Master's students at their graduation ceremony

Health, Wellbeing and Society

1 year English Starts end of August and end of January

During the Master’s track Health, Wellbeing and Society of the MSc Sociology, you become a specialist in the fields of healthcare policy, societal resilience, and health and wellbeing. You analyze how health and wellbeing are influenced by societal and contextual structures, how they are distributed across Western societies, and how policy can improve health and wellbeing at micro-meso and macro-levels of society.

Education and COVID-19

All education takes place on campus again, now that the coronavirus measures have been scaled back. Of course, we will always maintain a safe environment for our students and staff. Therefore, a few basic measures still apply. For the latest updates on the COVID-19 situation, see our FAQs for prospective students.

72%
of graduates is (very) satisfied with the program

National Alumni Survey, 2021 | n=11

6
months Internship in the Extended Master

through Academic Collaborative Centers from TRANZO or at one of our partner organizations

82%
would choose the same program again, at the same university

National Alumni Survey, 2021 | n=11

Program and courses

In this Master’s program, you combine scientific insights from sociology and health sciences to become a specialist in the field of healthcare policy, societal resilience, and health and wellbeing. You learn to design policy and preventive measures to handle the consequences for health and wellbeing of topics related to financial problems, depression, dementia, stress, burnout, addiction, aging, lifestyle and chronic disease. 

  • Learn to analyze how health and wellbeing are related to welfare, healthcare politics, policy, and demographic and societal factors at different levels. You gain an international perspective on health, wellbeing and society in mainly Western societies.
  • Collaborate closely with healthcare organizations through participation in the unique Academic Collaborative Centers from Tranzo in theoretical modules as well as during an internship and your thesis.
  • Become part of an innovative program which brings together academics and students from all over the world in a small-scale and interactive learning environment, with community-building activities, such as guest lecturers, simulation, serious gaming and study trips.
  • Challenge yourself with an Extended Master's program or a Double degree program. The Extended Master's program adds one semester to the total program to provide you with a half-year internship position to enhance your skills and gain relevant work experience. With a Double degree program, you have the opportunity to earn a degree from both Tilburg University and one of our partner universities:

Related tracks:

  • The Sociology: Politics, Policy and Society in Comparative perspective track investigates important societal questions and sociological problems related to politicssocial cohesion, and inequality. It studies issues such as rising populismsocial movements, and the welfare state. You learn to evaluate social policies and use research as input for new policies.
  • The Politics, Policy and Societal Development track gives you a different perspective on sustainable development based on the theories and methods pertinent to the Global Management of Social Issues discipline. This specialization addresses societal issues and sustainable development from a sociological perspective.

Typical courses:

  • Health, Resilience and Sustainability
  • Social Policy and Social Risks
  • The Social Structures of Western Societies
  • Health and Policy

More  on the program and courses

  • Masterstudent Benthe

    Benthe Zenhorst

    Master's student

    "The personal way teachers and students communicate really spoke to me while choosing this master. This highly relevant health master allows me to further specialize within my field of sociology."

  • Robin Bor

    Robin Bor

    Master’s student

    "This Master’s program taught me about health and well-being in the sociological world. Through guest lectures from professionals, I obtained a broader vision of sociology."

  • Hannah Kottmann

    Hannah Kottmann

    Master’s student

    "With regard to future job opportunities in political organizations, I appreciate learning about writing policy briefs. I have made friends for life and loved the green campus!"

Career prospects

As a graduate, you are equipped to lead projects and people tackling health and wellbeing related societal problems. You can analyze demographic drivers and outcomes of societal issues and of public interventions aimed at addressing (health)care challenges. Our graduates found work as policy advisor, policy executive, data analyst, researcher or trainer at:

  • (Health)care organizations
  • Local, regional, national and international health policy organizations
  • NGOs - non-governmental organization
  • (International) societal change and innovation projects
  • Multinational organizations
  • Health insurance companies
  • Public health organizations
  • Research institutes
  • Municipalities, ministries, knowledge institutes

Alumni facts

  • 70% of our alumni finds a job within 6 months after graduation
  • 72% of the graduates is (very) satisfied with the program
  • 82% would choose the same program again, at the same university

Source:  National Alumni Survey, recent graduates 2021 | n=11

More on your career prospects

Application and admission

This track starts:

At the end of August and at the end of January

Best preparatory programs:

Sociology, Psychology, Social Geography, Anthropology, Culture Studies, Human Resource Studies, Organization Studies, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Pre-Master’s program:

If your previous education does not entirely meet the entry requirements, you can do a pre-Master's program at Tilburg University. For this program, the pre-Master's program in Sociology is available to both Research University and Dutch University of Applied Sciences (hbo) students. The pre-Master's program takes half a year (30 ECTS) and starts at the end of August and at the end of January. 

Tuition fees and scholarships

International students find information about tuition fees and scholarships available here.

Interested in this Master's track?

Check your eligibility

Students walking in the Koopmans building

More information on this Master's program

Download the brochure with information on program content, admission requirements, career prospects, housing and immigration matters, and student life in Tilburg. Throughout the year you can take part in various types of events: on-campus, abroad or online.

Interested in the Health, Wellbeing and Society MSc track?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application