Maastricht University - UM
speciality: Chemistry

I was excited to study such a flexible interdisciplinary programme like MSP, but my excitement very much dwindled after the first year. A factor to consider is that you are required to pass the introduction courses in chemistry, physics and biology and obtain 60 ECTs. If you don’t you are immediately out and receive a negative binding study advice (BSA), stopping you from enrolling in similar programs in the NL for 3 years (I think).

That part was ok and it’s doable, but once you enter the second year and start choosing your electives be prepared to deal with unreasonable, unprofessional professors and teachers that you can tell are just there to pursue their research and have no interest in actually teaching. Unfortunately, the majority of course coordinators in chemistry has been like that. More details of my experiences:

– Been yelled at to the point of crying, just for asking a question in the lab. It wasn’t a dumb question at all, and even if it was that’s no excuse. Good luck getting the board of examiners to even breathe your way if something similar happens to you.

– 1 ECTs is supposed to be 27 hours of studying. We get 5 credits per course, and take 2 courses and 1 lab at once. Ask yourself if you’re willing to give up sleep and/or your social life, for a decent grade. That’s 270 hours of studying for one course, of which only 24 are done in class. Btw you’re expected to self study all the rest.

– No standardization of course difficulty/rubric. Of course coordinators are free to structure their courses as they would like, but it would be nice to know what you are signing up for. Many 2000 courses that should be 3000, and a few 2000 that could also be 1000. If you don’t have older friends who’ve done the courses, it’s literally a gamble.

– Since this degree is pretty much only recognised in the NL/around Europe, you should also consider where you want to start your career.

Besides that, there really are some SWEETHEART professors who made it worth it. The lab coordinators also tend to be much nicer and helpful, and the facilities are good. In accordance with the tuition (will be 5k ish in 2025), I expected a better learning environment but the facilities are at least modern and nice.

Overall this is a challenging course, and you will likely struggle if you did not take International Baccalaureate. Consider if youre okay with doing all of the above for your bachelors, and consider the possibility that even if you fail 1 class you’ll likely have a study delay. Most people do not graduate on time and take an extra 1/2 semesters.