1. MaSter Information –
Methodology and Statistics of Behavioural, Biomedical, and Social Sciences

2. Welcome to the Master’s Programme
Methodology and Statistics of
Behavioural, Biomedical and Social Sciences
Prof. Herbert Hoijtink (Programme coordinator UU)
Prof. Jean-Paul Fox (coordinator UT)
Prof. Cas Kruitwagen (coordinator UMCU)
Master Information
20/9/18

3. Research degree programme offered by three departments English spoken
Some facts
Research degree programme offered by three departments
English spoken
Full-time, two years
Starting in September 2016
Degree: Msc
Programme (old style) started in 2006; new style started in 2013
Maximum 25 students
Master Information
20/9/18

4. train students in methodological and statistical methods
Aim and target
train students in methodological and statistical methods
and techniques:
Apply these techniques to real scientific projects
Design of studies
Data analysis
Develop the field of M&S further
Aim is not to train students to solve difficult, mathematical problems that have no connection to research in the behavioural, biomedical and social sciences.
Master Information
20/9/18

5. Some Examples
1. The ministry of social welfare wishes to estimate the number of welfare recipients who commit fraud (having a paid job, living with a partner, …)
Problem: welfare recipients will show self-protecting behavior. They are highly unlikely to answer “yes” to the question “have you ever committed fraud while receiving social security payment?
Challenge: develop methods of data collection that still allow for the estimation of percentage
Master Information
20/9/18

6. What if schools and pupils drop out?
Some Examples
2. A researcher in the field of health education wants to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly developed school-based smoking prevention intervention.
Important questions
How many schools should be included and how many pupils should be sampled per school?
What if schools and pupils drop out?
What if pupils do not comply with the treatment they are assigned to?
Master Information
20/9/18

7. 3. Second year: internship & thesis project
Some examples
3. Second year: internship & thesis project
Your own year-round project
Developing & testing a new statistical method
… Bayesian sequential testing on informative hypotheses
Unbounded freedom and responsibility
Close supervision
Thorough specialization in your own area of interest
Master Information
20/9/18

8. Organisation OMD department is a specialized group in M&T:
about 25 people, 3 (full) professors + 2 from outside UT Applications in Health, Education, Psychology
- RCEC, Diverse education program
- Many national research grants (NWO, …) and international funding (LSAC, …)
M&S department of UU:
about 50 people, 3 full professors + 3 from outside UU
- many research grants (NWO) and external funding (e.g. ministries, CITO, CBS)
- excellent research evaluations from visitation committees
Further Collaboration: University Medical Centre Utrecht
Only group(s) in the Netherlands that may offer this master
All teachers hold a PhD and are respected researchers in their field
Master Information
20/9/18

9. Programme Structure First year: Semester 1 Semester 2
Survey Methods (UT)
Psychometrics (UT)
Multivariate statistics (UU)
Multilevel analysis and structural equation modeling (UU)
Fundamentals of statistics (UU)
Bayesian Statistics (UU)
Computational Inference with R (UMCU)
Clinical Research Designs
(UMCU)
Master Information
20/9/18

10. Programme Structure Elective Second year: Semester 1 Semester 2
Research Seminar 2
Research Seminar 1
Master Thesis
Traineeship
Master Information
20/9/18

11. - Learn to work in a research team/environment
Programme Structure
Traineeship:
- Learn to work in a research team/environment
- Work on your own research project
- Supervision by M&S researcher with PhD
Current and past locations of traineeships:
Departments M&T and OMD, CITO, department biostatistics (Utrecht, Rotterdam), CBS, TNO, Trimbos
Master thesis:
- Formulate research question and plan on basis of traineeship
- Write your findings in a scientific paper and submit it to an
international journal
- Present findings in poster session + oral presentation
Master Information
20/9/18

12. What should you expect from us?
Challenging, excellent-quality program on three different locations
Skilled and enthusiastic teachers who are experts in their field
Small-scale classes
State-of-the-art
All three departments’ contacts with outside world (national and international)
Optional: Erasmus exchange possibilities
Master Information
20/9/18

13. And after your graduation?
PhD student in the field of social statistics, biostatistics/epidemiology
PhD student in another field in behavioural, biomedical and social sciences
Researcher at research institute (Trimbos, NIVEL, CBS, CITO, SCP, RIVM, Danone), marketing, banking, pharmaceutical industry
“I keep saying that the sexy job in the next 10 years will be
statisticians,” said Hal Varian, chief economist at Google (Nov 2009).
“People think I'm joking, but who would've guessed that computer engineers
would've been the sexy job of the 1990s? …
But I do think those skills - of being able to access, understand, and communicate the insights you get from data analysis - are going to be extremely important.”
The prospects on the labour market are very good!
Master Information
20/9/18

14. As Test-Taking Grows, Test-Makers Grow Rarer, May 5, 2006, NY Times.
Psychometrics, one of the most obscure, esoteric and cerebral professions in America ….
is now also one of the hottest
Master Information
20/9/18

15. Admission requirements
Bachelor’s degree in the social, biomedical or behavioural sciences,
or other relevant field like mathematics, epidemiology, economy, ….
Above average academic record, especially in M&S and/or mathematics
courses.
- International Programme: pass TOEFL test (not required for Dutch- Bachelor’s degree holder)
Master Information
20/9/18

16. Application and enrolment
Procedure:
1. you submit an enrolment request (application)
2. you receive a letter of acceptance
3. you finalize your enrolment
Apply through: behavioural (September start)
Application deadlines: <1 Dec 2015 (Notice of Acceptance, January 2016)
Application deadlines: <1 April 2016 (September start)
Applying for a scholarship? < 2015.
Master Information
20/9/18

17. Attend a class/lecture… Check out www.utwente.nl/master/
More information?
Attend a class/lecture…
Check out
Contact Prof. Jean-Paul Fox (UT):
Contact Prof. Herbert Hoijtink (UU):
Call the International Office on
(030) or visit
Follow us on Twitter #FSW_UU or Facebook
Master Information
20/9/18