Honours and awards
A university degree is varied and challenging in itself, but for students looking to broaden their horizons or dig deeper, we also offer honours programmes that provide an additional challenge. You can choose between a life sciences honours programme (QBio or U/Select) or an interdisciplinary honours programme at UU Honours College.
U/Select is a 2-year extracurricular Honours programme, for talented students who seek to broaden their horizons and want to get more out of their Master's programme.
Learning goals
- To broaden and deepen your study program through additional learning experiences.
- To be part of a community of talented and motivated students in the Life Sciences.
- To be able to write a research proposal and execute this during research project abroad.
- To establish a strong foundation for your upcoming academic or professional pursuits.
- To build a broad network beyond your own Master's programme.
Programme
Kick-off meeting (February - year 1):
Meet each other and get informed about the U/Select programme.Master classes (year 1):
In the first year, the students organize monthly master classes (deciding on the topics, inviting speakers, etc.). Examples are: career planning, working abroad, and scientific publishing. Students will arrange this in consultation with the U/Select coordinator, Prof. Paul Coffer.Research proposal and research project abroad (years 1&2):
You will choose a topic within the scope of the Life Sciences, and perform an internship at an international research institute. You will write your own research proposal in collaboration with your supervisor abroad. Upon approval of your research proposal, you will granted a €2000 travel grant for your project abroad.Mini-symposium (September - year 2):
You will present your work during a mini-symposium. The jury, consisting of leading scientists of Utrecht University, will judge the best presentation and a prize will be awarded.
Application procedure
Students will be selected on the following criteria:
- Motivation and ambition;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Extracurricular activities.
To apply, send the following documents to USelect@umcutrecht.nl:
- Motivation letter, including a short description of your BSc or MSc (research) project;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Grade list or transcript of BSc degree, jobs, experience abroad etc.;
- Letter(s) of recommendation from your Master's coordinator or from your current/previous supervisor. Please ask your coordinator or supervisor to use this standardized form for letters of recommendation.
The deadline is December 6th, 2024, 17:00 pm
A selection committee will judge all applications and select the U/Select participants. You may be invited for an interview with this committee. 10-12 participants each year are selected to enter the programme. More information? Contact USelect@umcutrecht.nl
The honours programme Quantitative Biology (QBio) offers students extra challenge in the field of Quantitative Biology and Computational Life Sciences. The programme is set up for students with a genuine interest in interdisciplinary work as it sets out to combine different scientific disciplines such as Biology, Biomedical Biology, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Sciences.
The programme is offered to students of the Graduate School of Life Sciences as well as Natural Sciences. The aim of the programme is to train the next generation of scientists in Quantitative Biology.
Visit to the QBio website for more information and application.
How will your honours programme fit in your Master’s programme?
Most components fit in the GSLS Master’s programmes, with the exception of Medical Imaging, Science and Business Management and Epidemiology postgraduate. Please always consult your programme coordinator first to discuss your options.
Components | EC | Place in curriculum |
| Summerschool QBio | 1.5 | Elective |
| Journal club | - | Extracurricular |
| Research project | 33* | General research project* |
| PhD proposal | 7.5 | Writing assignment |
*MCLS students can use the major project (51 EC) for this cause as well.
Components that do not fit the regular study programmes may be taken extracurricularly. Students fulfilling all requirements of the honours programme (including the journal club) will get a notification on their Master’s degree supplement.
Utrecht University offers the Young Innovators Programme to high-achievers with leadership potential. The Young Innovators Programme is a selective 15 credits honours course at graduate level, to be taken on top of any Master's programme. This course is about leadership and innovation skills, about responsibility and ethics, and it is structured around major challenges of modern societies in a globalizing world:
Sustainability and Growth
Globalization and Identity
Entrepreneurship and Ethics
Stability and Change
Visit the Young Innovators website for more information and application.
The Graduate Honours Interdisciplinary Seminars (GHIS) is a series of small-scale seminars, 3-4 meetings each, about the focus research areas at Utrecht University. The topics will be diverse, ranging from global health issues and transition towards sustainability, to trends in youth culture, and the philosophy of science. No more than eight students participate in each discussion-based seminar group. Each seminar is hosted by distinguished researchers. You, your fellow students, and the lecturers will co-create the sessions.
Visit the UU website for more information.
The Leadership Programme is designed for students that are eager to learn about interdisciplinary theories and how leadership functions in daily practice, all while discovering and developing their own personal leadership style. You can follow this programme (10 EC) on top of any Master’s degree at Utrecht University. The working language of the Leadership Programme is English.
UniCity is a study and research programme (15EC) that connects the university with Utrecht city. A programme that lets you experience what your unique academic vision and contribution is as an Utrecht University student and resident of Utrecht. UniCity is only offered in Dutch.
Utrecht University and UMCU Utrecht offer a number of awards for students delivering excellent results in the field of their studies or beyond. Please visit the UU website and UMC Utrecht website for more information.
For prizes and awards in the area of your Master's programme, please consult your Master's coordinator. Interesting prizes are for example the KNCV Golden Master Award, EAHP-EPSA Student Science Award, and Young Talent Awards (KHMW).