Maastricht Science Programme

The Maastricht Science Programme offers you the opportunity to create your personal curriculum from a broad offer of courses in the natural sciences. 

 
Why study at Maastricht Science Programme?
Our society faces complex challenges in diverse areas such as energy, (bio)medical innovations, nutrition and the transition to a more sustainable and biobased economy. Many of these challenges are interdisciplinary, requiring a new generation of scientists, who are able to look beyond the traditional scientific disciplines.

To cater for this need for new scientists, Maastricht Science Programme offers a unique educational approach to natural sciences. Gone are the conventional disciplinary boundaries. We challenge you to create your own curriculum, chosen from a wide range of disciplines, guided by advisors and driven by your own skills, interests and ambition; you can construct your own unique curriculum.

Do you want to focus on one discipline and become an expert in that specific field or do you prefer to combine disciplines and work on multidisciplinary knowledge and skills? Everything is possible at Maastricht Science Programme.
 
Open curriculum
At Maastricht Science Programme, we give you the freedom to choose and the responsibility to direct your own education. Depending on your ambition and interests, you can pick from a wide range of courses in:

• physics
• chemistry
• mathematics
• biology
• neuroscience
• entrepreneurship
• interdisciplinary courses such as biomedical engineering, biobased materials, regenerative medicine etc.

Academic advising - We support you
We understand that the freedom to design your own curriculum can be a bit overwhelming. Which courses should I choose? Should I pursue other academic options like studying abroad for one semester? How to prepare for further studies? Just a few examples of questions that you could come across during your time at Maastricht Science Programme. We will help you find the answers.

At the start of your study, you will meet your dedicated academic advisor. Your academic advisor will continuously support you in making the right choices, based on your personal interests, ambitions and progress. This does not only involve advice on curriculum choices but also help with administrative procedures such as course registration. Our academic advisors have extensive expertise and are keen on assisting you in achieving your goals.
 
Educational approach
At Maastricht Science Programme, we moved away from traditional teaching methods. Through our challenging Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Research-Based Learning (RBL) methodologies, it is all about you and how you actively build up your knowledge and skills.

With PBL, it comes down to you and your fellow students solving complex, interdisciplinary and real-life academic problems. Through literature study and group discussion, you will discover and work with content that you determine to be necessary for solving a given problem, developing both your creative thinking skills and professional skills such as presenting, debating, writing and working together. In small groups of 14 students, you will be guided in your learning process by a tutor, who will act as both subject matter expert and facilitator. The small class size creates an environment with plenty of opportunity to interact with students and tutors, making your active participation the key to your education’s success.

Before choosing your own combination of courses, you will have to complete several mandatory courses in the first semester. These core courses ensure a common knowledge foundation for all students at Maastricht Science Programme, and are required for enrolling into higher level courses.

The courses at Maastricht Science Programme are taught at different levels, varying in complexity from introductory to advanced. To safeguard the quality of your degree, we limit the amount of introductory courses, and require a substantial amount of advanced courses on your grade list. An overview of the courses on offer can be found here: Course overview.
 
Practical skills
We expect our students to have a strong curiosity, ready to explore the world of science. You will have plenty of time to experiment at our state-of-the-art laboratories at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus, nearby Maastricht.

The Brightlands Chemelot Campus is adjacent to one of the largest industrial chemical sites of Europe, and contains various companies with world-class laboratories and research facilities. Within this innovative setting, Maastricht Science Programme offers you an inspirational environment for your research and projects, enabling you to experience science at its best.

Doing research is what science is all about, but delivering your conclusions is equally important. Besides hands-on experience in the lab, you will also learn how to process your findings, write scientific reports and present your results to get your message across.

 
International community
The fact that all courses are taught in English, does not solely define the international character of Maastricht Science Programme. Staff and students come from all corners of the world to study and live in Maastricht. Surrounded by all of the cultural, social, and educational events that make it such a vibrant city, you will spend most of your time with your fellow students, in class and outside.

We have set up a special student-only study and recreational area, the Common Room, where your different cultural backgrounds and interests will surely lead to interesting discussions. It is all part of the inspiring and stimulating environment we like to offer, one which not only challenges you intellectually, but also empowers your personal development.

 

 
Who are we looking for?
At Maastricht Science Programme we have a lot to offer, but expect quite a bit in return from you. Besides the obvious fascination for natural sciences, we are looking for the curious and ambitious. Students, who are enterprising, think beyond borders, are open to change, and are willing to contribute actively to our international community.

In short, we are looking for students who enrich our international community with their talents and personalities. To assess whether there is a match between your interests and what we have to offer, we have a selection process. The Board of Admissions will determine whether you are accepted as a Maastricht Science Programme student based on this selection process. For the complete application and selection procedure, please go to the admissions section on our website.

The Maastricht Science Programme in short:

• Unique innovative programme in the natural sciences
• Personalised study programme consisting of one or more disciplines
• Your dedicated academic advisor
• Small skill and student centered via Problem-Based learning
• Strong focus on research at the laboratory facilities at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus
• Embedded in the region interacting with businesses and organisations
• Preparation for master’s programmes at highly ranked universities
• International academic community within an excellent research university

Here you can download the brochure of the study program.

Contact:
Maastricht University – Maastricht Science Programme
Tel.: +31 (0) 43 3885190
E-Mail: msp-info@maastrichtuniversity.nl
 
Visiting address:
Kapoenstraat 2
NL-6211 KW Maastricht
 
Web: www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/msp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maastricht-Science-Programme
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maastricht_science_programme/