Study Psychology

Possible master’s programs

• Master’s program in Psychology – Work, Economy and Society (M.Sc.)
  Graduates of this program are qualified to work in numerous fields of psychology, especially work and organizational psychology, in market and consumer research, or as school psychologists.
• Master's program in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy (M.Sc.)
  Graduates of this program are qualified to take the licensing examination for psychotherapists. To be eligible for this master’s program, you have to specialize in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy while studying the bachelor’s program (see Study Option II).

The bachelor’s program in Psychology teaches students general psychological principles, research methods, and selected applied psychological subjects.

The general psychological principles covered during the program include theories on general human experiences and behavior as well as their empirical manifestations. Theories and empirical studies focus, among other things, on psychological processes such as perceiving, remembering, learning, or thinking, the behavior of people in groups, or the development of individuals over their lifetime.

To address scientific questions, you will learn about research methods including, for instance, experiments, surveys, and observations, and perform statistical data analyses.

During modules in applied psychological subjects, you will use the general psychological principles learned to solve practical tasks and problems from the field of Clinical Psychology, for example with respect to the effectiveness of certain therapies, or from the field of Work and Organizational Psychology, for example, regarding the optimization of organizational structures. Consumer Psychology deals with topics such as advertising and purchasing decisions, while Educational Psychology focuses on learning processes and performance.

The program is recognized under professional law and implements the requirements of the licensing regulations for psychotherapists. Graduates of the bachelor’s program have various options. Depending on the specialization you choose, the program qualifies you for pursuing a master's degree in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy (Study Option I) or a master's degree in Psychology focusing on other applied subjects and research areas (Study Options I and II). You will choose your specialization after the third subject-specific semester.

Top positions in rankings
Psychology has repeatedly been ranked very well over the years. The University of Mannheim is considered one of the best in this field in Germany.

Choosing your own specializations
In Mannheim, you have the opportunity to choose your own specializations as early as in the bachelor's program: In modules focusing on Work and Organizational Psychology as well as Consumer Psychology, you will deepen your knowledge of business psychology. If you want to work as a psychotherapist later on, you have to specialize in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy during your studies. The fourth applied subject available is Educational Psychology.
Depending on your specialization, you will deepen your knowledge further by choosing “Medizinische Grundlagen der Psychotherapie” (Study Option II) or one of the many minors available (Study Option I).

A bachelor’s degree in Psychology is the basis for a career in one of the many fields that involve Psychology. These include, among others: 

• personnel selection or organizational development
• product development or market and opinion research
• psychotherapy
• working as a school psychologist or family counselor 

Alternatively, you can pursue an academic career.

Provided that you choose the relevant specialization, the bachelor's program offers you the opportunity to pursue a career as a psychotherapist in accordance with the requirements of the German psychotherapist training reform act.

Read more about career prospects and career opportunities

Studying abroad
You can integrate a period of study abroad into your degree program by taking part in one of the various exchange programs in place with leading universities in the USA and Europe. We recommend studying abroad in the fifth subject-specific semester. The exchange coordinator for Psychology will help you prepare for your stay abroad. 

Internships
The experimental psychology internship in the fourth semester and the diagnostic internships in the fifth and sixth semester are completed during courses. In addition, you will complete two internships during the course of your studies: one with a duration of 150 hours and one with a duration of 240 hours. If you wish to qualify for a subsequent master's degree with a focus on clinical psychology and psychotherapy, you need to complete an internship in accordance with the licensing regulations. Otherwise, you can complete your internship in one of the many other fields of psychology. The internship manager at the School of Social Sciences will support you when choosing and completing your internship.

If you wish to study Psychology, you should 

• be interested in human experiences and behavior,
• be interested in science and mathematics,
• have analytical thinking skills,
• have a good level of English proficiency,
• have strong communication skills and be able to empathize with others.

To find out whether this program is a good fit for you, you can take the Online Self Assessment (OSA-Psych).

The bachelor’s program in Psychology is currently selective. The following selection criteria are taken into account:

• grade average achieved in your university entrance qualification
• result of the voluntary student aptitude test BaPsy-DGPs

Student aptitude test BaPsy-DGPs
You can earn up to 40 additional points for your application by taking the voluntary student aptitude test for Psychology BaPsy-DGPs. The BaPsy-DGPs is a subject-specific aptitude test that measures general cognitive abilities as well as prior knowledge relevant to studying Psychology. Taking the test is voluntary.