Program Overview

Program Overview

The Double Degree master's program in Health and Service Management is a 2-year full-time program offered by the University of Groningen in collaboration with the Católica Porto Business School. This program aims to equip students with knowledge about the structuring and dynamics of the health sector and excel as service management experts.

Program Structure

The program starts with a semester in Groningen, where students explore the particularities of the health sector and the managerial and innovation challenges involved. The next semester is spent in Porto, where students specialize in service management and understand the specificities of services requiring differentiating management approaches. The final semester is spent back in Groningen, where students study how to analyze and deal with strategic tensions in the health sector.

Facts and Figures

• Degree: MSc in Business Administration
• Course type: Double Degree master
• Duration: 24 months (120 EC)
• Croho code: 60644
• Language of instruction: English
• Start: September
• Faculty: Economics and Business

Why Study This Program in Groningen?

• The program is unique for the North of the Netherlands, equipping students with competencies to become in-demand professionals.
• Students are part of a diverse learning community, preparing them for the reality of the workplace.
• The program offers opportunities for stakeholder roleplay, teamwork on real-time challenges, and courses taught by UMCG Groningen and the Faculty of Spatial Sciences.
• Both the University of Groningen and the Católica Porto Business School are internationally accredited by the AACSB and EQUIS, ensuring high-quality education.

Program Details

Year 1

• First semester: MSc BA - Health in Groningen, exploring the role of healthcare purchasers and managerial theories in health management.
• Second and third semesters: MSc Management program in Porto, specializing in service management.

Year 2

• Last semester: Back in Groningen, studying how to analyze and deal with strategic tensions in the health sector, such as meeting the increasing demand for care, facing workforce shortages, and controlling costs.

Study Abroad

Study abroad is required, with the Católica Porto Business School in Portugal as the double degree partner.

Entry Requirements

• Dutch diploma: Students must meet the entry requirements of the MSc Business Administration - Health.
• International diploma: Students must meet the entry requirements of the MSc Business Administration - Health and submit additional documents, including a motivation letter, resume, and copy of bachelor transcripts.

Admission Requirements

• Previous education: Students must apply for admission to the MSc Business Administration - Health and meet the entry requirements.
• Language test: IELTS Academic overall score 6.5, TOEFL internet-based overall score 90, or Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency.

Application Deadlines

• Dutch students: May 1, 2026, for the September 2026 intake.
• EU/EEA students: May 1, 2026, for the September 2026 intake.
• Non-EU/EEA students: May 1, 2026, for the September 2026 intake.

Tuition Fees

• Non-EU/EEA students: €21,400 for the first year and €22,200 for the second year.
• Additional tuition fees apply for DDM students.

Job Prospects

Graduates are equipped for careers in classical organizations providing services, industrial companies with relevant service components, and specifically in the health sector. Job examples include economist specializing in health economics, manager within a healthcare organization, consultant, healthcare purchaser, project manager, and policy analyst.

Research

Research areas include improving patient logistics, evaluating the effectiveness of managerial interventions, implementation and adoption of digital and organizational innovations, continuous quality improvement in healthcare, buyer/supplier relationships, reducing health inequalities, economic evaluation of innovations or treatments, and public health management issues. The Centre for Public Health in Economics and Business provides students with links to the outside world, and many lecturers participate in the Aletta School of Public Health.