Doing a Research Master's at the University of Amsterdam

"I am doing my Research Master's in Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. However, in all honesty, I was initially contemplating a gap year. Here I would put my education to the test in the real world, get some real life experience under my belt, and see what the world outside of academia is like. I was not entirely certain where I wanted to continue my studies, with the exception of the Research Master's at the UvA. So I played a bet – let’s try only one application and if it works, I will continue my life in Amsterdam, and if not, I will have to get back among the pesky humans out there!"

Advice on Applying to Masters                                                   

"The number of courses matters, unless you have a lot of extracurricular activities relevant to the programme, such as doing research in the field etc. I would recommend taking part in electives, extra courses and summer schools that will contribute to your masters of choice. The interdisciplinary nature of PPLE is a nice aspect to bring to the table, however, during the application procedure it is a burden that needs to be overcome. Given PPLE’s young character, doing extracurricular activities will help show that you are committed to your field and can add significant value to the programme, on top of your interdisciplinary perspective. Pro tip: do as many methodology courses as possible!"

Speak Up

"Should it happen that you are not happy with the results of your application procedure, look into the appeals procedure (within reason of course). The general application procedure is quite simple and rudimentary, which led me to discover that the appeal procedure actually works. The appeals system functions well for degrees like PPLE; degrees that produce students that might add value for the programme, but cannot get through the simple algorithms, often used in regular cases!"