Students at their graduation ceremony

Career prospects Politics, Policy and Societal Development track

As a graduate of the Master’s track Politics, Policy and Societal Development, you are able to understand societal challenges in the framework of sustainable development, and manage projects and people to bring about change, development or innovation in an international context.

Knowledge and skills

  • You are able to create a mutual understanding of problems and look at them from multiple perspectives, disciplines, and levels of analysis, with a focus on group dynamics. Additionally, you can promote sustainable development and analyze multiple causes and consequences of societal issues at multiple levels. 
  • You also create interventions aimed at addressing global challenges to promote sustainable development at macro and micro levels.
  • In short, you are able to lead and participate in change and innovation-oriented projects aimed at tackling societal challenges that are focused on sustainable development. 

With these skills, you could be working as a linking pin in a multi-disciplinary team, as a project manager, or as a consultant, but also as a policymaker or policy consultant confronted with inter-organizational or inter-governmental partnerships.

Domains where you can work

After graduating, you could find work in economic (re)development projects, societal change and innovation projects, infrastructure, entrepreneurial ventures, multinational organizations, international peacekeeping projects, and international rescue and help missions. Graduates work, for example, at Unicef, Philips, Oxfam Novib, Greenpeace, Doctors without Borders, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. 

Typical starting positions after graduation:

  • Policy Research Officer 
  • Sustainable Supply Chain Consultant 
  • Policy Advisor 
  • Low-income Markets Consultant 
  • Community Outreach Director 
  • Social Impact Report Accountant 
  • Project Manager 
  • Consultant 
  • Corporate Social Responsibility Manager 
  • Stakeholder Relations Advisor 

Recent placements include:

  • Management Trainee at Alliander
  • Junior Policy Advisor & Researcher at ARQ Knowledge Center
  • Tester and Licensing Authority Environment at Bender Group
  • Assistant Brand Manager at Yapı Kredi
  • Fredrik Zwaan

    Frederik Zwaan

    Environmental Advisor at YER

    Sustainable development and environmental topics are as challenging as they are dynamic. This Master’s program prepared me to understand the complexity of this field and how to deal with it in an intersectional way.

Alumni facts 

  • 70% of our alumni find a job within 6 months after graduation 

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

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

  • Gross salary per month:  €2,519.- 

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

Become a teacher 

Are you passionate about sharing your knowledge with others? If you are a Dutch graduate, you can take an educational post-master after finishing your Master’s program and become a teacher in secondary school. 

After your Master's

Your transition to the labor market

We help you prepare for your transition to the labor market by offering a number of career services:

  • Coaching, support and training courses offered by our Student Career Services to improve your employability and communication skills.

  • Dedicated Career Services Officers who can give you individual career guidance or help you to find interesting and relevant internships.

  • Familiarize yourself with the labor market and meet potential employers by participating in several career events, which are organized every year in collaboration with the study associations.

  • To those who wish to discover and develop their entrepreneurial talent, we offer education and support services.

More on our Career Services

More on our Entrepreneurship services

Working in the Netherlands after graduation

After obtaining a Master’s degree in the Netherlands, non-EEA students can apply for a residence permit under the Orientation Year for Highly Educated Persons’ scheme. This allows you to spend a period of up to twelve months in the Netherlands to find employment.

Interested in the Politics, Policy and Societal Development MSc track?

Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application