Master's programme Educational Science and Technology

One of the UT’s distinguishing characteristics is our practical application of scientific knowledge. Positively impacting society is one of our university’s core values, and we have a strong focus on connecting the latest theories with the real-life learning challenges and opportunities of our time. While the programme helps students develop each of these skill sets, students can also choose to deepen one of them. These skills – research, design, consultancy – will help you become an academically grounded, hands-on problem-solver. Your contribution will be highly valued in the field.

As learning scientists, we’re intent on offering a Master’s programme that itself fulfils the purposes of education: qualification, socialisation, and personal development. You will take courses that are both demanding and relevant to the field. In our small-scale and informal setting, you will work with different groups of peers, experts, and practitioners. You will grow as an interdisciplinary team player, developing the 21^st century skills you’ll need to become a strong performer – all while enjoying our world-class facilities and beautiful, 300-hectare campus.

Educational Science and Technology was rated TOP programme in the Netherlands’ Keuzegids Master’s 2018. In terms of scientific publications, we are among the Top 10 Graduate Programmes Worldwide in Learning, Design, and Technology. Our Master’s students regularly see their theses published in international scientific journals. In the Netherlands, the UT has been recognised in recent years as the best university of technology, the most entrepreneurial university, and the university with the greatest societal impact.

The student-driven learning concept we apply at the UT means you get to give shape to your own learning path. In the Educational Science and Technology Master’s programme, as much as 80% of the content is customisable. You can create a ‘power profile’ by aligning all four elective courses and your final project toward the sector in which you aspire to work (education or elsewhere). Alternatively, you might opt for a broader ‘blended profile’, with a mixed selection of courses. Interwoven with these choices, of course, is your personal orientation towards research, design, consultancy, or a combination of the three.

Learn more about the courses you can choose from in this programme

Educational Science and Technology is English-taught and internationally oriented: our aim is to prepare you for working wherever you want to. The UT itself has a strong international profile with a colourful blend of students and staff from all over the world. Currently, around one in three students in this programme is from outside the Netherlands or Europe. The age range is also broad. Some have just completed a teacher training college, or a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Science or some other field, such as Psychology or Communication Science. Others are experienced professionals who have worked in schools, universities or government, and want to further develop their careers with a cutting-edge academic programme. This setting will equip you to collaborate across disciplinary, cultural, and national boundaries, and to capitalise on international trends towards opener education, increased stakeholder involvement, innovation, and more.

As a leader in our field, we offer you exposure and direct access to some of the world’s best teachers and researchers in Educational Science and Technology. This means you will enjoy outstanding courses and supervision, gain pioneering knowledge, and be able to participate in leading research. As a junior research assistant, for example, you might contribute to our studies aimed at understanding and supporting emergency response teams, outcomes-oriented teaching and learning in primary education, crossing boundaries & transforming practices in inter-organisational teams, or technology for supporting inquiry learning. We’re also equipped to help you research other related areas that have your specific interest.

When it comes to the role of technology in education, our programme offers unique opportunities. You will get familiar with the latest technologies and their relationship with learning and development. In our core course Trending Topics, you will explore areas such as big data analytics, the use of sensor technology to capture human interaction, and the role of technology in 21^st century learning. Technology, to us, means far more than electronic devices, however: it includes all mental and physical tools for studying and learning. You will learn to apply conceptual models as well as to create your own specific resources. You might find yourself making a video tutorial on how to use Photoshop, designing a poster on how to improve your golf swing, or collaborating with students from our high-tech programmes to design and programme a digital learning tool for kids or other target groups. As a university of technology, we will also teach you to think and act as an ‘engineer’. You will be equipped to systematically solve complex educational problems using theories, research, and professional skills. Areas like project management and collaboration are part of this. With your academic grounding and your hands-on approach, you will be able to achieve the best results possible.