Elsevier Best Studies: 5 bachelor’s and 5 master’s programmes in first place

In the annual ‘Best Studies’ publication by the weekly magazine Elsevier, five bachelor’s programmes from Maastricht University (UM) were ranked in first place: Tax Law (with a score of 69), European Law School (64), Psychology (67) and European Studies (59). University College Maastricht, as in previous years, received an exceptionally high student assessment (82). University College Venlo also scored 82 and was ranked second in the same category as University College Maastricht. Elsevier distinguishes between broad, specialist and technical universities because the institutions vary in size and range of study programmes on offer. In the student evaluations UM placed third (out of four) in the category ‘specialist universities’. Compared with all Dutch universities, UM placed fourth.

This year a total of 18 bachelor’s programmes were assessed. Some of these don’t have an equivalent in the Netherlands, making it impossible to rank them. Of these programmes, Knowledge Engineering scores very high (73), among the top in the Netherlands. The Maastricht Science Programme also scores above average (67). European Public Health (63) and Arts and Culture (59) score average. In addition to our number 1 programmes and these one of a kind programmes, six of our programmes are ranked in the top 3: Econometrics and Operations Research (3rd place; score 66), Economics and Business Economics (3; 67), Fiscal Economics (2; 63), International Business (3; 63), Health Sciences (3; 56) and University College Venlo (2; 82). Biomedical Sciences, Medicine and Dutch Law, however, do not rank in the top 3.

Elsevier also publishes the results of  the master’s programmes. 12 UM master’s programmes are compared with similar master’s programmes in the Netherlands. Five of those twelve programmes, are ranked first place: European Studies (score: 71), Fiscal Economics (71), Media Studies (64), Dutch Law (64) and Psychology (70).

The ‘Best Studies’ survey is based on evaluations by students in the National Student Survey.

The complete list of results can be found on the Elsevier website.

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