MSc Clinical and Psychosocial Epidemiology

Absolutely! You are welcome to apply even though you have not yet finished your Bachelor's degree. The admission board will take that into account when reviewing your application. If you are selected you will receive a conditional offer, meaning that if you graduate from your Bachelor's then you are admitted to our programme.

If you have a Dutch bachelor's degree you should first apply via Studielink and then send an email to cpe umcg.nl to request further instructions about the application procedure.

If you have a non-Dutch degree, you will first need to register on Studielink.

After you submit your application in Studielink, you will receive a message from Studielink stating that the University of Groningen (UG) has to verify your educational background through the Progress Portal (replacing the previous system, OAS, as per October 2023).

Login details Progress Portal

You will receive a separate email with your login details (make sure to also check your spam folder). This email can also be found in your Studielink inbox.

To do:

1. Log into the system
2. Complete your application and upload the required application documents
3. Submit your application

Keep in mind that, if you do not submit your application through this portal, the Admissions Office (AO) will not be able to process your application and assess whether or not you meet the requirements for admission.

Upload all required documents before deadline

Make sure to upload all requested documents, in the correct format and including all required information, before the deadline​​​. If your application is not complete before the deadline, it will not be processed.

More information

More information about the registration procedure with a non-Dutch diploma can be found here.

You will need to include the following documents in your application:

1. Motivation letter

The motivation letter is an opportunity for you to convey your enthusiasm, goals, and suitability for the MSc Clinical and Psychosocial Epidemiology programme as well as for the track you chose. Make sure to answer the following questions in it:

• Why do you want to enroll in this programme and track?
• What are your expectations and future career plans?
• What makes you the right person for this programme?

2. Curriculum Vitae

Please send us an up-to-date CV so we can get a better understanding of your background. Include details such as your education, work experience, skills, and any important certificates.

3. Reference letter from an academic teacher/supervisor

We need a letter of recommendation from one of your teachers or supervisors. This letter should talk about your cchool performance, how you work, and why you are a good fit for the programme. Please make sure it's recent.

4. Official university transcript

Your transcript should include a list of all the courses you've taken, including the credit hours for each, the final grades you received, an explanation of the grading system used, and your class rank if available. Make sure to include the grades for courses you didn't pass as well.

5. Proof of English proficiency.

We need to ensure that you are proficient in English since the programme will be taught in this language. In most cases you will need to provide a language certificate like the TOEFL test or something similar.

6. Copy of your passport

Make sure the copy is of good quality and your name is clearly visible.

7. Other Documents

Please provide any other documents that you think will be useful in furthering your application, such as reports on former research projects.

You will have the opportunity to select the track of your choice while applying in Studielink. HEre are the available tracks:

• Health Systems and Prevention track (HSP)
• Lifecourse Health Development track (LHD).

If you are not sure yet which track you would like to apply for then just select 'CPE' in Studielink. You'll have ample time to decide and you do not even need to have made up your mind before the interview.

If upon applying you are not sure yet which track is for you that is absolutely fine! When applying in Studielink, just select "CPE". You do not need to have made up your mind before the interview, and you can even change track during the first couple of months of the programme.

Accepted tests (minimum scores)

Please note:

• Test scores cannot be older than two years from the moment you submit your application in Studielink
• It is not allowed to combine multiple tests
• TOEFL MyBest Scores are not considered in the Admissions procedure.

We need to ensure that you're proficient in English since the programme will be taught in this language. In most cases you will need to provide a language certificate like the TOEFL test or something similar.

You are exempt from proving proficiency in English only if

• You hold a Dutch VWO level high school diploma
• You are a native speaker and have completed a full secondary education in one of the following countries: USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia;
• You have completed an English-taught bachelor's degree at the University of Gronigen
• You have completed a fulltime bachelor programme (nominal duration of at least three years) in one of the following countries: USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia;
• You have an International Baccalaureate diploma, with English as the medium of instruction;
• You have a European Baccalaureate diploma, with English as the medium of instruction.

If English was the medium of instruction during your previous education, but you do not meet the above mentioned requirements for exemption, you are still required to prove your English proficiency by means of one of the tests as mentioned above.

Please note

You may apply for a degree programme, even though you have not yet taken an English language test or while your test score is still insufficient. In that case, you might be conditionally admitted with one of the conditions for final admission being that you take and pass a (new) test. Please inform us of the date on which you are planning to take such a test.

If you are a non-EU/EEA student and you require visa to travel to the Netherlands, you should take into account that we can only apply for visa for you after you have met the language requirements.

Unfortunately we do not offer scholarship for this programme. However, there are other scholarships schemes that you may be able to benefit from. You can find out more on the Grantfinder page of of the university.

If you have a non-Dutch diploma, once you have completed the registration process on Studielink and the Progress Portal, the Admissions Office will conduct an initial review to ensure that all required documentation is complete and verify your educational background. If your application is complete and you meet the requirements, your documentation will be sent to the CPE admissions board for review. If not, you will be informed by the Admissions Office.

If you have a Dutch diploma, your documentation will be directly sent to the CPE admissions board for review.

Your application will then be evaluated by the CPE admissions board who will review all the documents you provided (CV, Grades, motivation letter...).

If you are selected, you will be invited, via email, to take the entrance exam. If not, you will be informed and given an explanation for the decision.

Typically, this first step of the procedure is completed within 1 month after the application deadline.

The entrance exam will be a test of your statistical knowledge. You will have one hour to answer a multiple choice questions test.

You are applying for a Research Master’s Programme and statistics plays a central role in how we conduct research. The entrance exam helps you ensure that you have the necessary foundation in statistical knowledge to be well-prepared for the programme.

The entrance exam takes place online.

In preparation for the exam you can use any general book on statistics to refresh your knowledge. Additionally, one week before the exam date, we will send you links to several videos and to an online book. You will have ample time to prepare. And don’t worry, if you know the basics, you’ll be just fine!

The interview is usually conducted online. It can also be done in person. The Graduate School of Medical Sciences is located at the University Medical Center Groningen. Whether you are joining online or in-person we will provide you with all the necessary information to make sure you are at the right place at the right time!

The interview will be about 30 minutes long.

During the interview you'll be asked to give a short presentation on a research project you undertook as part of your previous studies. Use this time to highlight the project's significance, your role, methodology, and outcomes.

The presentation will then be followed by a discussion during which you will be asked questions about your research project and also have the opportunity to elaborate on your skills, motivation for the programme and future ambitions.

During the interview, you will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Your motivation for CPE and the track of your choice
• The quality of the research you did during your previous studies
• The quality of your research project presentation

It is absolutely fine to come to the interview without knowing yet which track you want to follow. You can just tell us about your motivation for CPE in general and actually the interview might give you more insights about each track and help you in your decision-making process.

You can even change track during the first couple of months of the programme if you realise you are more interested in the other one.

If you passed the entrace exam and your interview evaluation is favourable, you will be admitted to the programme.

The admissions board typically takes about two to three weeks to make their decision. Once they inform the Admissions Office, you will receive an official letter via email notifying you of your admission status.