Best Universities for Public Health in the Netherlands With a philosophy of equality in access, cost, and quality, the Netherlands sets an amazingly high standard in public health. A hub for cutting-edge technology for many disciplines, the country has become a top spot for new and expert health professionals alike. Discover the many opportunities for education on public health in the Netherlands below:
How Much Does a Masters in Public Health Cost in the Netherlands?
A Master’s in Public Health in the Netherlands costs around €20,000 per academic year. However, this varies with the institution and whether you are from the EU. For example, an online master’s in Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health from Wageningen University costs €2314 for EU students and €19,600 for non-EU students for the 2023-2024 academic year. Before you commence your degree, explore the best schools where you can study for the Master in Public Health. We currently do not have a list of public health courses on our page, but we implore you to check out other open courses to explore your options.
Top Schools Offering Public Health Programs in The Netherlands
1. Vrije University – Faculty of Science
Vrije University in Amsterdam is an excellent school for public health in the Netherlands that offers a Master’s in Health Sciences for those who are interested in analyzing complex healthcare issues. Through this course, students will learn how to develop, execute, and evaluate interventions that directly address the most pressing and unsolved problems of society today.
The course is divided into five tracks that cater to different applications of health studies and how these are adapted to the public sphere: Health Policy, Infectious Disease & Public Health, International Public Health, Nutrition & Health, and Prevention & Public Health.
Created for working professionals, the course has the flexibility of taking part-time and full-time courses. Some specializations have allocations for students to choose their electives to further their knowledge of the course. The last five months of the course consist of an internship of the student’s choice taken alongside a research-based thesis. This allows the student to gain practical knowledge in the field while solving current problems in public health.
2. Maastricht University – Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
With the rise of internationalization, the world has grown smaller, and borders – especially concerning diseases and their origins – have ceased to exist. As such, Maastricht University offers a Master’s course in Global Health for practitioners who are looking to stretch beyond their current worldviews. The course uses a global and interdisciplinary approach to disease and factors to improve public health.
As a global university itself, Maastricht University is a leading university for public health in the Netherlands that takes pride in its international classrooms – over 45% of its students are outside the Netherlands, bringing in a wide set of viewpoints. It also leverages its partnerships to provide students access to the latest advancements in the medical world. From Eastern universities in Thailand and India to Western universities in Canada and Colombia, this Master’s course allows students to be at the center of learning in their field. Other international features of the course include joint courses and projects, a two-week summit on a developing country, and a twelve-week elective at a partner university.
Maastricht University is known for its Problem-Based Learning approach, which also applies to its Master’s courses. Here, students are split into small groups of 10-12 members and take on real-life situations. This encourages practice and problem-solving skills early on in the course and results in high knowledge retention rates. The thesis and internship program of the course also lend the same level of personalization, done with close faculty supervision to maximize learning.
3. Utrecht University – Graduate School of Life Sciences
The Master in Health Sciences at Utrecht University is one of the best public health institutions in the Netherlands that prepares health professionals who are equipped to handle evidence-based medicine and translate this to real-world applications. The course develops students through the research process that is patient or community-centered, from design, analysis, and evaluation. More importantly, the course teaches students how to convert data into actionable recommendations for relevant parties. These skill sets are of high value for those pursuing careers in research, health institutions, or policymaking in government.
While the course is intended to be completed in 1.5 years, there is also an option to convert the course into a part-time program spanning 3.5 years. With internationally known lecturers, state-of-the-art facilities, and expertise in epidemiology, learning public health from Utrecht University has all the means to handle the needs of modern public health stakeholders.
4. Wageningen University and Research
A Public Health course specialization, the Master’s in Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health offered by Wageningen University and Research looks into diet and nutrition, and how it ladders up to keep societies strong. The course appeals greatly to scientists interested in epidemiology and disease intervention through origin studies of disease due to diet, how to prevent this on a societal level, and how to treat these on both a political and a clinical level.
The course is intended as a 3-4 year part-time study for 20 hours per week and can be done completely online – perfect for working students or professionals returning to study. The curriculum is composed of 2 years of part-time lectures, concluded by an internship and thesis which can span for another 1-2 years. Students will discuss topics such as statistics, nutrition and diet, and how to use the public health cycle as a means for planning health programs and recommendations. Through this course, students hone interdisciplinary skill sets fit for roles such as researchers or policy advisers for public and private institutions.
5. Erasmus University Rotterdam – School of Health Policy and Management
The Erasmus University Rotterdam is a top school for public health in the Netherlands that offers three courses for the Public Health track. First is the Master’s in Health Economics and Management, combining medical research with its political and social implications. In this course, students gain an interdisciplinary approach to healthcare and utilize their analysis and methodology as key resources for health-related organizations, taught alongside four major European universities. This full-time English language course lasts for 2 years and opens opportunities for careers in international organizations, hospitals, other health institutions, and government and research agencies.
The Health Care Management program is a one-year Master’s degree program for managers at all levels of health-related institutions. This full-time English program is a crash course on health knowledge, alongside business and management skills. In all things, the patient remains front and center – so much so that internships are required by the program for students to gain real-world experience.
Lastly, the Health Economics, Policy & Law course is a one-year Master’s degree course in English that provides students with a comprehensive view of the legal aspect of health. A one-of-a-kind course in Europe, students hone not only medical skills but also economics, public administration, and law to bring health recommendations into the public sphere. With local and international examples, students are given opportunities to address problems that countries face today in the quest for equitable healthcare. Subjects include Economics and Financing of Health Care Systems and International Health Law, among others.
We hope that this article on the Best Universities for Public Health in the Netherlands was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Programs in Europe for International Students to know more about studying abroad!
