The M.Sc. programme in Maastricht
The Master’s programme in Health Professions Education (MHPE) at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands is one of several educational programmes that provide participants with the knowledge and skills required for a career in medical and health- professions education and research. Similar health education programmes have been established in the US, Canada and the UK, as well as in Sweden and Denmark. The MHPE programme in the Netherlands lasts for two years, with teaching in English. It is largely based on distance learning, with three brief periods spent on campus in Maastricht. A successfully completed programme results in the degree of Master of Science in Health Professions Education.
Campus-based units aim especially at skills training and knowledge and problem-based learning, providing an opportunity to get familiar with peers. The campus-based units are intended to provide an introduction to the content of subsequent units that the students will work on at home. Strong emphasis is placed on practical exercises, since students can make use of their newly acquired knowledge in their own professional context.
During the distance-learning part, students work on portfolio assignments, either individually or in collaboration with others. An electronic learning portal providing access to the databases of the university library, books and journals is a prerequisite for participating in the programme. The programme covers topics like cognitive learning processes, curriculum design, instruction, learning environment and evaluation and quality assurance of study programmes, as well as organisation and knowledge management, and academic research skills, including qualitative and quantitative research methods in healthcare education. During the final semester, the students write a research-based M.Sc. thesis.
The programme entails a large workload, stipulated to be at least 20 study hours per week, with regular, scheduled deadlines for submission of assignments. These ought to be followed, to prevent that students should fall behind. Motivation, effort and support from colleagues and superiors are required in order to complete the programme successfully. All units are logically structured; to complete the assignments the students must read the syllabus as well as a fair amount of supplementary literature. Submitted assignments are graded on a scale from 5 to 10, of which 10 is excellent. Parts of the programme should be completed on a full-time basis. The M.Sc. thesis can be written during a study leave for senior consultants. The study fee amounts to approximately EUR 14 000: additional costs include books, travel and accommodation.