Physician - Clinical Researcher

On this page you will find important details of the application process (such as deadlines, admission requirements, required documents and application assessment) for the master Physician - Clinical Researcher for academic year 2026-2027. Questions about admission? Contact us via masteradmission-fhml@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

This master’s programme starts in September.
The deadlines below are applicable for applicants who want to start their studies in September 2026.

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_{*Studielink is the national registration system for higher education,
**The MyApplication portal is Maastricht University’s application and enrolment platform.}


Note: In Studielink, select the correct starting moment from the dropdown-menu. If you want to start in September 2026, then select September 2026.

Your previous education determines whether you qualify for admission to the master Physician - Clinical Researcher. Read below which admission requirements from academic year 2026-2027 apply to you.

With only a bachelor's degree from a university of applied sciences (HBO), you do not have access to the master Physician - Clinical Researcher.

If you already have a bachelor's degree in Medicine from a Dutch university, you are not eligible for admission to the master's A-KO. This is a general, national rule.
 

Graduates of a university bachelor's programme in a relevant field

The research master Physician - Clinical Researcher is in principle open to students with an equivalent university bachelor's degree with a biomedical signature. With an equivalent degree, you must have obtained at least 90 credits (ECTS) in biomedical and/or science-related subjects. In addition, at least five of the following subjects must have been sufficiently covered:

Anatomy/Embryology and Histology; Physiology of organs in thorax and abdomen; Hormonal regulatory systems; Immunology; (Molecular) Cell Biology and Genetics; Metabolism (carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism); Science-related subjects (Epidemiology, Methodology and Statistics); Nervous system.

Examples of relevant previous education are:
(Medical) Biology; Biomedical Sciences; Technical Medicine; University College (Medical track). However, these bachelor programmes are not necessarily equivalent for the master Physician - Clinical Researcher.

By the way, these are just a few examples of relevant study programmes; other programmes can also lead to an equivalent degree. Your individual choices in electives, minor and major internships may cause the total biomedical credits to be below or above the required 90 credits.

Upon application, all previous education will be tested for equivalence requirements. Should your degree not meet the equivalence requirements, you will not be considered for participation in round 1 of the selection procedure.
 

Assessment equivalence previous education and grade point average

To assess whether your previous education is equivalent, and what your grade point average is, you need to complete an Equivalence and GPA form (see the section 'Documents required for the application process' on this page).

For all candidates:

• You are academically skilled and creative, and can communicate well.
• You know your own qualities and are skilled in self-analysis and self-reflection.
• You have the right attitude and are demonstrably motivated for the profession of physician-clinical researcher.
• You are prepared to work hard. You prove this with your study results and study progress during your bachelor's programme.
• You have a good command of Dutch.

English-language teaching materials are also used during this master's programme. A good command of the English language is therefore highly recommended, but not a requirement.

During the application process for this study programme, you will need to complete a number of tasks, which will often require you to upload documents in the MyApplication portal. Do this as soon as possible, but in any case before the application deadline. Please note: You must upload the required documents in full and in the correct format.

Below we give an overview of which documents you (may) need to prepare.

See the manual (in Dutch) for information on completing the Portfolio, the 'Equivalentieformulier' and the 'GPA-formulier'.
 

• A recent passport picture*
  The passport picture must satisfy certain requirements. requirements. You can find these requirements in the task description ‘Upload pasfoto’ in the MyApplication portal.
   
• A copy of your passport or your EU/EEA identity card*
  Make a copy of the page with your personal details. Save this copy as ‘passport copy’ and not as ‘passport picture’. 
   
• A copy of your most recent grades transcript AND/OR a copy of your diploma if you have obtained it
  - If you have not yet graduated, you can upload official grade lists from your bachelor programmes.
  - A copy of your diploma and grades transcript must be uploaded in the MyApplication portal at the task ‘Upload diploma / grades transcript’ and in your Portfolio in the task ‘Upload Portfolio’.
   
• A completed Portfolio
  - The Portfolio is a formal part of your application for a place in the UM master's programme Physician-Clinical Researcher. It consists of five parts: personal details; secondary school education; other education; extensive CV; and (if applicable) the results of your language test (NT2, programme II). (Check under the heading ‘Language requirements for Dutch-language bachelor’s and master’s programmes’ on this page whether you meet the language requirements).
  - The Portfolio to be completed and uploaded by you will be offered to you in the MyApplication portal under the task 'Upload portfolio'.
   
• A completed Equivalentieformulier
  - The information you fill in in this form will allow the selection committee to assess whether your previous education is equivalent (see the section 'Graduates of a university bachelor's programme in a relevant field' on this page).
  - The ‘Equivalentieformulier’ to be filled in by you will be presented to you in the MyApplication portal under the task ‘Upload equivalentieformulier’.
   

•  A completed 'GPA-formulier' showing all bachelor's and, if applicable, master's subjects obtained
  - In this form, you enter your grades, after which your average weighted grade (Grade-Point-Average) of your research university bachelor's programme will be calculated.

  
  - The ‘GPA-formulier’ to be completed and uploaded by you will be presented to you in the MyApplication portal under the task ‘Upload GPA-formulier’.
  - Upload the underlying grades transcript(s) which you have used for the GPA calculation in your Portfolio. The grades transcript should contain as many grades as possible and not, for example, a “P” of “Pass”; if this subject did receive a grade. This grade list is used to check the calculated GPA.
   

• Permission for document verification form
  If your diploma is not verified by DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch government agency responsible for education-related matters), you will need to upload the form ‘Permission for document verification’ in the MyApplication portal. This form allows Maastricht University to verify your diploma, grades transcript or other required documents directly with the issuing institution or relevant qualification registry.  
   

^{*Note: As a UM student it is not necessary to upload the passport picture and passport / EU/EEA identity card in the MyApplication portal, unless  your passport is not valid on 1 September 2026. In that case, you do have to upload a copy of your passport.}

When you want to apply or are applying for this study programme, it is useful to know how we assess your application. You can find more information about this in this section.

If you have not already done so, make sure you have uploaded all required documents no later than 15 January 2026, 23:59 CET.

If your application is not complete on time, you will be notified and further participation in the 2026 selection procedure will be excluded.

Your application will be assessed for completeness from 16 January 2026.  If all required documents have been uploaded and/or emailed correctly and in the correct format (see manual), your application will be assessed by the selection committee for equivalence in terms of content. Any requests for equivalence assessment submitted before the application deadline will not be considered. In case of a positive assessment, you will receive an invitation for the first selection round. In case of a negative assessment, you will receive a rejection.

The purpose of the selection procedure is to make the best possible assessment of a candidate's chances of successfully completing the master Physician - Clinical Researcher. This estimate is based on the results of a number of selection rounds.

Please note: You can only participate twice in the selection procedure of the master Physician - Clinical Researcher in Maastricht. Participation means that you are invited to round 1 of the selection procedure.

Announcement of results

Based on the documents you have submitted and the selection procedure, UM will decide on your admission as soon as possible, in any case no later than early May. When a decision has been taken on your admission, you will receive an email from UM.

If you are selected, we will ask you to inform us formally, no later than 12 May 2026, whether or not you will accept the study programme place offered. To this end, you have to complete and return the enclosed acceptance form.

If we have not received a message from you by 12 May 2026, your allocated place will be cancelled and a candidate on the waiting list will be admitted in your place.

If you did not hold your bachelor's degree at the time of your application for the A-KO selection procedure, we reserve the right to request your current grades transcripts to verify your eligibility (i.e. to verify that you have passed all the subjects listed in the equivalence form).