Study programme

The research project is the most important part of your studies. During this 8,5 months internship you will be part of a research team, practicing all aspects of research: from designing, planning and conducting experiments, to collecting and interpreting data, drawing conclusions, and writing a report or a scientific publication. 

The research project is carried out in one of the participating Environmental Biology research groups. You will be offered a large number of projects to choose from.  

Profiles are designed to deepen your skills in a certain direction. You must select 1 out of 9 profiles. You can choose between either a research profile (focusing on acuiring in-depth research skills), or a non-research profile (focusing on gaining broader skills). 

Research profiles

1. General Research profile 
2. Applied Data Science profile 
3. Bioinformatics profile 
4. Complex Systems profile 

Non-research profiles

1. Communication profile 
2. Education profile 
3. Management profile 
4. Life Science and Society profile 
5. Translational Science profile 

You devote 15 EC to compulsory courses. The courses depend on the track you are in. All tracks offer courses of which some are compuslory depending on the track that you follow. See the course list below for a detailed overview, including course descriptions.

The elective space can be used to address deficiencies in your previous education, complete additional courses, extend your profile or to do a mini-project if you would like to perform extra research.

The aim of the writing assignment is to perform an in-depth analysis of literature on a relevant topic, that demonstrates your ability to critically evaluate hypotheses and results, and to present your own views on the matter. Alternatively you may choose to write a research proposal, according to formats of financing bodies like NWO. 

This compulsory module is a combination of courses, workshops, seminars, and career events to acquaint you with a wide range of life sciences-related topics.