• Two-year programme in English (120 ECTS) • Building bridges between fundamental lab research and applied societal practice • Room for personal tracks with academic assignments and hands-on experience to match your interests, under expert supervision • Collaborate with staff and (PhD) students on your own research project • Develop scientific and professional skills in an ambitious environment • Direct link to the clinical environment of the University Medical Center Groningen

In the Master's programme in HMS, you choose one of two specializations: Rehabilitation or Healthy Ageing. In the first year you follow course units in your chosen specialization or combine them. Within Healthy Ageing you explore how physical activity and innovative solutions can prevent chronic disease and preserve cognitive function. In Rehabilitation you improve your understanding of impaired movement and the restoration of function in rehabilitation practices.

The specialization further involves writing a review article on a topic that applies to your chosen specialization. By conducting literature research and writing this article you acquire and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a specific field in HMS. Alongside the specialization, the first year includes two compulsory course units (Advanced Statistics and Philosophy of Science and Ethics) and a profiling part. In this part you can select course units that are offered by the department of Human Movement Sciences. Alternatively, you can select external course units or carry out an academic assignment, which could involve gaining teaching or applied research experience, doing consultancy work or writing a scientific article for publication. During your studies you are expected to work intensively with students and lecturers in various different ways. The main focus of the second year of the Master's programme is the master graduation project. You can do this internally, externally or abroad. In your research project you demonstrate that you are able to conduct scientific research in a specific field and that you are able to present your findings in a scientific article.

In a survey we held under graduates we see that 69% had applied for a job, and found one. 16% has chosen to do another master, 13% started with another programme and 3% made some other choise.

After graduation, you can continue your academic career in a PhD trajectory or perform research at health care research institutes. In addition, you can consult at rehabilitation centres, hospitals and specialized care facilities. It is also possible to evaluate and develop ergonomic or orthopaedic products or to develop health and welfare policies for government agencies. With a teacher's certificate you can work as a lecturer in education.

Education and research are intensely connected in the department of Human Movement Sciences. PhD's, master and bachelor students work together in an academic learning community and inspiring environment, playing a pivotal role in our research success.

What kind of research?

There are 2 research domains within the master Human Movement Sciences shown with some examples of research questions:

Healthy Ageing

• Falling in the elderly: predicting individual fall risks and developing preventive exercise programmes
• The relationship between movement and diseases such as dementia, stroke and Parkinson’s disease
• Effects of physical activity and inactivity on cognitive and mental processes (e.g. attention, memory)

Rehabilitation

• Recovery of normal skills levels after a stroke or paraplegia

• Sensorimotor adaptation processes during the rehabilitation of people with an artificial arm or leg or when learning to operate an arm-drive wheelchair

• Children with DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder) and adults who need to relearn motor skills after a stroke or other impairment of the cognitive/sensorimotor system

• Physical fitness, physical activity, fatigue and health related quality of life after burn injury

Where?

Student research projects within this domain are usually conducted on-site in nursing homes and/or geriatric wards of hospitals, residential facilities for the elderly or individual homes. The department of Human Movement Sciences also has great lab facilities to conduct research. There is a large number of lab facilities consisting of laboratories, equipment and software. In 2020, the construction of a completely new Virtual Reality Lab has started. In the coming years, this will be further developed into three different Virtual Reality Laboratories, each with its own specific character.

More info

More information about our research can be found on the UMCG research website!