Universiteit Maastricht · Maastricht University

The University

Innovative in the heart of Europe
Maastricht University (UM) is the youngest university in the Netherlands and is growing rapidly, with 11,500 students and 3, 000 staff. UM is known at home and abroad for its innovative education system, advanced research and international orientation.

Education
From its inception, Maastricht University has worked with Problem-Based Learning (PBL). This education system, which UM was the first in Europe to adopt, challenges students to actively develop their talents and intersts through working together with others to delve into issues that also form the focus of research at UM. In most programmes, the subject matter is dealt with using a slightly different approach than at other universities, which gives the education programmes at UM a unique profile.

Research
Since problems and issues in academics seldom fall under one discipline, UM conducts multidisciplinary research, where insights from various disciplines are brought together under international, socially relevant themes. The themes at the heart of UM research are Life Sciences, Innovation and Governance.

The Faculty

The Faculty of Law at Maastricht University consists of approximately 2,000 students and 200 staff members. The faculty is located in an imposing building in the city centre, housing faculty staff, computer rooms and classrooms fully equipped with all electronic and other facilities. The faculty’s central location in the city centre, with its numerous pavement cafes, bars and restaurants, and the proximity of several other faculties, makes it an authentic inner-city campus.

Education
The Faculty of Law offers three three-year bachelor’s programmes: Dutch Law (in Dutch), Tax Law (in Dutch) and European Law School (in Dutch as well as fully in English) and eight master’s programmes: Dutch Law; European Law School (in English); Tax Law (in English) (including International Tax Law); Law, Labour and Health; Forensics, Criminology and Administration of Justice; Globalisation and Law (in English) (all of them one-year programmes); and Law and Language Studies and the Research Master Ius Commune and Human Rights (the latter are two-year programmes and taught in English). In addition, there are three advanced master’s programmes with varying durations: Magister Iuris Communis (in English), Toga Master and Conflict Management (both in Dutch).

The Faculty of Law at Maastricht University offers unique legal education in various areas of law.

The faculty’s courses are characterised by their small-scale approach. During the first year there is a maximum of only 15 students in each tutorial group, which makes education intensive and student-centred. Students learn how to acquire new knowledge by solving problems. This method, referred to as Problem-Based Learning (PBL), was originally developed in Maastricht, and has been replicated in many other places. PBL increases students’ knowledge and in particular their ability to deal with new problems, rules, laws and complex situations – an important skill for every lawyer.

The acquisition of new skills is central to PBL: the tutorial groups are guided by a tutor and chaired by a student discussion leader; a student takes notes of the results of the tutorials; a student gives a presentation at every meeting; and students have access to the electronic learning environment. This enables the acquisition of knowledge and insights to be combined with the acquisition of all necessary skills. Proven to be the best way of learning, this method is highly appreciated in professional practice and in continuing education.

The small-scale approach allows for individual attention for all students. A great deal of effort is made to guide students in writing papers and preparing presentations. Additionally, students can practice in the faculty mock courtroom, where a lawsuit is imitated in detail.

The faculty is actively and successfully involved in several national and international moot courts. Can you picture yourself pleading before the European Court of Justice, after several years of study, in a moot court with faculties from all over Europe and the United States taking part? This becomes reality for a dozen UM students each year!

The faculty’s education is truly international: considerable attention is devoted to European and International law and comparative law in all bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. Its staff, too, are composed of many different nationalities; every year there are foreign guest lecturers and many English-taught elective courses are offered. Moreover, the faculty’s cooperation with universities outside the Netherlands allows students to spend a period of study or an internship abroad.

Students at the law faculty are given the opportunity to work as student assistants in the area of education or research – a perfect opportunity to gain more knowledge and skills while earning some extra pocket money.

Research
Faculty research is concentrated within two research schools: the Human Rights research school and the Ius Commune research school. Comparative law, international and European law and the relationship with national law and human rights are the most important fields of research in these schools.

Four times a year, the faculty publishes the Maastricht Journal on European and Comparative Law. Research into European law and comparative law is published in the Ius Commune Europaeum (Intersentia). Furthermore, the Faculty publishes research results in its own series of working papers.

The faculty research institute METRO coordinates the Ius Commune research school and provides contract research.