Everything you need to know about your master’s degree and the bucks

You’ve finished your studies. Well, the first one at least. Now, you’d like to specialize. But in what? How do you figure out which study programme suits you? Which requirements do I need to meet? How much does it cost? And why would I even choose to do a master’s degree? Student counsellor Marjo Dullens from Zuyd answers five burning questions.

Text Judith Houben

Why should I do a master’s degree?

‘A master’s degree can help you specialize. You’ll deepen your knowledge. This is ideal for some students who want to improve their career prospects. With a master’s degree, you’ll increase your possibilities when it comes to climbing the ladder at your future place of employment. Others want to expand their career options. And then there’s another group of students who prefer to keep studying, because they feel like they’re too young to start working.’

So I want to do a master’s degree, but how do I find one that’s suitable for me?

‘Sometimes, it feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’s not a choice you make after spending half an hour on Google. First, you need to know what you want. What are you interested in? For example, did you find one course during your bachelor’s degree more interesting than the others? If you’re still unsure, first gain a bit of work experience. Discover your interests. Your employer may even be willing to cover some of thee costs if you later decide to pursue a master's degree. The difference between master's degrees at universities of applied sciences and master's degrees at research universities depends on the type of research you do: Master's degrees at universities of applied sciences involve profession-based research, whereas master's degrees at research universities involve scientific and theoretical research. A good starting point in the search of your ideal master’s degree would be the Keuzegids, which is a Dutch guide where you’ll find every available master’s programme (www. keuzegids.nl).’

‘This differs immensely per study programme. Each study programme determines its own admission requirements and which tests you need to take. Some master's degrees at universities of applied sciences require a few years of professional experience. And most master's degrees at research universities require a pre-master's programme after obtaining your bachelor’s degree from a university of applied sciences. And there are many such possibilities. That is why you should inform yourself as effectively as possible.’

‘For funded master’s degrees, you pay the statutory tuition fee. For non-funded master’s degrees, you pay the institutional fee, which is a lot more expensive. These non-funded master’s degrees do not receive funding from the Dutch government. You may need to pay around 10,000 euros per year, or maybe even more.’

‘For funded master’s degrees, you’re usually still entitled to student loans from the Dutch Office of Education (DUO) and sometimes also to a public transport card. You can personally determine how much you want to borrow per month, and thus how much debt you take on. The conditions for taking out a loan with DUO are more favourable than with a bank, for example. Did you receive less than four years of study finance and a public transport card for your bachelor degree programme? Then you can still use your public transport card for one or two years for your master’s degree. If you’re doing a multi-year Master's, you may even get an extra year. This only applies if you are enrolled as a full-time student. DUO or your student counselor can inform you about what applies to you. This is really worthwhile. Because even if you opt for a non-funded master’s degree, you might still be entitled to a loan.’

There are several scholarship funds in the Netherlands, where you can get financial support (if you meet the requirements). For example fundatievanrenswoude-utrecht.nl/studiebeurzen and tesselschade.nl. Ask your student counsellor about the possibilities.