Health Sciences

Health Sciences at VU University Amsterdam

Analysing contributory factors to health
In the Master's programme in Health Sciences, you will learn to analyse the various complex factors that contribute to health. You will go beyond individual health and look at health problems at population level. You will tackle health problems in different ways. Healthy food, sufficient movement, reduction of stress, safe environment, all contribute to a healthy body and mind.  

Tackling health problems 
We all hope to grow old in good health. Not many of us reach this goal. The last ten to twenty years are often spent in poor health. Lifestyle changes may improve your lifetime. Obesity can be solved by developing an anti-fat pill or by stomach reduction, but as a health scientists you look at other possibilities such as increasing taxes on fatty foods, reducing the amount of sweets and soft drinks children can buy at school, designing residential areas so that there are places for children to play and educating people about healthy eating and exercise. 

Implementation of solutions
Since health problems are complex, the solutions have to be implemented on different levels by a variety of professionals. As a health scientist, you will develop competences that enable you to cooperate with patient populations, health care professionals, policy makers and the greater public.

Current research topics

The older, the better?
Our life expectancy has increased over the years, but as we grow older we don’t get any healthier. The years we win thanks to better food, greater attention to hygiene and new cures for diseases are years we spend in a poor quality of health. How can we change this?

Does size matter?
Since the 1960s, our plate sizes have doubled and so has the amount of food we eat per meal. If we go back to smaller plates, will we slim down?

The price of an aching back
High percentages of people call in sick as a result of low back pain. There are a range of treatments available to back patients but they all have different results, in terms of both recovery time and costs. What is the best option?

Epidemiological Research
If you are specifically interested in epidemiological reseach in the field of lifestyle and chronic disorders, there is also the possibility to study our Research Master's programme Lifestyle and Chronic Disorders.

Further information

Information events (Dutch) / Events (English)
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Contact the Master's coordinator