Health, Ageing and Society (MSc)

The growing impact of ageing populations and societal challenges

With ageing populations increasing worldwide and growing pressure on healthcare systems, it is essential to look beyond illness and treatment alone. Healthy ageing requires more than medical care: quality of life, autonomy, independence, active participation and wellbeing are all intertwined.

Our ageing society is changing rapidly and requires continuous innovation. As chronic conditions and multimorbidity are becoming more common among the elderly, effective strategies for prevention and long-term management are crucial.

The Health, Ageing and Society master's programme tackles the key challenges of an ageing population and prepares students to improve public health and enhance the vitality of older people.

Key themes of the programme

The ageing population presents major challenges for healthcare systems worldwide, including a rising prevalence of chronic diseases, multimorbidity and the need for sustainable, high-quality care for people in later life. Addressing these issues requires innovative approaches that extend beyond traditional clinical treatment.

The Biology of Vitality and Ageing
The programme begins with an intensive introduction to the biology of vitality and ageing, laying the foundation for understanding biological mechanisms such as repair processes, nutrition and longevity.

The Older Individual
Students examine how chronic conditions—such as dementia, osteoarthritis and polypharmacy—affect older individuals and influence daily functioning and independence. The programme highlights resilience, diversity and individual variation when designing interventions.

Organization of an Ageing Society
Ageing impacts public health, healthcare policy and healthcare systems. This course explores how societies can organize sustainable care for ageing populations.

Students study the organization and financing of healthcare and social systems — from primary care to long-term and hospital care — and learn how policy is developed and implemented. They analyze how organizations respond to demographic changes, growing care needs and financial pressures.

Key themes include prevention, social inclusion and supporting independence later in life. The Dutch healthcare system serves as a core case study, enabling students to compare international approaches and understand effective models such as integrated care, chronic care and value-based healthcare.

A holistic approach: research, co-creation and real-world impact

The programme also actively involves senior citizens through advisory boards and co-creation projects, ensuring that student projects are grounded in real-world needs. This interdisciplinary collaboration fosters the development of interventions and policies that address the multifaceted challenges of ageing societies.

Through rigorous academic training and practical experience, graduates are prepared for roles in healthcare settings, policy development, research and system innovation—contributing to improved wellbeing and care quality for ageing populations.

Interdisciplinary health master and innovative solutions to ageing problems

This master's offers an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating biology, sociology, health sciences and policy studies to address complex ageing challenges. Students work in diverse, multinational groups, encouraging innovation and science-driven solutions.

The programme prepares students to contribute to the future of healthcare and societal development by understanding biological ageing, societal implications and management strategies tailored to ageing populations.

From healthcare challenges to career impact: what role will you play?

Graduates from the MSc Health, Ageing and Society make meaningful contributions across many fields. Some pursue academic research or policymaking, while others enhance careers in healthcare organizations, consultancy or advisory roles.

Alumni insights
Curious about where our graduates go? Explore our alumni stories to learn how former students shape the future of health and ageing.

Career examples include:

• Medical professional in hospitals, community organisations or welfare institutions
• Policy officer at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (VWS)
• Policy advisor at municipalities
• Quality advisor in long-term care organisations
• Healthcare consultant
• Research assistant at Alzheimer Centres
• Project manager in care organisations
• Trainee at healthcare insurers
• Support specialist at health technology companies
• PhD trajectories spanning biology, social sciences or policy

NSE results/Keuzegids

In 2025, the master once again received top ratings in the Dutch National Students Survey (NSE). Students evaluated ambience, lecturers, career preparation and assessments as excellent, and programme content as good. More than 80% of students say they would choose the programme again. For full rankings visit Keuzegids.nl.