Testimonials
Read what current and former students say about their study choice and experiences with the programme.
Elena Gianotten, student
"What I liked was that we went beyond what is currently known; we also discussed matters that are currently investigated and even unknown nowadays."
What makes this programme unique in your eyes?
What makes that programme unique in my eyes is that you apply fundamental physics to a very important and crucial phenomenon that is undergoing a lot of change currently. How the climate is evolving is not exactly known and it is very interesting to study a system that is not fully understood yet.
What is your favourite subject of this programme? Could be a course, a project, an assignment, the thing you like most?
My favourite subject of this programme has been the part about the ocean. What I liked was that we went beyond what is currently known; we also discussed matters that are currently investigated and even unknown nowadays.
And thinking ahead… to PhD or not to PhD? What would you say?
The climate is such an important topic nowadays that a lot of research is done and needs to be done. I think that this Master definitely prepares you for a career in research. I have heard a lot of fellow students who continued with a PhD. I think it can be a nice step into a research career.
Anything else you would like to share with prospective students?
The programme integrates new and innovative techniques, including machine learning, which are becoming increasingly important for analyzing large climate datasets and improving predictive models. Also, don’t underestimate the value of programming skills, as they are essential when working with these advanced tools.
Tesse van den Aker, Student
"The programme is very unique in covering the whole climate system"
What makes this programme unique in your eyes?
The programme is very unique in covering the whole climate system: the atmosphere, ocean, and cryosphere. That is something I really appreciate. I also enjoy getting more background knowledge on current topics related to climate, for example learning how models work that give future predictions on ocean currents, sea level rise, snow on Antarctica and weather prediction. In addition, the Master's is relatively small so you know most of the other students.
If you had to tell something about the programme you know now, but what you didn’t know before you started, what would you tell?
The importance of python skills. Programming experience is highly recommended but not a prerequisite. I think it is challenging, but not impossible, to learn python while doing the master because for the assignments some experience is expected already so it does not start on a ‘beginner’ level.
What is your favourite subject of this programme? Could be a course, a project, an assignment, the thing you like most?
My favourite part of the Master's was the trip in the last week of the summer break to Venice, Bad Gastein (where we visited a glacier nearby!) and Innsbruck! It was not mandatory but really fun and interesting. More study related I’m really looking forward to my master thesis. During the first year you get courses about different parts of the climate system which give the ability to orientate well for a Master's project. I am really into the cryosphere so I chose a thesis topic related to that.
What is the future you? What would be your ideal LinkedIn profile in a few years?
I would really like a career as a meteorologists or I would love to do field work on Antarctica.
Tom Eames, student
"I thought I wanted to research Oceanography but it turned out I really enjoyed the Atmospheric Chemistry part"
I was always fascinated by the world around me and the great outdoors in general. After completing my Bachelor's in Physics & Mathematics, I quickly realised that it didn’t qualify me for the sort of work I wanted to do, namely working on the actual processes and science behind environmental phenomena. A master's degree in Climate Physics however would.
There were a few Master’s programmes at different universities available, but at Utrecht the scope is very broad, which was important to me. In fact I started the Master’s almost convinced that I wanted to do research in Oceanography but it turned out I really enjoyed the atmospheric chemistry part of the course, and decided to write my thesis on that topic instead - I was able to keep my options open!
My research is in the direction of air quality, and the impacts of a changing climate on the air we breathe, and what that might mean for human health in the future. I think it's a very relevant topic and hope to continue working on it after I complete my studies, either through a PhD or for a company which works in this area (e.g. RIVM).