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Human Movement Sciences (Research Master), Master Degree, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

the Netherlands

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Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
Master Degree	Full-time	2 years	September	EUR 2694 per year	EUR 24150 per year

About Human Movement Sciences (Research Master), Master Degree - at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

How do toddlers learn to walk? How can augmented reality help patients with Parkinson’s Disease? How do top athletes get maximum performance out of their muscles? What’s the best training to improve stability and prevent falls among elderly people? As a student in the two-year Research Master Human Movement Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, you will learn how to answer urgent and socially relevant questions while conducting research aimed at unraveling the secrets of human movement through fundamental and applied scientific studies in Sport and Health.

Human movement is essential for understanding how we function, perform and stay healthy, yet it remains one of the most complex and dynamic areas in science. It is shaped by intricate interactions between the body, brain, behaviour and environment, and affects nearly every aspect of daily life. Questions about motor control, physical resilience or recovery after injury, exploring human movement opens the door to deeper scientific insight with direct societal relevance.

You will specialise in one of four scientific domains (biomechanics, movement neuroscience, psychology, physiology) , while developing advanced research and academic skills that prepare you to address complex questions in application areas such as sports, prevention and health, physical education, and high-demand professions (e.g., police, military). From the start, you are encouraged to connect theoretical insight to real-world impact, laying the foundation for a career in academia, or for contributing to research and development in industry or other non-academic institutions.

Summer School

Apply to VU Amsterdam Summer School and develop your academic skills in a focused and inspiring study abroad experience.

Learn more about Human Movement Sciences (Research Master), Master Degree - at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

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Entry requirements

1. Academic requirements

Your previous education needs to be deemed equivalent to at least a Dutch academic Bachelor’s degree (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) obtained at a research university (nominal duration 3 years).

2. Programme specific requirements

a relevant Bachelor's degree, such as human movement sciences, medicine, dentistry, health sciences, medical biology, or biomedical technology
A specification of the admission requirements is provided in the following overview: Admission requirements. Please read the specifications carefully before you apply.
GPA of 7.0 out of 10 in the Dutch grading system or higher (or the international equivalent, e.g. a B+ or a GPA of 3.0) for the final two years of the Bachelor's programme
strong interest in and aptitude for research, as demonstrated in research oriented courses, internships and/or thesis
the admission procedure includes an interview with the Admission Board.

What if you do not meet all admission criteria

If you do not meet the admission criteria, the Admission board may decide that you are admissible after you have eliminated your deficiencies. These deficiencies depend on your educational background. If you do not meet the admission criteria, you will receive a list of online courses you will be asked to attend and pass in order to eliminate the deficiencies. We recommend to start the courses prior to 1 April if you intend to start in September. Furthermore, if you are unsure about your eligibility to our programme, we recommend applying before 1 March in order to leave sufficient time for the admission process and the deficiency programme.

Please be aware that the online programme is challenging and only 20% of the participants successfully pass the exams. The costs of the online courses are €204,- per course and are non-refundable. The online courses particularly focus on research methods that are commonly used in the field of Human Movement Sciences, like mathematics, programming, biomechanics, statistics and measuring movement, and correspond to the “Requirements Methodological Knowledge” section in our list of admission criteria.

Because the two-year Research Master's programme is a selective master, your results from your bachelor and the deficiencies courses will be taken into account by the Admission Board in deciding whether you can be admitted to the Research Master's programme afterwards.

3. English-language proficiency requirements

You will have to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency. You can find an overview of relevant information to demonstrate your English language proficiency on the language requirement page.

Fees, Funding and Scholarships at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Need financial assistance? Read about scholarships: Scholarships for Master's programmes

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Masters Webinar

Each year, we organise an online session for aspiring Master's students that covers everything you need to know about the application process and beyond. This year, the International Master's webinar took place on Tuesday, October 15, at 16:00 (CET). You can watch the recordings all year.

During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to:

Discover what it is like to study at VU Amsterdam;
Learn everything you need to know about the admission and application process;
Get the latest insights on scholarship opportunities;
Hear first-hand experiences from one of our current international students about being a student in the Netherlands' dynamic capital city.

Bachelors Webinar

Each year we organise an online session for aspiring Bachelor's students that covers all you need to know about the application process and beyond. This year, the International Bachelor's webinar took place on Thursday 24 October at 16:00 (CET). You can watch the recorder version all year.

During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to:

Discover what it is like to study at VU Amsterdam;
Learn everything you need to know about the admission and application process;
Ask all your questions about the housing market in Amsterdam;
Hear first-hand experiences from one of our current international students about being a student in the Netherlands' dynamic capital city.