Choosing a master’s programme is about finding your personal goals and ambitions. At Maastricht University (UM), we want to help you find those goals and achieve them. That’s what we call the MasterChallenge.

Bruna is from Brazil and chose to come to Maastricht for the master’s programme in Occupational Health and Sustainable Work. “I was trained as a medical doctor in Brazil and had already worked as a general practitioner for an American company in Brazil when I found that an important part was missing in my training and in my job. I missed the work health component. That area had not been covered in my medical studies. I wanted to improve people’s health on the job, so they would also be healthier outside the job. This urge was so strong that I started researching master’s programmes that combined the aspects work, health and career. There were none in Brazil. Since I’m also Portuguese, I extended my search to Europe and then found this programme. It is exactly what I was looking for and in fact the only master’s programme in the whole of Europe that has this unique combination.

I applied and was immediately overwhelmed by the support I received from the student service centre while I was still in Brazil. When I arrived here in July, I felt so welcome even though it was definitely a culture shock for me. This is my first time living outside my home country. Just imagine, my country was founded in the 19th century and most of Maastricht’s building are older than that! I’m in awe of the city’s beauty and the flawless way public services work here.

When I graduate I would like to work in a managerial position, developing and supervising health programmes in big corporations, helping to reduce absenteeism and promoting an inclusive environment.”