Select a student initiative

Select a student initiative from the blue menu to the right.

Redonate

Redonate started already as one of the first student initiatives supported through global citizen education and is entering now its 3rd year. It aims to eradicate poverty by providing microfinancing to individuals in the developing world. Initially focusing on malnutrition, the focus broadened over the years to help people build their business to get out of poverty and having a sustainable income, which not only helps them and their immediate family, but also the communities they live in.

Beside building up connections with other international NGOs who have already contacts into developing countries, the students are invested in raising funds in order to be able to provide the microloans through waffle sales and lotteries, in which they involve local businesses and students alike.

If you’d like to know more about Redonate or want to support them directly, please visit their website.

Building Diverse Education Profiles | Co-creation and the African story

This is another student initiative which is already running since 2021, where students in cooperation with AYTP (African Young Trade Professionals) build up a dialogue forum with key practitioners from the African continent, especially (but not exclusively) around topics regarding economics and sustainability. The goal is to bridge the knowledge gap between different cultures and societies and create empathy for different perspectives as well as synergies to work on a bigger picture. For the coming year the initiative is planning a podcast to bring more awareness for African issues to European students. To find out more about Building Diverse Education Profiles and any events planned from this initiatives, feel free to check out their website here.

UNU Critical Policy Lab

This student initiative started newly in the running academic year 2022-2023. UNU Critical Policy Lab aims to foster an environment for students and professionals interested in public policy and social change to critically reflect on current practices and approaches.

It provides students with spaces for critical dialogue and discussion in the form of a series of lectures, panels, debates, classes and hands-on workshops.

On Saturday, 3 June the lab held their first edition of the Critical Policy Conference in Maastricht successfully, inviting practitioners and students to come together and exchange on various topics related to decolonizing international development.

Guest speakers included Helen Wishart, Margit van Wessel, Shirleen Chin, Juliëtte Boughouf, Marta Popiołek, Isabelle Hommes, Cassie Robinson, & Chibuye Changwe

If you want to find out more about UNU Critical Policy Lab and their work in the academic year 2022/23, you can have a look at the activity report here. 

You can also have a look at their website here: https://criticalpolicylab.nl/

Course International Psychology and Climate Change

This course is a student-led and student-created elective at Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.

The climate crisis is an intersectional major challenge of contemporary society. In order to tackle it and mitigate its effects, transdisciplinary insights are required. At the same time, the already devastating consequences on (mental) health need to be recognised and dealt with. As human behaviour is at the root of these challenges, Psychology, the science of behaviour, gives important approaches.

To get an insight on how psychology and climate change are interrelated, this elective seeks first, to provide a basic understanding of climate change. At the same time, the two-way human-nature relationship gets explored. Thus, students will learn why humans cannot be seen independent of the environment and how cultural perspectives on nature differ.

Next, the focus lies on the role of psychology. Part of that are the consequences and anticipatory effects of climate change on mental health (e.g climate anxiety, trauma). Additionally, students will investigate findings about how both individual and social processes result in (un-)sustainable decisions and behaviours. And how these factors can be used to promote sustainable behaviour.

An essential goal of the elective is to apply the newly gained knowledge. Throughout the whole course of four weeks, students will develop a project in collaboration with other students. The project will deal with creating a strategy about a self-chosen aspect of climate change. Furthermore, self-reflection tasks will enhance the learning process throughout the course.

Download the course manual.

Select a student initiative

Select a student initiative from the blue menu to the right.

Interdisciplinary Social Justice

Under the framework of interdisciplinary social justice, students aimed to create an extracurricular course on interdisciplinary social justice, which ran successfully in November 2020.

Select a student initiative

Select a student initiative from the blue menu to the right.

The Hackathon

The Hackathon was a student initiative focusing on raising awareness for tuberculosis and make tuberculosis drugs more available and affordable for those in need. It took place on 14-15 November 2020 in which young talents brainstorm in multidisciplinary teams, creating new ideas and solutions to the problem presented.In the end they pitched them to a jury of experts who were judging the ideas on creativity and feasibility to tackle the problem. The Hackathon included also workshops on how to pitch, yoga for creativity and rewards for best ideas.

Study Connect

In this project, students noticed that a particular rule of minimum 56 working hours per month for students from other EU countries than the Netherlands as a pre-requirement to receive financial support, was actually contradicting EU law. Through questionnaires with UM students as well as cooperation with student unions and other stakeholder, this initiative raised awareness on the matter and supported students to take next steps in order to receive study financing.

Young Global Thinkers

This student initiative aimed to build up an online community in order to connect and empower young people around the globe. Through organising educational events, for example on political participation, discussion forums and cultural nights, the initiative build up not only a multicultural team but also event management skills. The initiative is still successfully running outside of the funding of GCEd.

Gate to the World

In this more local project students developed a set of hands-on workshops oriented towards Global Citizenship Education for Porta Mosana, a bilingual secondary school in Maastricht.

Important deadlines for application

It is important that you inform yourself of the deadlines that you need to meet for a successful application.

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

Phase 1: Apply via Studielink

To start the application process for this pre-master's programme, you first need to apply via Studielink. Studielink is the Dutch central organisation that keeps track of applications and enrolments at institutions of higher education in the Netherlands. In Studielink, you can apply by indicating which study programme at Maastricht University (UM) you would like to apply for, whether you’d like to start the programme in September, what previous education you followed, and you might need to provide a number of other details.
 

• In Studielink, select ‘Maastricht University’ in the first drop-down menu (‘Educational institution').
• Do not select anything in the other drop-down menus (Type of study programme, Academic load, Main language).
• Type ‘Pre-master Globalisation and Development Studies’ in the search field. You can now select the pre-master in the result overview.

Studielink offers two methods of signing in: with or without using DigiD:

• If you live in a Dutch municipality, you can only register using your DigiD. If you live in a Dutch municipality, but do not yet have a DigiD yet, you will need to request one (Apply for a DigiD).
• If you do not (yet) live in the Netherlands, you can register by creating a Studielink account (without DigiD). As your personal details will not have been verified through DigiD, UM will check your personal details.
   
  You will receive an email from UM within 24 hours of having applied in Studielink. This email contains your username/UM student number and a link to create your personal password. You can use these login details to access the MyApplication portal, the online environment in which the rest of your application process will take place. The portal will provide you with a clear overview of all the tasks you need to complete, such as uploading documents and paying your tuition fees.

Apply via Studielink  

Phase 2: Admission

MyApplication portal

To allow UM to assess whether you qualify for admission to the study programme of your choice, you need to complete a number of tasks in the MyApplication portal, the online environment in which the rest of your application process will take place. All the tasks you need to complete, such as uploading certain documents, will be presented here in a clear overview. You can log into the portal using your username/UM student number and the password you have created (your login name and an explanation on how to create your own password are provided in the email you received from us after your application in Studielink).

Make sure you fulfil the tasks indicated in the MyApplication portal on time. This means that you should upload documents as soon as you have finalised them and/or have them in your possession. The sooner you complete a task, the sooner we can give you feedback if you need to add or correct anything. Please pay attention to the deadlines indicated, as they can differ per study programme.

Once you have completed all of your admission tasks, your application dossier is ready to be presented to the Board of Admissions. Depending on your programme, this will be done immediately when it is complete (rolling basis), or after an indicated deadline.
 

Required documents

During the application process for this pre-master's programme, you will need to complete a number of tasks for which you will often have to upload documents in the ‘MyApplication portal’:

• A recent passport picture
  The passport picture must satisfy certain requirements. You can find these requirements in the task description 'Upload portrait picture' in the MyApplication portal.
• A copy of your valid 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 bachelor’s diploma 
  All applicants must provide proof of having obtained a bachelor's degree in a relevant academic field with a good overall result (a copy of your diploma, including the supplement and associated grades transcript). If you have not yet graduated you can upload your official lists of grades from your bachelor's programme.
• Curriculum vitae
  All applicants must provide a CV. Please list your education, relevant extracurricular activities and internship/professional experience.
• A motivation letter
  All applicants must write a letter of motivation. Please provide good arguments about why you want to do this pre-master's programme at Maastricht University and why you believe that you can successfully complete the programme.
• A writing sample
  All applicants should provide proof of sufficient academic writing/research skills. The Board of Admissions asks the applicant to submit an independently-written research paper of at least 2,000 words (excluding the footnotes and reference list) on a relevant topic. You can use a paper from earlier studies or another occasion. The submitted work should be written in English.
• Document(s) that demonstrate your proficiency in English
  Answer the questions concerning language requirements under ‘Language requirements for English-language master's programmes’ on this webpage to find out if you need to provide additional documentation. The outcome of your answers will indicate which documents you can use to prove your proficiency.
• 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.

Status updates about your application

From now on, you will receive important information and calls to action regarding your application in the message inbox in the MyApplication portal. We recommend that you regularly log in to the portal to make sure you stay updated. However, we will also notify you of important changes via the email address you provided to Studielink. 

Phase 3: Enrolment

Once you have been offered a place in the pre-master's programme, you need to arrange your enrolment. The tasks you need to complete to be enrolled are listed in the MyApplication portal under ‘Enrolment tasks’. You can find a brief overview below.
 

Pay your study fee

Every applicant will need to pay their study fee. More information on how to go about arranging your study fee payment is provided in the task description in the MyApplication portal.

Once you’ve received an invite to pay your study fee, it is important that you indicate how you wish to arrange your payment (in Studielink). Do so on time (in any case before the start of your studies). Please also make sure that you pay (the first instalment of) your study fee in a timely manner. Otherwise, you won’t be able to start your studies.

Allow UM to verify your diploma

Dutch diplomas
Did you acquire the diploma on the basis of which you have been offered a place in your study programme in the Netherlands? Then DUO will pass on their verification of your diploma to UM. No further action on your part is required.

Non-Dutch diplomas
Did you acquire the diploma on the basis of which you have been offered a place in your study programme outside of the Netherlands? Then you will need to send a copy of that diploma.

Have you completed your previous education outside of the Netherlands and will you not receive your diploma before the start of your study programme? Then you can send a graduation statement.

More information on the requirements for a certified copy of a diploma and for a (certified) graduation statement, as well as the address these documents should be posted to, is provided in the task description in the MyApplication portal.
 

Make sure all application and enrolment tasks are fulfilled

UM can only enrol you if you have completed all the tasks in the MyApplication portal. Please make sure this is the case, so that your application and enrolment can be completed and you’ll be ready to start preparing for your studies as soon as possible.
 

Confirmation of Enrolment

When you have been enrolled for your study programme at UM, you will receive confirmation of this from UM (in the message inbox in the MyApplication portal) and from Studielink (by email).

UM email account
Before you start your studies, you will receive the login details for your UM email account. Your UM email address will be used for all correspondence about your introduction programme and the start of your studies. Your private email address will only be used to inform you about the application and enrolment process.