Master of Science in Cardiovascular Health and Disease
Utrecht, Netherlands
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Apr 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 24,432 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* non-EU/EEA students (institutional fee) | € 2601 - Dutch and other EU/EEA students (statutory fee)
Cardiovascular diseases are a major burden worldwide. This programme challenges you to reduce this burden by unravelling cardiovascular disease mechanisms, developing treatments and therapies, and investigating risk management and preventive strategies.
Cardiovascular Health and Disease positions you at the cutting edge of basic and clinical science in the cardiovascular research field. You study the cardiovascular system in the broadest sense and learn to conduct cardiovascular-related research on a basic, translational, or preclinical level.
Learn to translate a disease into a scientifically sound experiment or model, and translate your experimental model back to the disease. Expand your knowledge concerning the disease or build bridges towards therapeutic leads by studying the underlying mechanisms of the disease. Research projects, courses and writing assignments focus on different cardiovascular subjects, allowing you to gain experience in multiple labs. Examples of subjects covered are arrhythmias, vascular biology and disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathies, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors and prevention.
Societal challenges are incorporated in this Master’s programme, such as diversity, health equity, development of animal-free models, prevention, and patient participation in cardiovascular research.
Altogether, this programme allows you to become an expert in the cardiovascular research field, with the opportunity to either fully specialise yourself within a subdomain of cardiovascular research or to broaden your horizon within the Life Sciences field.
Scholarships, fellowships, and grants offered by Utrecht University, the Dutch government, and other organisations can help fund your studies at the university. Please note that the scholarship options for programmes starting in February are limited.
- NL Scholarship
- Utrecht Sylff Scholarships
- For outstanding graduates from University College Utrecht and Economics and Business Economics (UU)
- Canadian student loans
- Fulbright / NAF
- Erasmus+ Master loans
Specific Courses
- Shaping the Cardiovascular Professional
- Thrombosis and Haemostasis
- Mechanisms of Vascular Disease
- Mechanisms of Cardiac Health and Disease
General Elective Courses
- Academic Writing
- Basics of Biostatistics
- Better Science with less animal experimentation
- Bio-inspired Essentials
- Bio-tech-med Interdisciplinary Team Training
- Career Orientation and Professional Skills Training
- Communicating Life Sciences
- English for Academic Purposes
- Essentials of Neuroscience
- Fundamentals of Biofabrication
- History of Medicine
- Introduction to Designing & Teaching in Higher Education
- Laboratory Animal Sciences
- Career Orientation & Professional Skills Training
- Online course Radiation protection - ELO on open sources
- Philosophy of Neuroscience
- Science and Society
- Thematic Interdisciplinary Challenge
- Vascularized Tissue Engineering Online Course
Career prospects include scientific research, science journalism, and education, along with jobs in the private, public or non-profit sectors.
Graduates find positions in:
- The Graduate School of Life Sciences-PhD programmes, in particular Cardiovascular Research
- National and international institutions partnered with Utrecht University research institutes
- Various other national and international institutes
- Researcher in the Life Sciences industry
- Clinical trial assistant
- Education
Why you should study Cardiovascular Disease and Health at Utrecht University
- Carry out one or two hands-on research projects at our research groups, and the possibility to do a general research profile project abroad to gain additional skills and an international perspective on your chosen specialisation.
- Excellent preparation to continue your education in the UU PhD programme Cardiovascular Research.
- Freedom to design your own programme, by choosing a research project and electives that best fit your interests. You also select 1 out of 8 thematic profiles, which are designed to equip you with skills for your future career.
- Train within the unique Utrecht Life Sciences ecosystem, where collaboration between clinicians of the UMC Utrecht, fundamental researchers, and industry work side by side to advance cardiovascular research.
- Develop yourself not only as a researcher, but also as a professional. With room for electives and learning transferable skills, the programme supports your personal growth and prepares you for diverse career paths in academia, healthcare, and industry.
Educational Methods
- Internships (research projects and profiles)
- Coursework
- Writing assignment
- Seminars