Population Studies
Winter intake start date
2027-02-01
Winter intake deadline
2026-10-15
Are you interested in studying contemporary population issues like ageing, migration and global population growth? In the master Population Studies students learn theories, methods and skills required to become a versatile demographer.
Essential to understanding population dynamics is the study of people's demographic behaviour, such as birth, health, migration, and death. The master programme focuses on these demographic events, on how decision-making regarding these life events is influenced by the economic, societal, cultural, and geographical context, and on how these demographic events have an impact on population-level trends.
You will learn about:
* Contemporary population issues as population ageing, integration of migrants, health inequalities and global population growth
* Individual decision-making processes behind demographic events, such as family formation, residential choices and health care use
* Collecting and interpreting demographic data
* Methods and techniques to analyse demographic data: life tables, population projections, advanced statistical analysis, and qualitative research methods
* Population policies and intervention programmes
The field of Population Studies reflects on and deals with contemporary demographic topics and related societal issues. The study is simultaneously concrete and broad.
The Master in Population Studies is also interesting for mid-career professionals working at, for example, statistical offices or demographic departments of government agencies.
Cambridge C1/C2 certificate: overall score 180.
IELTS Academic: overall score 6.5 (min. 6.0 in all categories)
TOEFL iBT*: overall score 90 (min. 18 in Reading and Listening, 20 in Speaking, 21 for Writing)
TOEFL iBT*: overall score 4.5 (min. 4 in Reading, Listening and for Speaking, 4.5 in Writing)
Academic Bachelor degree with some background knowledge in Population Studies, incl. at least 10 ECTS in statistics or equivalent statistical knowledge, 5 ECTS in research method skills and 15 ECTS in demography-related thematic knowledge.
A list of relevant course descriptions: This list should include statistics courses, research methods courses and demographic content knowledge courses. The list needs to include info on the content of each course, literature used, learning outcomes, and details of how each course was assessed.
Career options include working at:
- local planning and government offices (e.g. muncipality, GGD)
- (inter)national statistical offices (e.g. Statistics Netherlands, Eurostat)
- demographic and interdisciplinary research institutes (e.g. NIDI, PBL, Oranjewoud, SCP, RIVM)
- universities (e.g. RuG, Uva, UU, EUR, Tilburg, Wageningen, abroad)
- agencies of the United Nations Development Group (UNFPA)
- Non-governmental organizations (Healthnet TPO, doctors without borders)
- Private companies (e.g. as data manager or communication expert)
Job prospects
The Master Population Studies trains you to become a versatile demographer. As a demographer you are competent in describing and analyzing both the population dynamics of different countries or regions and the demographic behaviour of individuals or population groups. Also you are an expert in predicting the likely demographic developments for the future.
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the master programme, you are capable of reflecting on how the context in which we live affects individual demographic behaviour and leads to different population dynamics, which again has societal consequences. Individual demographic behaviour and population dynamics are crucial to understand because of their effects on the economy, the environment, social networks, social cohesion, health and healthcare, pension reforms and social security, family life and wellbeing. Governments, for example, use demographic knowledge in their policy-making, for planning purposes (schools, housing, health care) or to identify potential problems. Also, in international development cooperation, demographic information is crucial. Demographers have a good understanding of contemporary societal problems and issues that affect people in their daily life.
During the programme we offer support for your career preparation.
