The foundation of the Psychology & Technology program is the same for every student. In addition, you choose a specialization to delve deeper into. You make your choice halfway through the first year. Each specialization consists of four technical courses that will provide you with the foundation and depth in that field.
We make every effort to help you choose a specialization. For example, you can find useful information on Canvas (TU/e’s online learning management environment) and in the education guide, including all relevant curricula, course descriptions, and videos with advice from teachers and students. In addition, you will get help from your coach and the academic advisor. You can also use the PlanApp. In most cases, it is possible to switch specializations later on if you so wish.
Besides the specialization, you will also make choices regarding the filling of your free elective space from the second year onward. Below, we make a few suggestions that fit the specialization in question. You can also choose to broaden your knowledge by choosing from other TU/e programs. Finding it difficult to choose? That’s quite normal. Feel free to ask your questions to your coach or academic advisor. We are happy to help you make your choices!
Below, the 3 specializations are further explained. At the very bottom of this page, you will find an overview of Frequently asked questions about the specializations.
Living Specialization
If you think about it, we spend every moment of our lives in all kinds of environments: homes, study places, workplaces, hospitals, roads, parks, bars... Whether we are working, studying, relaxing or recovering from illness, our behaviors and experiences are shaped by the social and physical environment in which they take place. Temperature, privacy and access to daylight and nature are just a few examples of environmental features that can affect our mood, concentration or stress levels.
In the Living specialization within the Psychology & Technology program, you combine psychology and engineering to contribute to the design of environments that can promote our mental and physical health, performance and pro-social and pro-environmental behaviors. To this end, the psychological research methods of the degree program are complemented by courses that give you specific technical knowledge and skills in the field of the (built) environment. Examples include quantifying and monitoring physical conditions (such as light, noise and temperature), designing buildings with human comfort and sustainability in mind, 3D modeling and VR rendering. You can additionally delve into how we record and analyze people’s behavior and physiological responses as they move through our physical world.
Read moreIn this specialization, it is very interesting to learn what it is like for people to be in a building and how a building is constructed with consideration to light and sound, among other things.
Robotics Specialization
The Robotics specialization provides you with a background in sensors and control, allowing you to understand how robots and other AI systems work. You will find applications of this in healthcare (where robots help the elderly), industry (where teams of robots and humans work together), smart homes, autonomous vehicles and service robots that come to serve you in a restaurant. In the Robotics specialization, you will focus on the collaboration between humans and these technical systems. This is the most technical specialization within the Psychology & Technology bachelor’s degree. It is a good technical basis for taking courses in Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in your elective space.
Read moreDuring this specialization, I discovered that electrical engineering suits me well. As a result, I chose to further specialize in this field within this specialization. It also gives you a good foundation if you want to broaden your knowledge in another area.
ICT Specialization
ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology. Users are central to almost every ICT-related technology, but there is still much room for improvement when it comes to these users. The ICT specialization is mainly concerned with how people use ICT and ICT systems and how to improve this usage. Applications can be found in domains such as web technology and social media, but also 3D visualizations, games, online shopping and much more.
Read moreWith the courses in this specialization, I was able to further specialize in almost every ICT subject in the field of computer science. As a result, this specialization was a very good foundation for me.
Follow-up TU/e master’s include
- Human-Technology Interaction
- Artificial Intelligence & Engineering systems
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Innovation Management
- Innovation Sciences
- Operations Management and Logistics
With a Psychology & Technology bachelor’s degree, you are directly admissible to the Human-Technology Interaction master’s degree. For the other TU/e master’s degrees, admission depends on how you filled out your elective space (see also the ‘After your bachelor’s degree’ page). If this is not a good match for you, you can always opt for a pre-master’s program.