Career prospects

This Master’s programme prepares you for an academic or professional career in a company or institute where methodological and statistical work occurs at an academic level.

Academic Careers

The programme prepares you for a scientific career in fields such as:

  • Academia
  • Research institutes
  • Government organisations
  • NGOs
  • Private enterprises

What does your job involve?

Examples of potential career paths include:

  • PhD student: You will conduct four years of research at a university in the Netherlands or abroad, writing scientific publications and working as a teacher for Bachelor’s and Master’s students. After you obtain your degree, you can apply for a research post.
  • Statistical consultant: As a statistical consultant, you will work in companies like CITO, Statistics Netherlands and RIVM. You will advise on design research and offer expertise in analysing data.
  • Researcher at Statistics Netherlands: You will perform research in various areas of society and create reports used to control or policy support. You will be responsible for designing, conducting, and analysing research.
  • Analyst within a communications department at a university: You will perform research on the effectiveness of a university’s communications. You will analyse information about website visits and translate your analysis into concrete recommendations.

The vast majority of our graduates obtain positions as PhD students either in one of the departments that coordinate this Master's or in other related departments in the Netherlands or abroad.

I’ve gained knowledge in different fields of statistics, which I feel is a great benefit for prospective careers.

Professional Careers

Some graduates have chosen non-academic careers. For example, many of them work at CITO and Statistics Netherlands as statistical consultants or have teaching jobs at the University. Through the development of specialisation tracks, Utrecht University has reinforced connections with non-academic institutions that are potential employers of our students. Thus, we are creating improved job opportunities for our students at institutions like RCEC, CentERData, TNO, and UMCU.

All the knowledge I acquired in this programme makes me feel confident to perform on a high level in a PhD position.

Career development

To help you prepare for your career and familiarise yourself with the labour market the programme, the faculty and Utrecht University offers several services and activities.