Utrecht University - UU Speciality : Politics
programme: Conflict Resolution and Governance

While this MA course is engaging and challenging, it does little to provide students with the skills needed for a career that deals with conflict or human rights. It is heavily focused on abstract concepts such as the ontological and epistemological stances of theories. If you intend to do a PhD, this course will prepare you perfectly but if you want a job working in the field, you should probably look elsewhere.

The professors are excellent and are extremely knowledgeable and engaging. They are also approachable and very understanding of personal circumstances which is quite important during Corona times. Classes are small (20-40 people) and debate and discussion are encouraged. There’s a heavy emphasis on group work as many of the graded assignments are completed in groups. Furthermore, the students in this programme are tight-knit and there’s a great deal of camaraderie. Overall, this MA programme is perfect if you plan on doing qualitative research or a PhD afterwards but it does not provide you with the practical skills needed for a career within the fields of peacebuilding or conflict resolution.