Master in Social Challenges, Policies and Interventions
Utrecht, Netherlands
Master degree
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 20,605 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for Non-EU/EEA students (institutional fee) | Dutch and other EU/EEA students (statutory fee, full-time) 2025-2026: € 2.601
To understand individuals in their contexts (e.g., social, physical, institutional), we need to look beyond the limits of individual study fields. In this Master’s programme, offered by the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, you will learn to study a broad range of contemporary social challenges in the realms of:
- differences in health and well-being;
- combining work and care;
- climate change and sustainable behaviour;
- social cohesion and diversity.
Many, if not all, of these social challenges transcend disciplinary boundaries. We will equip you with the necessary mixed-method and participatory methodological skills to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenge at hand.
As in many European countries, local governments and companies in the Netherlands carry increasing social responsibilities. This requires interdisciplinary professionals who are capable of combining insights from different perspectives and fields. Moreover, there is a great need for professionals who are able to interpret scientific research and apply evidence-based policies and interventions. This Master’s programme will provide you with the knowledge and skills to meet this need.
After completing your Master’s degree, you could work for a government organisation at the international, national, provincial or municipal level, for social welfare institutions and NGOs, at care organisations, for private or non-profit organisations in the social sector, for research institutions (such as Movisieor the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction (Trimbos)) or you could pursue an academic career. About 10% of our graduates choose a career in academic research, while almost 90% opt for a career elsewhere.
To the labour market: non-academic careers
As a graduate of the Master’s programme in Social Challenges, Policies and Interventions, you could consider the following professions:
- Policy adviser
- Consultant for a renowned (commercial) bureau/agency
- Evaluation researcher
- Trainee generalist
- Project manager/coordinator
Period 1
- Social Challenges (7.5 EC)
- Interdisciplinary Theory and Methods (in total 7.5 EC)
- Academic Professional SCPI (in total 7.5 EC)
Period 2
- Social Change Approaches: Development, Implementation and Evaluation (7.5 EC)
- Interdisciplinary Theory and Methods (in total 7.5 EC)
- Academic Professional SCPI (in total 7.5 EC)
Period 3 & 4
The second semester (period 3 and 4) consists of three interrelated components. You do an internship, write your thesis and make an additional public-engagement end product, all focused on a social challenge.
The internship can take place either at an external organisation or internally, with one of the researchers at the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science. Moreover, internships can be either practice-oriented or research-oriented (including data collection). You will write a thesis on either the research you conducted during your internship or, in the case of a practice-oriented internship, an analysis of an existing dataset.
- Master’s Internship (15 EC)
- Master's Thesis (12.5 EC)
- Open Science, Communication and Impact (2.5 EC)
- Academic Professional SCPI (in total 7.5 EC)