From dietician to researcher: how Mare is taking the next step with an online master’s

Mare, 27, is originally from the Netherlands and now lives in the south of Germany. Alongside her studies, she works part-time as a dietician for a Dutch company, supporting people with gastrointestinal problems and translating scientific literature into educational materials for healthcare professionals.

That work with scientific literature sparked something.

“I noticed that I really liked working with scientific literature,” she explains. “I wanted to develop myself further and do more with research. That is when I started looking for a master’s.”

Her search led her to the Online Master’s in Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health at Wageningen University & Research. The programme focuses on the relationship between dietary intake, nutritional status and health outcomes, and trains students in epidemiological research, disease prevention and public health approaches.

“I studied Food and Dietetics in Groningen and had already worked as a dietician for a few years. I wanted to take the next step, but I also needed something that would fit my life in Germany. Because this master’s is online and part-time, it was ideal.”

For Mare, the online format works well, partly because she was already used to working remotely. But what makes the programme manageable, especially in combination with a job, is its clear structure.

“Every four weeks, you have an exam. So you focus on one block for a month and then move on to the next. Within those four weeks, you have deadlines every week. That means you always know what you need to do.”

The workload is serious, she says. Combining part-time work with part-time study can sometimes feel close to full-time. Still, the rhythm of the programme helps her keep moving forward.

“It is part-time work and part-time studying, so together it can feel quite full-time. But because everything is well structured, it is possible to combine.”

Although much of the master’s takes place online, Mare does not experience it as distant. Depending on the course, students work together on group projects, take part in discussion boards or exchange feedback online. That creates regular contact, even when students are studying from different places.

“In many blocks, you work together on a group project. In others, you have assignments on the discussion board. You may not always see each other, but you are really in conversation with fellow students.”

A highlight for her was WUR Week, when online students come to Wageningen to meet their lecturers and fellow students in person. For Mare, that week made the online community feel more tangible.

“That week has been the most fun part of the study so far,” she says. “You suddenly have a face for everyone. You see people in real life, you understand their character better and you meet students you may not have worked with before.”

Mare’s ambition is to move further into research, particularly in the area of nutrition, gastrointestinal health and cancer. Through her work as a dietician, she already has experience with people facing gastrointestinal problems. The master’s now gives her the opportunity to explore those interests from a research perspective.

“I hope that after this master’s, I can work more in research,” she says. “I do not necessarily want to continue only as a dietician. I want to take a step further.”

She has already found a possible thesis topic in the direction of cancer research and hopes to continue building her career in that field. “I work a lot with people with gastrointestinal problems, and I find the link with cancer very interesting. I hope I can do my internship in that direction and eventually find work in that field.”

Mare would recommend the master’s to people who want to keep developing, but already have other responsibilities in their lives. The part-time format makes it possible to combine study with work, family or other commitments, but she also emphasises that online learning asks for independence.

“I would recommend it to anyone who wants to develop further, but maybe already has a job or children, or something else next to their studies,” she says. “Because it is part-time, it is ideal if you want to combine studying with other things.”

At the same time, students need to be able to organise their own time. “You have to be independent. You need to motivate yourself, because you do not have fellow students or teachers physically around you all the time. You have to get that motivation from yourself.”

For those who can do that, she believes the format works very well. “If you are motivated and you can organise yourself, then this is really a master’s for you.”

Although Mare had only spent limited time in Wageningen before WUR Week, her experience with the university has been positive from the start. What stands out to her is the combination of flexibility, academic depth and support.

“I am very satisfied with how everything is arranged,” she says. “The master’s is very structured, and if you have questions, you get an answer quickly.”

For Mare, that support makes the online master’s feel like more than a flexible study option. It is a way to keep working, study from Germany and move towards the research career she hopes to build.

“I feel that Wageningen really wants to help you develop yourself further. That is why I would recommend this online master’s.”