Maastricht University

Maastricht University (UM), the most international university in the Netherlands, stands out for its innovative approach to learning and international outlook. With almost 16,000 students and 4,000 staff, UM offers a wide choice of academic programmes, all of which are designed to bring out the best in its students.
Challenging education
Maastricht University has used Problem-Based Learning (PBL) ever since it was founded and has been an expert in this field for over 35 years. PBL is more than just acquiring knowledge; it’s about exchanging knowledge in a challenging and effective way. Maastricht University makes the difference. With unique Europe-focused and international-oriented programmes. After all, UM is "Leading in Learning".
Multidisciplinary research
Researchers at UM work in multidisciplinary teams and in close cooperation with international institutes, business and industry. Our high-quality researchers have attracted international attention by taking the lead in several large European research projects. However, we’re not stopping there. Maastricht University’s research portfolio continues to attract national and international top researchers. But we also believe in young talent. That’s why UM integrates research into every level of our education.
European and international while maintaining ties to the region
UM can easily call itself the most international university in the Netherlands, almost 45% of our students and more than 30% of our teaching staff come from abroad. Most of our programmes are taught in English and European and international themes are deeply rooted in research and education. That creates an international atmosphere that's attractive to Dutch as well as international students and employees.

• Arts and Social Sciences

  The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) is one of the six faculties at Maastricht University. It was founded in 1994. There are approximately 240 employees and around 1800 students. The format of the education is, like at all the faculties of Maastricht University, based on the principle of Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The faculty is internationally oriented and most of the programmes are offered in English. Its students come from all over the world. The faculty is located in the centre of Maastricht, in four buildings on the Grote Gracht.

• School of Business and Economics

  The Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE) provides high-quality education to students and conducts excellent research, offering an international perspective in the fields of economics and international business administration.

  SBE’s approach revolves around small-scale teaching methods supported by an electronic learning environment, a portfolio of international study programmes, and strong incentives for top-quality research. The focus lies on educational innovation. All degree programmes make use of Problem-Based Learning, with an emphasis on skills development – problem solving, group work, and self-directed learning – to prepare students optimally for the European and international knowledge society.

• Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences

  In 2008, the academic hospital Maastricht (azM) and the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences (FHML) of Maastricht University merged into the eight academic medical centre of the Netherlands: Maastricht UMC+. Maastricht UMC+ is the first academic medical centre combining the functions of academic and regional hospital. The azM has 715 beds. With over 7000 staff Maastricht UMC+ is one of the main employers in the region.  Annually, the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences educates more than 4000 students. The goals and ambitions of Maastricht UMC+ are laid out in the strategic plan for 2020 'Healthy Living' (3.48 MB).

  Integration of research, education, public health and patient care

  Maastricht UMC + has three primary tasks: patient care, education & training, and research. In addition, the organisation focuses explicitly on health promotion and disease prevention, the identification of risk factors and early diagnosis - hence the '+' in the name. Maastricht thus occupies a special place in that. Also notable are the integration of patient care, research, education and public health.

• Faculty of Humanities and Sciences

  The Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) is a Faculty containing a variety of organizational units , all with different missions, characteristics and phases of development. Each unit has its own management and own budget. However, the overall framework is a regular faculty structure within the ramifications of BBRUM headed by a Dean.
  There is a small general office catering for secretarial and procedural assistance of the Management Team and Faculty Council, financial control, HR and the coordination of ICT. Within the FHS there are several (part time) functions centrally positioned: dean, director, secretary to the MT, controller, prevention officer, secretarial support, HR and Information Management (IM).

• Faculty of Law

  he Faculty of Law at Maastricht University consists of approximately 2,500 students and 250 staff members. The faculty is located in an imposing building in the city centre, fully equipped with all electronic and other facilities. The faculty’s central location in the city centre, with its numerous pavement cafes, bars and restaurants, and the proximity of several other faculties, makes it an authentic inner-city campus.

  Problem Based Learning

  The faculty’s courses are characterised by their small-scale approach. During the first year there is a maximum of only 15 students in each tutorial group, which makes education intensive and student-centred. Students learn how to acquire new knowledge by solving problems. This method, referred to as Problem-Based Learning (PBL), was originally developed in Maastricht, and has been replicated in many other places. PBL increases students’ knowledge and in particular their ability to deal with new problems, rules, laws and complex situations – an important skill for every lawyer.

• Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

  The Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) is a dynamic community consisting of 1500 students and 255 scientists, tutors/lecturers, technicians and other support staff. Together they ensure an inspiring environment that is engaged in education and research of a constantly high level.

• Maastricht University School of Business and Economics

• Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid

• Faculteit der Cultuur- en Maatschappijwetenschappen

• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Maastricht University was officially established in 1976. Faced with a shortage of medical professionals, the Dutch government decided in the late 1960s that a new public institution of higher education was needed in order to expand the country's medical training facilities. Political leaders in the province of Limburg, most notably Sjeng Tans, the chairman of the Labour Party and former member of the Limburg provincial council and Maastricht city council, successfully lobbied for the new medical school to be established in Maastricht. This academic institution would be vital to sustain the intellectual life of the city, and indeed the whole province. Moreover, it was argued that the establishment of a university in Maastricht could contribute to the government's restructuring efforts in this part of the Netherlands, which was experiencing economic challenges following the collapse of the Limburg coal mining industry.

The university was renamed Universiteit Maastricht in 1996 and added its English-language name in 2008. As of 2010, Maastricht University consists of six faculties offering 17 bachelor programmes, 56 master programmes and several Ph.D. programmes.

International rankings

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings

Maastricht University (UM) climbed to shared 88th place in the latest edition of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, up from number 101 last year. UM scored particularly well in terms of international outlook (e.g. percentage of international staff and students), citations and industry income (i.e. commissions from the business sector). Somewhat lower, but still above average, were its scores for research (47.7) and teaching (37.5). UM shares 88th place with Kyoto University in Japan.

The THE World University Rankings are based on 13 strict and comprehensive performance indicators for education, research, knowledge transfer and internationalisation.
Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject
In the THE Subject Rankings 2015, the UM has been ranked 62nd for Social Sciences which shows a significant increase of 12 places compared to last year. Furthermore, the UM has been ranked 45th for Clinical, Pre-clinical and Health which shows a decline of 2 places compared to last year. 
The Subject Rankings are derived from the THE World University Rankings in which world class universities are assessed by 13 carefully selected indicators covering the areas of  teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. For a full overview of the results, please click here.

THE Top 100 Most International Universities in the World
UM ranks 14th in the Times Higher Education Top 100 Most International Universities in the World (2016). In this ranking, Times Higher Education has compiled a list of the top 100 most international universities using the “international outlook” indicator from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. This indicator examines a university’s international student numbers, its percentage of international staff and the proportion of its research papers published with a co-author from at least one other country. The list is drawn from the world’s top 400 of the World University Rankings 2014-2015. This top 20 position confirms UM's international profile.

High scores in ‘under 50’ rankings

In two prestigious rankings that list the best universities worldwide under the age of 50, UM scores very high grades. In the 2016 edition of Times Higher Education 150 under 50, UM climbed to the fourth place (read the news item) . In the 2015 QS ‘top 50 under 50’, UM ranks 8th, maintaining its position in the top 10. 

QS World University Rankings

The QS World University Rankings adjusted its assessment methodology for ranking the scientific output of universities. Partly for this reason, Maastricht University dropped from 118th place to 169th place this year, following a three spot increase the year before. The QS World University Rankings are based on five indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, student-to-staff ratio, internationalisation and citations per faculty. The more often a publication is cited by fellow researchers, the more influential the research becomes. As citation rates tend to be much higher in the life sciences compared to the humanities, an advantage was given to universities with particularly strong life science profiles. QS corrected the difference this year, which helps to explain UM’s drop in rankings. 

Accreditations
UM has been granted both the institutional accreditation and the ‘Distinctive Quality Feature for Internationalisation’ by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). These two quality marks are important in terms of UM’s future plans.
The ‘Institutional Quality Assurance Assessment’ focuses on university-wide internal quality assurance for study programmes. In 2011 the law allowed universities to apply for a special feature for the quality of the institution in its full width. The six-year university-wide accreditation means not only that UM has first-rate education, but also that it is supported by an overarching system that ensures the continuous high quality of the curricula. 

'Triple crown' accreditation

The Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE) is internationally accredited by the renowned AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, making it one of a few international schools with all three accreditations. The bachelor's and master's programmes in International Business offered at SBE also received in 2010 the NVAO "certification of internationalisation".

NVAO excellence label

NVAO regularly audits the institutions that it gives accreditations to. In 2008 the University College Maastricht was the first to receive a quality label from the NVAO for the achievement level of its graduate students. Only two higher education programmes have been awarded this label.

In 2013, nearly 16,000 students studied at Maastricht University, 47% of whom were foreign. Students in Maastricht can affiliate with a number of student associations, international associations or debating societies. They present themselves during the annual INKOM, the general introduction week for new Maastricht students. Furthermore, Maastricht offers several cultural and sports activities in and around the city.

Student housing at Grote Gracht

Student housing

Like most other Dutch universities, UM itself does not provide regular student housing. However, the university participates in a student housing foundation, offering mediation services to students. About 2,700 rooms and apartments offered through the Maastricht student housing foundation are provided by local housing associations Woonpunt, Servatius and Maasvallei. Some 8,000 other accommodations are provided by private landlords.Most units are located in houses or small apartment complexes across the historic city centre or in its immediate surrounding neighbourhoods. Many foreign exchange students live at the UM Guesthouse in Annadal, which provides short-term housing.

Student Service Centre

UM's Student Service Centre is located in the former Bonnefanten monastery and offers financial, legal and other forms of advise to students. Part of the Student Service Centre is the Studium Generale cultural programma, offering lectures on a broad range of topics and other cultural activities to members of the university community and the general public.

Observant and BreakingMaas

The university's independent newspaper, Observant, is published on a weekly basis and distributed throughout the university. It provides news, background articles, columns and educational information in Dutch and English, directed primarily at the university community.

Since 2012 a television programme named BreakingMaas provides news and entertainment for students in English. The programme is available on the local TV broadcaster RTV Maastricht as well as on YouTube and Facebook.

UM SPORTS offers a wide variety of sports to choose from. There are walk-in activities, courses, a gym and student sports associations. Additionaly, UM SPORTS offers services to their members, like a free Physiotherapy consult.

Library

The University Library supports students and researchers in achieving their academic goals. We offer a modern study and research environment that is availableonline, 24/7, either on campus or worldwide accessible with your UM account and password.
In an international university like UM, the University Library is the place to be. Visible, distinctive and inviting. Below you will find a selection of our best facilities.

Maastricht University (UM) is an innovative, research-oriented and the most international university in the Netherlands. UM offers academic programmes on a wide range of themes, including Arts & Culture, Behavioural and Political Sciences, Business and Economics, Health and Life Sciences, Law, and Knowledge Engineering. Our educational methods are based on developing research skills, self-reliance and an international profile. UM stands out for its:

•Strong international orientation, coupled with a firm rooting in the region

•Innovating teaching model: Problem-Based Learning

•Integrated and multidisciplinary approach to education and research