Careers prospects
The Alumnitool on LinkedIn can help you gain insight into possible careers after you finish your degree. It can also help you get in contact with an alumnus or alumna of your degree programme or other programmes. Nearly all graduates have a LinkedIn profile and can answer questions about your future career. They’re often more than happy to share their experiences with you. The video belows explains how the alumnitool works, and how you can use search criteria to find career information that is relevant to you.
Would you like to know more about how you can use LinkedIn to expand your network and put the new information into practice straight away? Take the LinkedIn workshop from Career Services. The workshop Exploring the job market & networking is also useful if you'd like to improve your networking skills, using LinkedIn and other ways.
Even before you graduate, the LLM in European Law will have given you a good introduction to professional practice through moot courts, visits to major European organisations, and the chance to speak with top-ranking professional lawyers. As a result, you will be well prepared for a legal career either in your home country or internationally.
The Job Market Monitor 2013 indicates that many alumni from Utrecht University School of Law programmes find jobs immediately after graduating. An average of four months post-graduation, all of them have found employment. A small percentage go on to follow a PhD programme or other study after their Master. Many students come into contact with their future employer during their Master, for example during their internship, at a career fair, or by carrying out (thesis) research on behalf of an organisation or business. The Utrecht University Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance has strong links with practice.
After finishing your study, you can work:
- as a legal assistant in many different areas of national government including local authorities, executive, and supervisory bodies that deal with European issues and must implement or maintain European law, in European organisations, and non-governmental organisations;
- as an lawyer with large, transnational law firms, in the legal departments of corporations, or in other organisations that are affected by the workings of European law;
- in professional legal practice in local national or EU member state courts in the broadest sense, given the impact of European law on the national legal system; and
- as a policy officer at the European and national professional legal practice.
PhD
On average, Utrecht University School of Law has 40 PhD students who are working under the supervision of a professor towards the title ‘Doctor of Law’. A PhD programme typically takes four years, during which you will produce and submit a thesis. We also encourage you to establish yourself as a researcher during this time by publishing articles related to your research and contributing to seminars and conferences. We have an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching and our academics are at the cutting edge of scholarship. If you wish to find out more about openings for paid PhD positions, please go to vacancies.
LLM in legal research
If you are interested in studying for a PhD and would like to consolidate and improve your research skills first, we offer the LLM in Legal Research: an excellent introduction to academic research.
In previous years, graduates from this LLM have gone on to do well in a range of areas including:
- corporate and private law practice;
- national public service as a diplomat or civil servant;
- legal or policy analysis with governments, international political organisations, and NGOs; and
- academic or legal research.
Are you considering starting your own business? Now is a good time to prepare. Utrecht University can offer you a number of opportunities to explore entrepreneurship.
You could, for instance, take electives from Master's degree programmes that cover entrepreneurship in their curriculums:
- If you’re interested in becoming an expert at creating the prerequisites for running a successful business, take an elective at the Master’s programme Business Development and Entrepreneurship of Utrecht School of Economics.
- If you have a background in Economics and Business, and wish to do a Master’s programme in Entrepreneurship: check out the Master’s programme Business Development and Entrepreneurship.
- If you have a background in Science or Medicine, you can take classes Science and Business Management classes.
- If you're interested in sustainable business practices and sustainable innovation, take an elective at Sustainable Business and Innovation.
The Utrecht Center for Entrepreneurship (CE) also organises Spring schools, Summer schools, Winter schools, Honours classes and short seminars on entrepreneurship for non-Dutch students. All courses are offered in English except when the entire group is Dutch.
StudentsInc
Would you like to run a business while still at university? Do you want to graduate on running your own business? StudentsInc (Dutch language website) is home to a number of student businesses and offers programmes to develop your entrepreneurial skills.
UtrechtInc
Have you (nearly) graduated and do you want to start a business? UtrechtInc is the place to find financing, office space, expertise and coaching. UtrechtInc is there for
- starting entrepreneurs and alumni, doctoral candidates, and researchers (preferably from Utrecht University, Hogeschool Utrecht, UMC Utrecht)
- who are still in the ideas phase OR further along (less than five years) and have
- and have a (IT) start-up focusing on health, environmental sustainability, or education.
Would you like to know more? Visit the UtrechtInc site, register your idea, and drop by for a cup of coffee.
Enactus
Would you like to know whether entrepreneurship is right for you? Are you driven, socially conscious, and ambitious? Are you willing to spend a year working on a business for at least 8 hours a week? Enactus Utrecht (Dutch language website) offers you the opportunity to run a business and provides workshops and professional coaching.
Useful links
- Register at the Chambers of Commerce.
- You can read about all the other things you need to take care of on the Revenue Service (Belastingdienst) website.
- Join relevant groups on LinkedIn to share knowledge online and expand your network.
- Will you run an especially sustainable, innovative, and/or internationally oriented business? The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can support you with subsidies, knowledge, regulation, and more.
Upon completion of your current Master's degree programme, you can follow a one-year (Dutch language) teacher training programme. This will grant you a first degree teaching qualification for secondary education. That means you will be able to work in the upper and lower years of vmbo, havo, and vwo in the Netherlands.
Take a look at UU's Master's degree programme selection site.
When you complete your Master's degree programme, if you enjoy doing research in your area of expertise, perhaps you should pursue a PhD. You will start out as a research assistant or trainee research worker. Check the two-years Master's Programmes of Utrecht University.
The best way to find a research traineeship is to contact the professor in the field you want to specialise in. Another option would be www.academictransfer.nl.
If you'd like to pursue a PhD at Utrecht University, your PhD programme will fall under the auspices of one of the Graduate Schools. For more information, consult the Prout | PhD Network Utrecht website.