67 Natural Sciences MSc Degree Programs in Netherlands

Are you a recent graduate in the life sciences field? Do you want to master up your science skills? To become a more independent and versatile professional? This master of science in molecular life sciences offers just that. The perfect balance between workplace learning and applied research.

Welcome to the ISLANDS programme, a dynamic 2-year Research Master that delves into the fascinating intersection of Islands and Sustainability with a curriculum entirely taught in English. Our program is tailored to provide a comprehensive blend of research and professional skills spanning spatial, social, and environmental sciences.

Are you curious, creative and determined to solve biomedical challenges? Are you fascinated about the fundamentals of biomedicine and do you dream to be a scientist, work in a clinic or be an entrepreneur? Then the master's in Biomedical Sciences (MBS) might be exactly what you are looking for. Through a mix of theoretical courses, practical training sessions and internships, you’ll explore the relationship between human beings and their environment, from molecule, to gene, to cell and organ, to individual and to entire populations. You’ll learn how new scientific knowledge is obtained in basic and applied research areas, and how these insights can be used to benefit patients. Upon graduation you’ll be able to pursue a career as a researcher studying diseases and treatments in both academia and industry.

The MSc in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences offers unique interdisciplinary cooperation between preclinical, pharmaceutical, medical and economical research fields, with teaching professors within walking distance. Our research and education cover all drug/vaccine-related aspects that are relevant to the drug development life cycle, and Groningen drug research and education are among the best in the world. Besides that, our program was awarded the 'Top Rated Program' label (Keuzegids Masters 2017), and our Pharmacy education has been ranked number 1 among students in the Netherlands since 2015.

The MSc in Biomolecular Sciences is connected to research institute GBB, which has an excellent international reputation and covers the field of systems-, chemical-, and synthetic biology. You are going to study in internationally oriented research and business area and will have the possibility to join the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition in Boston. Besides that, our faculty is the home of the 2016 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Ben Feringa, and the Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Frits Zernike.

The MSc in Mathematics was rated as the best degree program in its field and awarded the 'Top Rated Program' label (Keuzegids Masters 2017). It is also the best master's program in Mathematics in the Netherlands, according to Elsevier. In our program, you are going to be part of an informal community, you are going to create your own large-scale research project, and acquire skills highly appreciated by employers, whether you pursue a career in science or a company.

In the Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences master’s program, you are trained at the leading edge of drug design and fundamental research of new drugs, optimization of existing drugs, and personalized medicine.

The MSc Biology programme is a collaboration between the Institute of Biology Leiden, Naturalis Biodiversity Center and the Institute of Environmental Sciences, resulting in a broad and diverse scope.

Biomedical sciences is a broad field ranging from molecule to man to population and society, with the common aim to improve patient health and well-being. In this master’s, students choose a specialisation and career profile based on personal interests.

The two-year Research Master's in Spatial Sciences has two key features. First, it allows students maximum scientific freedom to learn and discover. Second, it lets students develop serious scientific research skills. Throughout the programme we take inspiration from Einstein's words: 'I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious'. Research Master students don't have to be extraordinarily talented or gifted. But students need to have a passionate curiosity about people and places. With this driving curiosity, the research master Spatial Sciences is a good choice.

In the Molecular Sciences Master's programme, you will learn about all aspects of the functioning and synthesis of molecules. Choose a specialisation at the intersection of chemistry, molecular life sciences, and biology. Deepen your knowledge in areas such as solid-state chemistry, spectroscopy, organic or physical chemistry, or molecular biology. Combine theoretical courses with extensive research internships in a multidisciplinary and international learning environment and get your MSc degree in Molecular Sciences.

What causes disease? What is the (epi)genetic background of disorders? How do microorganisms in the intestine contribute to health and disease? What are the underlying mechanisms of diseases and what novel strategies can be designed to cure disease? During the Master's degree program in Biomedical Sciences, you will be trained to find answers to these questions.

In the MSc in Nanoscience, you will work together with world-class scientists: top researchers from the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials provide education in the courses. Top researchers also provide supervision in four individual projects, in different research groups. Also, our program is the home of the 2016 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Ben Feringa, and the Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Frits Zernike; Spinoza Prize Winner Bart van Wees teaches in several of the given core courses. The MSc in Nanoscience is built upon the research cycle: ranging from design to synthesis, and device building, characterization, and research, to the theoretical foundation and improved design. It is a selective Master's degree: that assures you are studying as a cohort in a small but very motivated and talented group of (international) students. Our program is a 2-year full of partial scholarships for all admitted students. Also, we are among the top-3 of all Master's degree programs in the Netherlands 5 years in a row (Dutch Higher Education Guide 2019).

Our faculty is the home of the 2016 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, Ben Feringa, and GELIFES is the home of the 2014 Spinoza Prize winner, Theunis Piersma! The MSc in Biology offers a combination of in-depth training and the opportunity for designing a tailor-made program. We specialize in Modelling in Life Sciences and focus on the study of the causes and consequences of Animal Behavior. You will also receive coaching by a personal mentor. It is possible to enroll in the Master's degree program four times a year (every half-semester).

The ocean is vital for our economy, our health and well-being, for climate, food and biodiversity. However, due to increasing human-induced impact such as pollution and CO2 emissions the ocean is rapidly changing. As part of the two-year Master’s programme Marine Sciences, you will learn how marine systems and processes operate naturally – and how they change through human intervention.

The ISLANDS programme combines a thorough training in scientific research with a thematic specialization in Islands and Sustainability. It also provides multi-faceted training of research skills for social science and environmental research, including Individual Research Training by senior staff and training to work in a multi- and interdisciplinary research group. ISLANDS students will be required to study at the University of Groningen in the first semester and the first half of the second semester of the first year of the programme. Then they study at one of the island-based universities of the consortium where they undertake a Research Internship Module. After returning to Groningen, students will again go to an island-based university to undertake their Master's thesis project in the second semester of the second year. ISLANDS graduates receive a double degree from the University of Groningen (including an acknowledgement that this is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master degree involving all partner universities) and the island-based University. The ISLANDS programme builds on the existing Research Master in Spatial Sciences programme at the University of Groningen (RUG).