“During my bachelor’s study at the University of Bremen, I did a six-month mandatory internship in health management for hospital employees. I really enjoyed that, especially the combination of looking at working conditions and employees’ health issues. That made me decide to pursue a career in this field, rather than in the prevention or treatment of diseases.

I had no idea if there were any master’s programmes in my field of interest, so I looked at a number of universities and was surprised to find this very specific programme in Maastricht. It’s exactly what I was looking for! The added benefits are that it’s abroad and it’s entirely taught in English, my favourite language which I wanted to gain more practice in after having done an au-pair-year in New York. With all the support and helpful information I received, the university made me feel very welcome. I was accepted for this master’s programme before I could even send in my application to other universities. That’s another element that sets this university apart.

So far, it’s really interesting. We get trained in so many different elements and one of my favourite topics is the ICF classification and framework to measure health and disability. I had heard about the Problem-Based Learning method from fellow students in my bachelor’s study who came here for an exchange period, but it was new to me as a student. I think it contributes immensely to your personal development. After this master’s programme, I’d love to go back to the hospital in Bremen where I did my bachelor’s internship and work in health management. It’s important that people feel good at the place where they work. For example, it’s still difficult to combine a career and a family, and I hope I can contribute to helping people find a healthy work-life balance.”