Pre-master's in Health Food Innovation Management

Does your degree not give you access to the UM master's programme in Health Food Innovation Management at Maastricht University Campus Venlo? This pre-master’s is a preparation programme that bridges the gap between your previous education and  the master's. Upon successful completion of this pre-master's programme within one academic year*, you will be directly admissible to the UM master's in Health Food Innovation Management, provided that you also meet any of the master's additional admission requirements. 

*Students who cannot finish the pre-master's in Health Food Innovation Management within one academic year, are not able to fulfil the requirements for admission to the master's in Health Food Innovation Management and will not be admitted to the master's in Health Food Innovation Management.

On this page, you will find important details of the application process for the pre-master's (such as deadlines, admission requirements, required documents and application assessment). Check if you qualify for admission to this pre-master’s programme.

Programme content

The programme is composed of key courses taken from the campus Venlo bachelor's courses. You will gain foundational knowledge in the field of study, train academic and research skills, and become familiar with Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Some of these courses are assessed by a written exam and/or individual papers, others with a focus on group work.

The pre-master's programme entails a total of 60 credits (full-time pre-master), unless the Board of Admissions decides that you only need to complete a subset of the courses of the pre-master’s with a minimum of 20 credits and a maximum of 30 credits, based on your academic background (part-time pre-master). In the latter case, which courses you need to take depends on the courses that you have completed in your previous education. This will be discussed with you in an entrance interview.

Study fee

The study fee for this programme for academic year 2024-2025 is € 2,530 (for EU and non-EU students). For more information, see the enrolment provisions (art. 28). 

Admission requirements: previous education

If you experience difficulty viewing the information in the table here below, please use this link to download it in .pdf form

Type of bachelor’s degreeWho can apply for the pre-master's in Health Food Innovation ManagementAdmission pre-master's in Health Food Innovation ManagementAdmission to the master's in Health Food Innovation Management after successful completion of the pre-master's in Health Food Innovation Management within one academic year
Dutch university bachelor's in Food Technology, Food Engineering, (European) Public Health or in Health Sciences with a specialisation that does not give direct access to the master's programmeStudents can apply  if they do not meet the master's in Health Food Innovation Management admission requirements but can prove they have a deficiency of only 60 or less ECTS credits regarding the admission requirements for Health Food Innovation ManagementWhether you qualify for admission will be assessed by the Board of AdmissionsStudents qualify for admission to all specialisations of the master's in Health Food Innovation Management
Dutch university of applied sciences (HBO) bachelor’s in Food Innovation, Food Technology, Food and BusinessStudents can apply if they do not meet the master's in Health Food Innovation Management admission requirements but can prove they have a deficiency of only 60 or less ECTS credits regarding the admission requirements for Health Food Innovation ManagementWhether you qualify for admission will be assessed by the Board of AdmissionsStudents qualify for admission to all specialisations of the master's in Health Food Innovation Management

Additional admission requirements

 

Language requirements

As English is the language of instruction in this study programme, it is essential that your English language skills are good enough for you to undertake intensive and challenging academic courses that are taught and examined in English.

Answer the questions below to find out if you meet the language requirements.

 

Handling fee

Prospective pre-master’s students who received their previous education in a non-EU/EEA country will have to pay a handling fee. More information on this handling fee and how to arrange this payment can be found on the Handling fee web page.

How to apply

Ready to apply? The application and enrolment process consists of three phases. More information on each of these phases is provided below. Carefully read through the information provided and make sure to complete all tasks as soon as possible (and definitely before the indicated deadlines).

Important deadlines

Phase 1: Apply via Studielink

Let us know you want to apply for this study programme

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 or February (if the latter is an option), 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’ followed by the name of the programme in the search field. You can now select the pre-master of your choice in the result overview.
  • You have to select your ‘starting moment’ in Studielink. Please make sure to select the right month and year in the dropdown-menu, so that you are applying for a start of the study programme in next academic year. 
  • 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 study fees.
     

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.
     

Apply via Studielink  

Phase 2: Admission

Allow UM to assess if you meet the admission requirements


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’. The list below gives you an insight into what documents you will (and might) need to prepare.

  • A recent passport picture
    The passport picture must satisfy certain requirements.
  • 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 certified copy of your most recent grades transcript
  • A certified copy of your bachelor’s diploma
    If you have not yet graduated, you can upload your official grades transcript of your bachelor's programme.
  • Curriculum vitae
    Please list your education, relevant extracurricular activities and internship/professional experience.
  • A letter of motivation
    Please provide good arguments about why you want to do this master's programme at Maastricht University and why you believe that you can successfully complete the programme.
  • A copy of your English language test with sufficient results (if applicable, please answer the questions under 'Language requirements' higher up on this page, to find out if you need to provide additional documentation)

To determine if you qualify for admission to this pre-master's programme, the Board of Admissions will carefully evaluate your deficiencies, diplomas, motivation, CV, and proof of proficiency in English.
 

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

Arrange the practical matters required to start your studies at UM

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 certified 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 certified 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.

How do we assess your application?

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

For the pre-master’s programme in Health Food Innovation Management, admission takes place on the basis of your previous education and suitability. For this, your motivation and your prior qualifications are important. An entrance interview is (in most cases) also part of the admissions process.
The interview focuses on your academic plans and how you intend to accomplish these through an education at the master’s in Health Food Innovation Management. The starting point for the interview is your letter of motivation, CV and transcript. The interview is conducted in English by one or two staff members and lasts approximately 30-45 minutes. It is an informative meeting and usually takes place at campus Venlo or, for international students, via Microsoft Teams.
Detailed information on relevant university domains and on the to be submitted documents can be found on this web page.

Assessment of your file happens on a rolling basis. This means that, once you submit a complete file, it will be presented to the Board of Admission. We will not wait until the deadline before we present your file to the Board. You will receive a decision within two to four weeks after completion of your file.

Note: only complete applications will be assessed. We therefore recommend that you adhere to the deadlines provided in the table under ‘Important deadlines’ on this page.

Events

  • 01 Oct 01 Jun

    Health Food Innovation Management | Student for a day

    Wondering what it's like to study Health Food Innovation Management (HFIM) on our campus in Venlo? Join on of our student for a day-events.

  • 09 Nov
    09:30 - 15:00

    Master’s Open Day

    We hope to welcome you on campus at our next Master's Open Day and give you a good impression of what studying at Maastricht University is all about.