Human Movement Sciences: Research Master's
Structure of the programme
The Research Master's is a two-year full-time programme that aims at integrating fundamental scientific research with relevant questions from clinical and sports practice. You can fine-tune your own profile by focusing on sport, health, or more basic fundamental aspects of human movement. This not only applies to the courses you select, but also to the topic of your research internship.
Sport
Your possibilities to specialize in sport science range from courses in exercise and muscle physiology to biomechanics and sport psychology. This includes training in modelling human endurance performance and in biomechanical analyses of technical sports. But you can also focus on the psychological factors that determine sport performance, or on the way in which muscle activation and muscle properties determine maximal neuromuscular output.
Health
With a focus on health, you learn about the restoration of motor function within the context of rehabilitation, as well as the effects of aging on mobility. To appreciate the influences of various aspects of the movement system, these issues are addressed from a number of perspectives, including coordination dynamics, muscle physiology, and clinical exercise physiology. You will gain profound insight into the clinical problems associated with neurological diseases as well as degenerative diseases of the skeletal system, and into new possibilities for treatment.
Advanced fundamentals
In addition, you may choose to solidify your scientific basis by selecting a less applied pallet of courses. State-of-the-art knowledge about neurosciences, molecular biology, mechanobiology, intermuscular load sharing, or the coupling between perception and action will be your ideal preparation for further specialization in your Research Internship, and in your future scientific career. The same holds for our advanced methodological courses, such as time-series analysis, electromyography, and 3D kinematics.
Internship
Extensive experience in high-quality research is indispensable for a scientific career. A full year is therefore reserved for your Research Internship. We aim for first-class projects that result in scientific publications and we will help you find a project that fits your interests, be it in Amsterdam or elsewhere.
Structure of the programme
The Research Master's is a two-year programme. Each year comprises 60 EC. Below you find a schematic of the general programme. The study load of most courses is 3 EC (deviations are indicated between brackets). The first year is dedicated to preparation for research. The programme comprises obligatory as well as optional courses. In addition, there are some possibilities to further attune the programme to your individual interests, for instance by including external courses. The second year is fully dedicated to a research internship of your own choice.
Click here to enlarge the schematic
More details on the programme and courses.
Further specialization
Teaching in higher education
If you are considering a future academic position, you might want to enhance your teaching skills as well. Each year, the faculty of Human Movement Sciences offers a limited number of students the opportunity to acquire an accreditation for teaching in Higher Education. This additional programme amounts to 24 EC that can be partially incorporated into your Research Master’s programme.
