection.

The master's thesis provides students with the opportunity to delve into an area they are passionate about, representing an important step in developing as independent professionals. The thesis also serves as a bridge to the workforce or further academic studies, qualifying students for admission to Ph.D. programs both nationally and internationally.

Study program MLO-B

Master in Organizational Psychology and Leadership