| Programme details | |
|---|---|
| Degree: | Master of Research (MRes) |
| Discipline: |
Human Medicine
|
| Duration: | 24 months |
| ECTS points: | 120 |
| University website: | Gerontological Science |
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The Research Master in Gerontological Sciences offers a specific training trajectory to those excellent students who want to build up an academic career in the field of Gerontology. The program also provides an ideal preparation for starting a PhD in the domain of Gerontology.
The world population is ageing. International organizations, such as the World Health Organization, consider the ageing population as one of the major topics that need immediate and thorough attention. The Research Master in Gerontological Sciences offers a specific training trajectory to those excellent students who want to build up an academic career in the field of Gerontology. It also provides an ideal preparation for starting a PhD in the domain of Gerontology.
The Research Master in Gerontological Sciences is unique in its kind in Belgium and surroundings. It is the only programme that studies the field of gerontology on a broad and multidisciplinary basis. It offers a wide spectrum of scientific aspects that is essential to understand the field of gerontology. The programme investigates the biogerontological and biomedical basis underlying the ageing process. But it also discusses the psychological, social and health policy aspects of older persons, like for example ethical themes and intercultural aspects. Students are stimulated to start from the principle of ‘free inquiry’ in order to reflect critically on current gerontological problems.
Students will have the opportunity to get embedded in ongoing interdisciplinary research projects of our associated research groups such as the Frailty in Ageing (FRIA) research group.
The courses in the programme can be divided into two themes: gerontology and research methodology. The former focuses on the biological, biomedical, psychological and social aspects of gerontology, making you an expert in the field. The latter offers you skills to do research in the field of gerontology.
The foundations will be discussed in a package of course units that provides a thorough Bio-Psycho-social concept of Gerontological Sciences. Students will identify a topic at the end of the first semester of the first year, on which substantive work will continue under the supervision of a promoter through the master curriculum. Although this might implicate a certain degree of ‘specialisation’ in a certain domain of the Gerontological Sciences, most – if not all – research projects in which the students will be involved have a typical interdisciplinary character. Given the nature of this programme and the intensive coaching, daily presence on campus is required.
During the Research Master of Gerontological Sciences, the students will write two articles (one review article in the first year and one original research article in the second year) and submit them for publication in an international peer-reviewed journal. In addition, they will have to deliver a research proposal for a doctoral fellowship at the end of the first semester of the second year, which may be submitted in one of the known channels (FWO doctoral fellowship, SBO doctoral grant ...).
Find more information on the website of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB):