The Biology of Disease programme is an interdisciplinary programme that will position you at the cutting edge of basic and clinical science. In this programme, you will study disease mechanisms in the broadest sense, through an internship in either pre-clinical or clinical research at one of Utrecht University’s medical, biomedical, biological, industrial, or veterinary labs.
The programme’s central theme is the translation of a clinical problem (disease) into a scientifically sound experiment or model. This is necessary to study the underlying mechanism of the disease, which can potentially reveal therapeutic leads. Research questions may relate to all organisational levels of the body.
This Master’s programme offers you the opportunity to focus on more than one clinical specialty, enabling you to conduct research projects on different subjects and diseases while gaining experience in multiple labs. Alternatively, you can choose to focus entirely on cardiovascular research through our Cardiovascular Research track. On completing the programme, you will be able to use advanced research techniques and function as an independent researcher in your chosen specialty.
Programme Objective
The MSc in Biology of Disease trains students to conduct disease-related translational research in cooperation with clinical and pre-clinical staff.
Career prospects
Career prospects include scientific research, science journalism, and education along with jobs in the private, public, or non-profit sectors.
Depending on the career perspectives that appeal to you most, you can decide to replace your Minor Research Project with one of our professional profiles: Management (M), Communication & Education (C&E), or Drug Regulatory Sciences (DRS).
Academic careers
Graduates find PhD positions in:
- Graduate School of Life Sciences-PhD education programmes
- The Cardiovascular Research-PhD programme
- National and international institutions partnered with UU research institutes
- Various other national and international institutes