Profiles

The Educational profile (30 EC) is offered by the Graduate School of Teaching (GST) and can be taken as part of most GSNS Master’s programmes. The GST is responsible for the content of the 30 EC.

The total number of EC of each Master's programme will NOT be increased by completing the Master's Educational Profile.

If you are passionate about sharing your knowledge, and you would consider a career as a teacher in secondary education, this profile might be right for you. The Educational profile has two different variations: for a second degree or a first degree teaching qualification.

A major feature of the profile is the emphasis on practitioner skills and school-based activities. Throughout the programme, learning theories and teaching methods will be taught closely linked to your day to day work in the classroom. This programme is tailored to meet the professional development needs of teachers in the early stages of their careers.

More information

For more information such as admission and registration for the Educational Profile, check the detailed decription (in Dutch).

Non-Dutch speaking students

As the Educational profile is primarily targeted towards teaching in the Dutch school system, the courses and the internships are by default in Dutch. This profile has an entry level of C1 for reading and listening in Dutch. Admission to the Educational Profile is therefore not available for students that are not proficient in the Dutch language.

Description and aims

The Master’s profile Complex Systems is an interdisciplinary profile for students who are interested to broaden their knowledge and expertise within the field of Complex Systems. In this research field societal issues, such as a financial crisis, a sudden epidemic or climate change are studied from a quantitative modelling perspective. Students will get an understanding of the various models used in the complexity field and the behaviour (i.e. transitions, predictability) of these models.

The aim of the Complex Systems Profile is for students to develop or improve their

• affinity for quantitative approaches in order to address societal issues,
• ability to build models that are amenable to quantitative approaches,
• familiarity with standard (quantitative) methods in the toolbox for analysing complex systems, and
• ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the Master’s profile the student

• is able to recognise the complex systems aspects when confronted with a societal problem,
• is able to develop models of complex systems and/o has a good overview of model-building for complex systems,
• has a good overview of the methods in the complex systems toolbox, can apply them to models and extract quantitative results, and
• communicate/explain complex-systems models and methods to (interdisciplinary) teammates.

Programme

The Master’s profile comprises 30 EC.

Details of the courses that comprise the programme are provided in the complete description, and additional information can be found on the education website of the Center for Complex Systems Studies.

Entry requirements

• The student belongs to one of the participating master programmes
• Upon consultation with the coordinator for the profile, it is also possible for students from outside Utrecht University to participate in the profile, when their master programme has an affinity to complex systems

Participating Master’s programmes

• Artificial Intelligence
• Climate Physics
• Computing Science
• Energy Science
• Experimental Physics
• Game and Media Technology
• Mathematical Sciences
• Nanomaterials Science
• Sociology and Social Research
• Sustainable Development
• Theoretical Physics
• Multidisciplinary Economics

Legacy issues

Courses that were labelled as Complex Systems courses in the past academic years (noted in parenthesis) can be found in the complete profile desciption.

Science-based entrepreneurship (SBE) is a foundational source of innovation and thereby for economic growth. There are many routes towards entrepreneurship; whether it is finding a science-based product while working at a large company or performing research in an incubator. The SBE profile has been created with the goal of providing a path in entrepeneurship for students in all science programs.

Read the full desription and how to apply on the Science-based Entrepreneurship Profile page.

The Communication profile can be taken as part of most GSNS master’s programmes. This profile offers students the opportunity to focus on science communication and informal science education within the context of their own science research Master's programme for a full semester (30 EC).

These days researchers are increasingly called upon to engage with society, to share their results with a great variety of groups and to talk about work-related matters with citizens and interested parties. If you do not just want to become a good researcher but also want to learn how to communicate properly about your work with a variety of target audiences or how to teach your subject matter well in informal settings, this profile is a good choice for you. 

Programme

In the Communication profile, you learn how to make all kinds of knowledge accessible and useful for your target audiences. In addition, you strive for interaction; the public’s knowledge is valuable as well. A key component in these processes is a thorough understanding of the way people think and act. You implement this knowledge in the design of communication activities and educational material. Important questions are: what engages the target audience? How can we reach them and motivate them to share or take up information? How best to support these learning processes?

Outline of the programme*

Compulsory elements (25 EC):

• FI-MSECPDI Product Development Internship  (20 EC)
• FI-MSECCSP Communicating Science with the Public (5 EC)
• FI-MSECSCK Science Communication Knowledge Base (5 EC)

Choose one out of the elective courses (5 EC):

• FI-MSECITS Issues and Theories in SEC (sem 1)
• FI-MSECPSI Professional Skills and Identity (period 4)
• FI-MSECDSE Designing for Science Education in formal and informal settings  (period 2)
• FI-MSECSIS Science in Society  (period 4)

* For detailed course information please go to the Osiris course catalogue.

Application, admission and enrolment

The Communication profile starts twice a year, in September and February. By default, the profile will be completed in a single semester of full time study.

• Application goes through contacting C-profile coordinator Liesbeth de Bakker. She will send you all necessary information about the Communication profile including the registration procedure.
• Registration deadline is 1 May for a start in September, and 15 October for a start in February. There is space for 16 students per semester.

All students need to fill in the Profile Application form for the C profile and get permission from their exam committee before starting the C-profile. The Profile application form can be obtained from the C profile coordinator on request.

Please register as early as possible, as it takes a lot of time to arrange good internships. Late applications will only be considered if there are still places left, but placement cannot be guaranteed.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the Communication profile the student is able to:

• Understand and critically use the core knowledge of science education and communication theories, and the research underlying such theories;
• Develop and adapt a theoretically based design for science education or communication;
• Develop adequate science communication and education products according to design criteria, based on both theory and the personal research project. 

Become a changemaker, contributing to innovative sustainable solutions. Get outside your comfort zone and work on real-life problems in an interdisciplinary environment.

The Da Vinci Programme is a profile (30 EC) that offers you an immersive learning experience that enables you to become a changemaker, a connector, and an innovator that contributes to the transition towards a sustainable world. In collaboration with private and public partners, you will tackle real-life sustainability challenges.

What will you do?

In an interdisciplinary student team, you will work part-time at a stakeholder’s (partner organization) location. All teams will be mentored by supervisors from the partner organisations and by a coach from the university. During the programme you will be offered weekly workshops, supporting you in the process for solving the challenge. Through the workshops you will be trained in design thinking, systems thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration. The coach will support you on a personal development journey.

There will also be additional educational activities, such as field trips, showcasing inspiring real-life examples of sustainability innovation. Check the site to view the detailed programme and the challenges we offer our students and what you will have gained after following this exciting programme.

You will be trained in design thinking, systems thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration through workshops and additionally, there will be educational activities such as field trips for example. Part-time you will be working at the stakeholders location and you will also be working on a personal development portfolio.

For more information about the Da Vinci Programme download the Da Vinci brochure (PDF).

After the Da Vinci Programme you will:

• be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitude to tackle sustainability challenges;
• have experience on interdisciplinary research, stakeholder management and other leadership skills;
• practice with creative thinking, building and testing prototypes and critical reflection;
• discover how you can add value to an interdisciplinary environment to solve complex problems;
• have gained in-depth knowledge on a specific sustainability issue.

Students from Nanomaterials Sciences, History & Philosophy of Science, Game & Media Technology and Computing Science can add the Da Vinci Programme as secondary elective in their study programme.

If you require more information please join one of our online information meetings:

• Wednesday June 5^th 17.00-18.00
• Monday June 10^th 16.30-17.30

Should you be interested let us know and we will send you the link.

Registration

Register here or contact Hannah Thuijs at mdavinci@uu.nl

Data are everywhere. From the sciences to industry, commerce, and government, large collections of diverse data are becoming increasingly more indispensable for decision making, planning, and knowledge discovery. But how can we sensibly take advantage of all the opportunitities that these data potentially provide while avoiding the many pitfalls? The Master’s profile Applied Data Science addresses this challenge.

Applied Data Science (ADS) is a multidisciplinary profile for students who are not only interested in broadening their knowledge and expertise within the field of Data Science, but are also eager to apply these capabilities in relevant projects within their research domain. The two mandatory courses provide a thorough introduction to data science, its basic methods, techniques, processes, and the application of data science within specific domains. The foundations of applied data science include relevant statistical methods, machine learning techniques and programming skills. Moreover, key aspects and implications of ethics, privacy and law are covered as well.

The multidisciplinary nature of the Applied Data Science profile is also embodied in the collaborative design of the mandatory courses and (optionally) the research project. This means that both the teaching staff and students will have different backgrounds as means to help broaden perspectives and stimulate creativity. We investigate data science methods and techniques through case studies and applications throughout the life sciences & health, social sciences, geosciences, and the humanities. Therefore, students applying for this master’s profile should have an affinity for this multidisciplinary approach.

The full profile desciption can be found on the ADS Profile page.