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research master in health sciences msc 2010 faculty of health medicine and life sciences language of instruction english

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maastricht university leading in learning historic yet forward-thinking and contemporary typically dutch yet multicultural and vibrant maastricht is a city of contrasts not only is maastricht the birthplace of the modern european union it also continues to establish itself internationally thanks to maastricht university s position as a leading academic centre in europe beyond boundaries london amsterdam maastricht brussels paris berlin welcome from the dean what makes studying at maastricht university s faculty of health medicine and life sciences fhml so special many answers are possible but the strong focus on the health continuum as a basis for our educational and research strategies plays a prominent role this continuum spanning from molecule to human to society is mirrored in the breadth of our faculty which covers everything from the prevention diagnosis and therapy of diseases to rehabilitation and societal aspects we feel strongly that we must understand what health is before we can develop genuine and farreaching knowledge of disease having such a broad scope within one faculty is unique in europe and stems from the fact that the fhml was founded in 2007 from a combination of separate faculties this merger was based on a unique vision bringing together the health and life sciences with the broad spectrum of experimental and clinical medicine to form a new powerful alliance the health sciences master s and research programmes offered at the fhml thus encompass the entire field of health sciences ranging from the biological to the behavioural and social sciences the faculty also incorporates a prominent school of public health with a much broader scope than more traditional public health schools which will be expanded even further in the near future 2 the true interdisciplinarity of our faculty and school will empower all students to integrate questions of fundamental science with applications of clinical medicine further they will be able to understand the complex needs of our society when it comes to the maintenance of health the prevention of disease its proper diagnosis and treatment and of course its social cultural and political implications our programmes will thus provide the most comprehensive spectrum of knowledge in the fields of health and life sciences as well as medicine i have every confidence that our education and research programmes will enhance your knowledge and skills in health sciences and prepare you for a most successful career professor martin paul dean faculty of health medicine and life sciences with over half of its master s students and a third of its academic staff coming from outside the netherlands maastricht university has a reputation for quality and for its international orientation and dynamic interdisciplinary environment most of our master s programmes are taught in english and international themes are deeply rooted in the curricula at maastricht university you will be encouraged to look across traditional boundaries for answers looking to other departments disciplines institutes universities and international scholars to provide better insight into your own education and research new perspectives table of contents maastricht university leading in learning welcome from the dean introduction · faculty of health medicine and life sciences · problem-based learning research master in health sciences · in brief · profile · objectives · student profile · curriculum overview · short courses · special programme features · career prospects · links with research useful links practical matters · tuition fees and scholarships · admission and application · master s meetings master s programmes overview 2010 as a master s student you are a contributing member of our academic community using the problem-based learning methodology you work in small groups alongside students from all over the world in close cooperation with the academic staff you and your fellow students seek solutions to real-world problems you exchange knowledge and experiences learn to see things from new perspectives and develop skills that will last a lifetime research 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 9 10 10 10 10 11 research at maastricht university focuses on gaining insights into current issues in today s society and we recognise the value of bright young researchers in contributing to the development of fresh and innovative ideas that is why research plays an integral role in the majority of our master s programmes and why we offer a number of research master s focused solely on the training of future researchers career further specialising in your field by earning a master s degree at maastricht university will greatly enhance your career prospects the effectiveness of our approach to education and research is demonstrated by the performance of our graduates they are self-assured independent and assertive professionals who are able to make a smooth transition from university to the job market because they focus on more than just theory they also learn the skills they need to have a successful career the programme in this brochure is accredited by the accreditation organisation of the netherlands and flanders nvao for more information on nvao please visit www.nvao.nl code of conduct maastricht university is a signatory of the code of conduct with respect to international students in dutch higher education more information about this code of conduct is available at www.internationalstudy.nl 3

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introduction faculty of health medicine and life sciences maastricht university founded in 1976 is the youngest university in the netherlands ever since its founding the university has held a unique position among dutch universities thanks to its problem-based learning pbl system the faculty of health medicine and life sciences fhml currently has some 4,000 students enrolled in its various educational activities the faculty is located in the randwyck university complex where modern buildings provide students with a pleasant atmosphere in which to study students at fhml have regular access to the latest facilities including a multimedia laboratory a library a computer resource centre and multiple information desks the learning and resource centre and the library house an extensive collection of books scientific journals and magazines computers and audiovisual equipment special teaching rooms equipped with modern recording and presentation equipment are available to students for use during skills training students are free to make use of the internet café which is conveniently located near the university library research master in health sciences problem-based learning maastricht university has adopted the problem-based learning pbl system as the leading educational approach in all curricula pbl is an educational format focusing on discussion and learning based on real-life problems which activates the student s prior knowledge and thus enhances a natural interest in the study topics students learn to recall information and to become self-directed initiators under the guidance of a tutor students are placed in small groups where they are encouraged to probe and scrutinise issues concepts and principles related to a specific real-life problem pbl motivates students to become more involved in their studies to be more independent and to deal with various situations by using skills learned in the pbl training students tackle problems that provoke scrutiny and are encouraged to retrieve information from diverse learning resources and actively participate in the group discussions director of studies professor r de bie phd department of epidemiology profile coordinators clinical epidemiology m van dongen phd department of epidemiology health technology assessment professor h severens phd department of health organisation policy and economics social sciences i mesters phd department of health education and promotion programme manager c van gool phd department of epidemiology in brief the two-year health sciences research master hsrm offers a broadly oriented scientific training programme for future healthcare researchers at the top master s level it is an excellent preparation for those students who want not only to broaden their knowledge of the health sciences but also to pursue a career as a researcher either as a phd candidate or in a position as a research professional within the hsrm students can choose between three distinct profiles reflecting the key scientific disciplines in health sciences research · clinical epidemiology · health technology assessment · social sciences study loads are in accordance with the european credit transfer system ects the two-year full-time master of science in health sciences research is worth 120 ects points all the faculty s master s programmes start in september of each academic year as english is the most widely used international language in europe today the faculty of health medicine and life sciences master s programmes have followed suit and adopted english as the language of instruction students must therefore have a reasonable command of the english language profile the health sciences research master hsrm programme is a breeding ground for top researchers in the health sciences the programme offers extensive theoretical schooling one year and practical training one year on the cutting edge of multidisciplinary innovative health sciences research in addition the programme aims to broaden individual scientific insight and foster a critical attitude active participation via tutorial meetings individual presentations and submission of written papers is a prerequisite the programme offers three distinct profiles clinical epidemiology health technology assessment and social sciences students choose one of these specialisations at the start of their first year as they formulate their research question and plan their course schedule the hsrm staff consists of senior faculty staff members who often hold or have held visiting professorships at other universities and are internationally renowned for their research and teaching qualities in addition foreign lecturers scholars or professors visiting maastricht for research purposes or conferences are often requested to present a lecture or lend their expertise to a research or student project the hsrm programme was developed by the staff of the school for public health and primary care caphri and other staff members of the faculty of health medicine and life sciences once a student satisfies the required admission procedures he or she will become a member of the caphri phd school there are a limited number of places available in the hsrm programme successful candidates will receive notification of acceptance after complying with the qualification levels and successfully completing an evaluation conducted by a staff researcher and mentor which qualifies the candidate as excellent 4 research master in health sciences msc 2010 5

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serious about science ever wanted to become a researcher ever wanted to learn about and carry out hands-on research if you re serious about research join the research master in health sciences in this genuinely international two-year programme you receive firm theoretical and practical grounding as a researcher specialise in your own research topic and can spend a year abroad at a top research institute right from the start you work in and with research teams and become a junior member of the caphri research school excellent tutors who are themselves all top researchers a personal mentor and a friendly atmosphere also come together to show you that research at maastricht university has a very personal touch our hands-on approach also delivers results our graduates are in high demand 80 of them go on to work on their own phd projects and our alumni work in countries around the globe ­ in canada australia sudan switzerland the uk and the usa to name just a few rob de bie phd curriculum overview general programme year 1 unit 1 acquiring advanced professional skills module 1 writing a grant proposal module 2 english writing and presenting course module 3 advanced statistical analysis ii intervention research trial-based economic evaluation unit 2 profile specific unit health measurement basic ethics of health care research profile specific unit systematic literature reviews advanced ethics of health care research observational research director of studies department of epidemiology unit 3 advanced statistical analysis techniques designing and conducting qualitative research unit 4 unit 5 implementation research objectives at the end of the two-year course students will have the theoretical knowledge and practical experience with and insight into research in a socio-scientific or clinical epidemiological context in line with the respective accreditation criteria students are trained to become one of the following · a clinical epidemiological researcher epidemiologist a accredited at the european level by the society for epidemiology in collaboration with the national committee for medical-biological research training in the netherlands smbwo · a health technology assessment researcher · a social health sciences researcher students will learn the analytical and writing skills necessary to carry out independent research they will acquire the ability and know-how to execute a plan evaluate scientific research draw up a research report and implement the results they will also learn how to write a grant proposal on a topic of their choice hsrm students will be equipped to perform scientific research in various fields of health sciences to continue with one of the recognised university options phd to continue their education as a clinical epidemiological researcher epidemiologist b and hta researcher b or to pursue a challenging career as a policy advisor in the field of public health curriculum overview the health sciences research master programme begins with an in-depth core curriculum of mandatory modules which teach the knowledge and skills considered essential for any health sciences researcher in the second half of the first year the various profile specialisations take shape by means of specific theoretical and practical training modules the writing of a research grant proposal is also an important element of the student s training in the first year in addition this year includes study modules which focus on various skills needed by phd candidates such as oral and written command of english and presentation skills the second year is devoted to individual research supervised by one or more university staff members students report their findings in a master s thesis written under the guidance of a senior researcher the thesis written in the form of a manuscript admissible for publication may serve as a starting point for a phd thesis if the grant proposal which has been written in the first year gets funded and the student has shown to excel the student will be a candidate for a phd position the programme is divided into educational units of eight or four weeks each two units are offered per eight weeks in combination with a longer-running parallel unit that ends in the first year and has a dual objective it is designed and offered to enhance the professional skills necessary for a researcher and is as such an independent unit and it prepares students for their placement in the second year unit 1-5 year 2 research project and thesis including international traineeships and writing a manuscript profile specific units clinical epidemiology applied epidemiology and genetic epidemiology advanced diagnostic research health technology assessment cost-effectiveness methods theoreticl foundations and methodological challenges in hta social sciences intervention mapping process evaluation short courses almost all hsrm courses are offered to phd students and health professionals in the field they can apply for a short course by sending an e-mail to the programme coordinator c.vangool@epid.unimaas.nl in the past years many professionals have successfully followed courses in health technology assessment social sciences and epidemiology student profile the hsrm is intended for talented students of specific university backgrounds e.g bachelor s graduates in health sciences life sciences medicine or other bio medical and health science-oriented studies and for junior researchers from the caphri research institute seeking advanced training in health sciences research or advancement to phd positions student recruitment takes place in the netherlands as well as in other countries scientific research the health sciences research master programme offers an excellent introduction to scientific research in the fields covered by the school for public health and primary care caphri integrated care and public health training involves the research themes associated with caphri such as extramural and transmural processes of care prevention and health promotion as well as qualitative and quantitative research designs as it is a two-year programme hsrm students have the opportunity to qualify by conducting independent research the research professor guy widdershoven phd scientific director the school for public health and primary care caphri institute caphri aims to offer the most talented students a phd position the health sciences research master programme is a unique opportunity and an ideal basis for those who wish to pursue a career in science or research either within or outside the academic field 6 research master in health sciences msc 2010 7

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special programme features at this moment maastricht university is the only university in the netherlands that offers a two-year health sciences research master programme the hsrm programme collaborates intensively with a number of international partners recently the faculty of health medicine and life sciences has begun to cooperate closely with the universities of hamilton munich odense sydney york and zurich students from these institutions as well as other institutions are welcome to enrol in the hsrm programme in turn hsrm students can apply for a research work placement at any of these institutions career opportunities for health sciences researchers have greatly improved in recent years this is evidenced by the number of employment vacancies for a-class epidemiologists health technology researchers and social sciences research staff a trend that we expect to continue of the graduated classes of the health sciences research master over 75 of the students has been offered a phd position most at maastricht university links with research the research priorities are designed to acquaint students with the methods of research and analysis as applied within the framework of health sciences research in general and within the school for public health and primary care caphri in particular the theoretical and applied modules employ a number of illustrative examples from this research programme students play an active role in current research activities during the one-year research phase of their study career prospects the health sciences research master programme appeals to students seeking a career as a health sciences researcher in one of the three profiles or as a policy advisor in the field of public health as well as students who want to pursue a phd graduates are free to enrol in the selection process for a phd position at either maastricht university or a university elsewhere for hsrm graduates a limited number of phd positions are available each year at the school for public health and primary care caphri the hsrm offers excellent grounding for those graduates who wish to conduct research outside the university employers are constantly on the lookout for graduates with strong analytical and well-developed writing skills which are just some of the many skills this master s programme enhances useful links www.maastrichtuniversity.nl www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fhml www.hsrm.nl www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ssc www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/library www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/languages www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/guesthouse www.kamerburo.net www.holland.com www.maastricht360.nl www.gre.org www.nuffic.nl www.grantfinder.nl www.ind.nl www.caphri.nl www.dmkep.unimaas.nl/epp www.nutrim.unimaas.nl maastricht university faculty of health medicine and life sciences health sciences research master registration scholarships finances living sports etc maastricht university library maastricht university language centre housing in maastricht housing in maastricht the netherlands a virtual tour of maastricht graduate record examinations test practical information on studying in the netherlands information on scholarships immigration procedures for academic visitors the school for public health and primary care caphri the maastricht experimental psychopathology research institute epp the nutrition and toxicology research institute maastricht nutrim accreditation the health sciences research master has been accredited under the title research master by the accreditation organisation of the netherlands and flanders nvao and the royal netherlands academy of arts and sciences knaw this accreditation is quality control and teaching staff significant proof of quality based on analysis of the programme influence of genetic variations m quaak msc the netherlands health sciences research master specialisation clinical epidemiology master s thesis assessment of genetic variation as a predictor of smoking cessation success a promising preventive and intervention tool supervisors prof c.p van schayck hag prof f van schooten grat practice hag already intented to cooperate with the department of health risk analysis toxicology grat to test whether a person s genetic profile can be used to predict which form of smoking cessation therapy would be most effective for an individual smoker because i had become interested in the influence of genetic variations on treatment efficacy and toxicity a new research field named pharmacogenetics during my previous studies biological health sciences specialisation molecular genetics i found this idea very interesting in the course of my first year in the health sciences research master programme i worked this idea out into a research proposal and the funding has been acquired so this study will serve as the basis for my phd project at the department of primary health care many forms of smoking cessation therapy are tested to determine their efficacy in helping smokers to quit however recent research strongly suggests that a specific genetic background is associated with smoking addiction and cessation therefore a promising strategy to improve the success rates of smoking cessation attempts is the use of `personalised treatment programmes based on a person s genetic profile for this reason the department of general 8 research master in health sciences msc 2010 9

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practical matters tuition fees and scholarships tuition fees the tuition fees for eu/eea students are set by the ministry master s programmes overview 2010 applicants are eligible for exemption provided they submit proof of `sufficiency in their english-language training e.g if tested before english is their native tongue or if english language skills were on an exceptional basis a limited number of students will be admitted to the second year of the programme such exceptions will be made for those students who can demonstrate a level of knowledge equivalent to the level attained by students who have successfully completed the first year of the programme eligible for admission to the second year the board of admission will determine whether candidates are of education at the end of each calendar year for the 2010/11 countries are approximately 1,676 for students under the academic year tuition fees for master s students from eu/eea age of 30 and 2,058 for those over 30 these fees are subject the fees for these students in 2011/12 and beyond to an annual rise of 2 to 3 this provides a good indication of for non-eu/eea master s students tuition fees are determined three years in advance the fees for the 2010/11 please consult www.maastrichtuniversity.nl for other fees 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 academic year amount to 12,000 please note that a limited number of places are available arts culture · artistic research ma 1 · arts and heritage policy management and education cultuur beleid behoud en beheer ma 3 · arts and sciences cultuur en wetenschapsstudies ma 3 · gender and diversity studies ma 1 · european studies on society science and technology ma 1 · media culture ma 1 · research master in cultures of arts science and technology msc 1 behavioural political sciences · analysing europe ma 1 · european public affairs ma 1 · european studies 3 specialisations ma 1 · globalisation and development ma 1 · psychology 6 specialisations msc 1 · public policy and human development 1 specialisation in the behavioural political sciences msc 1 · research master in european studies msc 1 · sustainable development msc 1 business economics all programmes triple crown accredited aacsb equis and amba · econometrics and operations research 4 specialisations msc 1 · financial economics 3 specialisations msc 1 · fiscale economie fiscal economics 2 specialisations msc 2 · global supply chain management and change msc 1 · infonomics msc 1 · international business 11 full-time and 6 part-time specialisations one of which is in dutch msc 1 · international economic studies 5 specialisations msc 1 · management of learning msc 1 · public policy and human development 5 specialisations in business economics msc 1 · research master in business research 2 specialisations msc 1 · research master in economic and financial research 2 specialisations msc 1 graduate programmes for professionals · executive master of finance and control emfc/msc/rc 4 · international executive master of finance and control part-time emfc/msc/rc 1 · mba international executive modular dutch executive modular and euro 3 nvao accreditations graduate programme for professionals nvao accredited graduate programme for professionals in process of nvao accreditation graduate programme for professionals nvao accreditation process will be initiated master s programme in process of nvao accreditation and approval by ministry of education and the latest information scholarships admission will be granted on a first-come first-served basis see www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fhml/masters for more information there are a number of scholarship programmes available to prospective master s students depending on their academic funding is available at background and nationality information on scholarships and www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/scholarships application procedure applications for admission to a programme at maastricht university should be submitted via www.maastrichtuniversity.nl mastersadmissions health life sciences · arts-klinisch onderzoeker physician-clinical investigator msc md 4 · european public health msc 1 · geneeskunde medicine msc md 4 · global health msc 1 · health food innovation management msc 1 · mental health msc 1 · molecular life sciences 5 specialisations msc 1 within transnational university limburg tul · physical activity and health 3 specialisations msc 1 · public health 5 specialisations msc 1 · research master in cardiovascular biology and medicine msc 1 · research master in cognitive and clinical neuroscience 4 specialisations msc 1 · research master in health sciences msc 1 · research master in nutrition and metabolism fundamental and clinical aspects msc 1 graduate programmes for professionals · affective neuroscience msc 1 · health professions education msc 1 · public health for professionals msc 1 law · european law school llm 1 · fiscaal recht tax law 3 specialisations llm 3 · forensica criminologie en rechtspleging forensics criminology and administration of justice llm 4 · globalisation and law llm 1 · international and european economic law 1 · intellectual property law and knowledge management llm msc 1 · international laws llm 1 · law honours programme master research track 1 · nederlands recht dutch law 6 specialisations llm 4 · recht en arbeid law and labour 2 specialisations llm 4 sciences within transnational university limburg tul · artificial intelligence msc 1 · operations research msc 1 on receiving your application your diploma will be assessed to decide whether you are eligible for the programme you have sions application and registration is available from www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/mastersadmissions application deadlines chosen diploma evaluation more information about admis admissions requirements and application admissions requirements successful applicants for admission to the health sciences in health sciences life sciences or medicine in addition research master programme will have a bachelor s degree a bachelor s degree in other bio medical or health scienceoriented study programmes may also qualify applicants for admission to the programme hsrm applicants must have a equivalent to the bachelor s programme in health sciences maastricht university for those students who do not have university organises courses and exams the application deadlines for starting in september 2010 will be · 15april2010forstudentswhorequireavisaorresidence ·1july2010foreu/eeastudents permit level of knowledge of biomedical sciences and research statistics offered by the faculty of health medicine and life sciences of sufficient knowledge of research methods and statistics the master s meetings we strongly advise prospective applicants to visit our master s meetings on saturday 10 october 2009 or saturday 13 march 2010 they are a perfect opportunity to learn whatever is furthermore applicants should obtain sufficient scores for each of the following tests organised by maastricht university ·awrittenessaypaperonasubjectspecifiedbytheboardof ·anentranceinterviewwiththeboardofadmission non-eu students must submit a score on the ielts test not higher than 6.5 admission following the receipt of the application needed to make a well-grounded study choice students receive a detailed explanation of the contents of the various master s programmes and vital information about student facilities as ments students and staff will be on hand to answer any well as practical details for completing the admissions requirequestions applicants may have for information and to register for one of the master s meetings please visit our website www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fhml/masters older than five years at the start of the programme equal to or instead of the ielts test proof of having participated in a toefl test and a score not older than five years at the start of the programme equal to or higher than 575 paper-based 233 computer-based or 90 internet-based will be accepted language of instruction 1 only in english 2 part dutch part english 3 available in both english and dutch 4 only in dutch 10 research master in health sciences msc 2010 for more information on nvao please visit www.nvao.nl

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© 2009 maastricht university office marketing communications p.o box 616 6200 md maastricht the netherlands text faculty of health medicine and life sciences peter hamerslag derixhamerslag photography jonathan vos maastricht arjen schmitz maastricht sasha ruland fotografie eijsden carin willemsen and marianna bandi/coproductions sittard concept and design template vormgeversassociatie bv hoog-keppel layout and production océ business services maastricht although this brochure was made with the utmost care no rights can be attained from it www.maastrichtuniversity.nl based in europe focused on the world maastricht university is a stimulating environment where research and teaching are complementary where innovation is our focus where talent can flourish a truly student oriented research university bsr0070 contact information pr office faculty of health medicine and life sciences maastricht university p.o box 616 6200 md maastricht the netherlands phone +31 43 388 5708 e-mail study-fhml@unimaas.nl internet www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fhml/masters master s meetings saturday 10 october 2009 saturday 13 march 2010 for more information please visit the programme of your choice at www.maastrichtuniversity.nl

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