Universiteit Maastricht (UM)

Maastricht can be an amazing place to study, if you manage your  time properly. It sounds less important than it is, but it is the single most importat skill you will need to learn in Maastricht (School of Business and Economics). From the first period onwards, your will be flooded with assignments and group work. If you do not manage it properly, your hobbies, your relationships and other interest might suffer alot. 

What if you manage your time properly? You will be rewarded with one of the most international student communities in the world.  And all of them have amazing stories to tell. Strong bonds will quickly form among the students and the community will develop an incredibe charm. Especially, when times get rought during the exam period. We call it the "Maastricht spirit". 

The courses themselves are well organised, the applied nature of most of the courses equip you with very decent presentation skills and all sorts of other soft skills. That is why most graduates from Maastricht easily enter the job market as consultants. Especially in German companies, graduates from Maastricht are very high in demand. 

Lastly, the value of interests, hobbies, education beyond the regular schedule can not be emphasised enough. Try out as many things as you can. Time management is key!

MSc in Public Policy & Human Development is offered as a double degree program by Maastricht University and the United Nations University-MERIT. The first semester discusses a lot of data science (Using STATA) as well as the basics of public policy, economics and an intense course in public policy analysis. The second semester depends entire on the specialization that you choose (6 options). I chose regional integration & multilevel governance in which I did not learn as much as I had hoped, while the last course offered a lot of insight into Logistical Framework analysis, stakeholder analysis and project management. The other courses were very basic and while I learned more about regional studies I didn’t gain any valuable skills. I know other specializations felt better prepared for the job market (e.g. social protection) so be sure to do your research before choosing your specialization

One of Maastricht University (UM) strongest asset is the teaching method. The problem-based learning method has spread throughout the Netherlands. It works very well, as it offers the opportunity for students to interact with each other in small groups. However, the issue with such system is that it requires a lot of teachers (as a result of having small groups). Thus, you might end up with a bachelor or a master student giving class. Sometimes, I felt that the difference in the teaching level between a professor or a assistant and a student was considerable.
A part of that, Maastricht was an amazing experience and a great working environment.

Overall, my experience studying in Maastricht was outstanding. Most of the courses were well accessed, excluding one that should have been organised differently. Personally, I had a very close relationship with most professors, however I think they should be have been more understanding regarding the students' mental health specially during the rough and harsh times we are living in.