Career prospects

During the Master’s programme, you will be challenged to determine which career perspective best fits your talents and interests. We will guide and support you to focus your programme on obtaining all the skills required for a certain career path.

Academic careers

Graduates of Utrecht University’s Theoretical Physics Master’s programme have the opportunity to enroll in PhD programmes at Utrecht University, elsewhere in the Netherlands, or anywhere in the world. Roughly two-thirds of our graduates continue on to conduct doctoral research at Utrecht University or at institutions elsewhere in the world. Doctoral students in the Netherlands typically receive full funding for a four-year period. Graduates who decide to continue their education at prestigious institutions outside the Netherlands should investigate the funding options at these institutions.

Non-academic careers

One-third of students in the program decides to pursue a non-academic career. The Master’s degree in Theoretical Physics offers a solid basis for many interesting careers. We provide our students with a broad overview of what is possible via Alumni Talks by former students of the program that have made the transition. Example career directions outside of academia include:

• research positions for multinationals such as ASML, Unilever, Shell, and Philips
• consultant in information technology
• financial analyst for banks or insurance companies
• scientific journalist