Overview

The Master’s in Health, Ageing and Society prepares you for an important role in improving the future of our care. The degree combines different perspectives on growing older in good health, public health and health management. You will learn and work together in small groups with students with different study backgrounds and with diverse nationalities. You will gain knowledge about biology of ageing, learn about the implications of ageing on an individual and societal level and you will acquire knowledge about health management of an ageing population. You will also develop academic and personal skills, such as communication, leadership and research. Because of the relatively small scale of the programme, there is much individual guidance, such as mentoring and professional development sessions. Throughout the programme you will collaborate with senior citizens, visit (inter)national potential employers, attend network events, and give presentations for actors in the field. By the end of the master’s, you will combine your gained knowledge and skills in a scientific thesis and internship. Quite some students take the opportunity to do their internship abroad. The master’s Health, Ageing and Society is an intensive one-year fulltime programme. Since 2022-23, it is also possible to follow the programme part-time, where you follow the same curriculum, spread over two years.

What you will learn

The master’s programme Health, Ageing and Society trains its students to become academic Health, Ageing and Society professionals and engaged citizens who are competent and trained internationally and interdisciplinary. They are able to contribute to solutions for the challenges facing our ageing society. The one-year fulltime or two-year parttime master’s programme provides the students with knowledge and skills, additional to their diverse bachelor backgrounds, to become academic professionals who are capable of improving the care and welfare of the older people in an ageing society. Students may find employment as researchers, policymakers, innovative professionals or medical doctors in the field of Health, Ageing and Society.

Career prospects

The following career opportunities are open to alumni of the master's programme:

Scientific
During the master programme you will become acquainted with the latest scientific insights on health, ageing and society. You will build your (inter)national network with scientists in this field, giving you unique possibilities for PhD positions after graduating from our master.

Organisation
Many organisations realise that our ageing society warrants changes and innovation. Since this needs young, excellent talents with knowledge in this domain, this master is a perfect step towards a career in (non-)governmental organisations and companies, national and international.

Health

After successfully finishing a health-related bachelor programme the master Vitality and Ageing is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the challenges of an aging society and work on your personal development. For example, before starting your clinical rotations in Medicine.

Examples of jobs

• Policy officer at Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS)
• Quality advisor in nursing home organisation
• Consultant healthcare
• Researcher in non governmental institutes for policy and or research
• Project manager in nursing home organisation
• Traineeships at for instance Ministries or healthcare insurers
• Support specialist at healthcare tech company

Accreditation

Accredited by NVAO, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.