Maastricht UniversityMaastricht
Maastricht University (UM) is an innovative, research-oriented university in the beautiful city of Maastricht, the Netherlands. UM offers academic programmes on a wide range of themes, including Arts & Culture, Behavioural and Political Sciences, Business and Economics, Health and Life Sciences, Law, and Knowledge Engineering. Our educational methods are based on developing research skills, self-reliance and an international profile. At UM, you do not simply repeat what you learn, but work with your classmates to find innovative solutions to societal and technological problems. UM is committed to the emerging knowledge society, incorporating research, internationalism and innovation into its academics.
http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl
The Maastricht method
Maastricht University is known for its use of Problem-Based Learning - an innovative, student-centred instructional method - in its bachelor's and master's programmes. Students work in tutorial groups, collaboratively seeking practical solutions to open-ended, real-world problems. Instructors act as facilitators, giving help when and where it is needed, allowing you to build independence and develop research skills. Research is integrated into every level of education at UM, and our research portfolio is focused on issues critical to the development of society. Each of our faculties has a set of priority research themes, and our policy of 'valorisation and enterprise' is dedicated to finding practical applications for our research output.
International experience
Maastricht is the most international and fully bilingual (Dutch & English) university in the Netherlands. Over 47% of our students and 30% of our academic staff come from abroad, together representing about 70 different countries. Every day you will encounter different languages and cultures, and most study programmes have a decidedly international theme. For non-native English speakers, the English-language curriculum at UM will strengthen your command of the English language and prepare you for a career in an increasingly globalised world. Most of our programmes are taught entirely in English, the most widely used international language. Each faculty at Maastricht University has dozens of international partnerships and student-exchange agreements, and we encourage interdisciplinary and international collaboration. In addition, UM programmes place heavy emphasis on studying abroad, often including it as a core requirement for graduation.
Study Opportunities at Maastricht University
Bachelor’s programmes
Maastricht University bachelor’s programmes are all internationally oriented, multidisciplinary and taught through the widespread use of Problem-Based
Learning (PBL). More than just an educational method, PBL is a way of
thinking and studying. In small tutorial groups students analyse problems.
They then independently conduct research and gather together to collaborate
on their findings. Excellent bachelor’s students also take part in special
programmes.
Most bachelor's programmes last 3 years and are taught in English and/or
Dutch, and there are dozens of opportunities for study abroad in almost
every programme. http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/bachelors
Master’s programmes
Master's programmes at UM refine your bachelor's education into a more
concentrated discipline, and give you even more preparation for your career.
Continuing with Problem-Based Learning groups, you will also begin to work
on a master's thesis or project. Master's programmes often have more
collaboration with industry, government and NGO's. Programmes vary from
1-2 years, depending on the subject, and most include opportunities for
study abroad. http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/masters
Research master's programmes
Research is an essential part of these master's programmes. Research
master's have a more analytical approach to a given topic. Students who
wish to obtain a PhD and pursue a career in research often choose a
research master's, as the intense focus on research and writing skills
prepares them to write a PhD dissertation. All of our research master's are
currently 2 years long and are taught entirely in English.
http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/researchmasters
Graduate programmes for professionals
In addition to standard master's programmes, Maastricht University offers a
number of graduate programmes for professionals. These range from
Executive MBAs to training in the health professions. Most applicants for the
graduate programmes for professionals are seeking post-graduate studies or
have been active in the labour market for a substantial period of time. The
majority of the programmes are part-time, allowing students to maintain their
career while furthering their education.
Some of our programmes for professionals lead to a master’s degree.
Others are short-term programmes, trainings, or courses. See our
overview of programmes for a full list.
Business professionals can find a wide range of courses and academic
programmes within the Postgraduate Education Department of the School
of Business and Economics.
PhD programmes
Maastricht University offers PhD programmes to holders of a master’s
diploma. There are a limited number of places available in any department,
so we are quite selective in the process of recruiting new PhD candidates.
Programme lengths vary according to discipline, usually taking four or more
years to complete. All programmes culminate in the writing, publication and
defence of a thesis or dissertation.
Programmes fit roughly into three categories:
• PhD training programmes
• PhD positions
• Externally-funded PhD position