Speed dating on Master’s Open Day: ‘What can you do with that master’s degree?’
What to study? image: Simone Both
Master’s Open Day on 14 February was the chance to fire off questions at master’s students and teaching staff or at alumni during a speed date. Almost 3,500 visitors did just that in Leiden and The Hague.
Kjeld Botter
Kjeld is answering questions about various Master’s programmes in History. He is taking the MA in Cities, Migration and Global Interdependence. ‘I did my bachelor’s here too and really enjoyed it. I did look at other cities for my master’s, but I didn’t like the programmes there as much as the one in Leiden. You’ve got loads of options here and can tailor the programme to your interests.
‘Students who have come along want to know what you can do and about the career prospects. People think you can’t do anything with history, but they’re wrong. I can give the students an idea by telling them what my friends are up to. They have ended up working for political parties and NGOs, or in consultancy or teaching. I myself would like to do a PhD, but the application process is really competitive, so I’m also looking at other options like an NGO or a second master’s.’
Fatima Jasim
Fatima is doing European Studies at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and hopes to continue her studies at Leiden University. ‘Lots of employers in the Netherlands seem to want you to have a master’s degree. And it is interesting to learn more about a subject you enjoy. I’m really interested in Middle Eastern Studies, Asia Studies and International Relations. It’s interesting to see how different countries and cultures come together to collaborate.’
Kyra van Wijngaarden
‘I went to the European Law presentation and realised I wasn’t that keen. The talk was at the same time as the one on Law & Business Administration. My fellow board members went to that and were both really enthusiastic, so I’ve come to the stall to hear what the programme has to offer. The programme appeals to me because it is a unique combination of company law and business administration. I’m about to go to Company Law and Civil Law. I’m going listen out for which courses are on the programme and will go a bit by gut feeling when choosing.’
Koen Jolink
‘I’m mainly looking at Company Law but have just been to Tax Law and Law & Business Administration as well. I wanted to look at the latter because it seems to be a pretty unique master’s. It’s nice to get an impression of another university today. I’m currently studying Notarial Law at Radboud University. Leiden was also a serious option when I was choosing my bachelor’s programme, but I opted for Nijmegen because it is closer to home. Now I’m choosing again because I really like both Leiden University and the city.’
Hester Groot
As it’s Valentine’s Day, prospective students can also go on a speed date – not to find a partner but to learn more about a programme. MA in Linguistics alumnus Hester Groot is ready for a date. ‘We’ve only just got here, and I’ve spoken to one student so far. They wanted to know what programme I’d done, how the contact was with the teaching staff and whether the students taking the master’s are motivated. They also wanted to hear about the options once you’ve completed the programme: what the master’s qualifies you for and what different things you can do with it. I myself am now doing PhD research on 18th- and 19th-century Scottish English. I’m creating a corpus of old letters and am looking at the language used in them.’