Master Oncology

More information about a master's degree in Oncology

• Courses

  Introduction

  The master Oncology programme consists of 33 EC compulsory courses and 12 EC optional courses. The programme includes lectures, workshops, demonstrations and literature sessions. You can make an individual choice regarding the optional courses, and it is encouraged to follow courses at other faculties or even other universities. If you want to register for a course or exam, the standard VU Amsterdam rules for registration apply. Attendance of at least 80% is obligatory for both the compulsory courses and the optional courses. If you are for some reason unable to attend, you need to inform the course coordinator on forehand.

  Overview courses

  Exams and retakes
  
  All compulsory courses and optional courses will be finished with an exam. This exam usually takes place on the last day of the course. The learning objectives for every exam are indicated in the description of the course. Retakes of the compulsory courses will take place after the Christmas holidays. You have to inform the course coordinator and master coordinator in case of unforeseen absence on the day of the exam (e.g. illness). Each semester, you are required to register for the compulsory courses during the official registration period.
  
  You can register for courses via the registration module.

  • You will be automatically registered for the re-sit if you did not pass the exam for a course at the VU.
  • If you have not registered for a course (part) during the registration period, you can no longer register for the exam or re-exam outside the registration period.
  • You can withdraw from a course up until the first week of classes. 
  • You will receive updates on your VU email about signing in and signing out to avoid a No Show (NS) result.

  All rules and regulations concerning examinations and resits for compulsory and optional courses are described in the TER of your study programme and can be found in the Oncology | Study Guide

  Register/deregister for courses and exams: Register/deregister for courses and exams - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl) 
  
  Problems with registering click link 

  Compulsory Courses
  
  The compulsory courses in your Master's programme are depending on the year in which you started your Master's programme. Currently, the following courses are compulsory:

  Course	ECTS	Period
  Oncogenesis	6	September
  Tumor Immunology	6	October
  Tumor Biology and Clinical Behavior	6	November
  Innovative Tumor Therapies	6	December
  Biostatistics	3	January
  Writing a Research Proposal	3	January - February
  Academic Core	3	Throughout the programme

  For more information, please consult the Study Guide.

  Optional courses
  
  The master Oncology has reserved 12 EC for optional courses. You can make a choice of the optional courses listed for the Master Oncology or follow a course at another faculty or university. A limited number of optional courses can be found in the study guide, but we encourage you to find optional courses outside the Faculty of Medicine. You always need to ask permission from the Examination Board using the approval form and check the information about the course in the study guide.

  Optional courses in 2025 - 2026 

  Name course	Date	Organizer
  Biomedical Proteomics	TBA	Prof. dr. Connie Jimenez

  For more information, please consult the Study Guide.

  Here you will find a list of all optional courses followed by students in previous years.

  Fill in the credit registration form after you have completed an optional course outside VU Amsterdam and email it to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl
   

• Internships

  Introduction
  
  In total, a student has to spend 66 EC for two internships: a minor internship (30 EC) and a major internship (36 EC). Both internships have to be performed at a research laboratory , clinical research group or other research department acknowledged by the Examination board Science Masters. The minor internship may be any (bio)medical topic related to oncology and has to be performed at one of the OOA Oncology Graduate School institutes (Amsterdam UMC, NKI or Sanquin). The major internship must have an oncological character and should preferentially be performed outside VU Amsterdam or abroad.  Each internship needs to be approved in advance by the examiner internships.

  Make sure you carefully read the Internship Regulations!

  Internships figure

  Orientation
  
  Students are encouraged to look for an internship at least 3 months before the start of their internship. For clinical internships or internships abroad a period of 6 months in advance is advised. Finding an appropriate internship is part of your network skills and competencies.

  Duration and content
  
  One week full-time (40 hr. / week) is an equivalent of 1.5 EC. Therefore, the minor internship will be 20 weeks and the major internship will be 24 weeks. Interruptions need to be taken into account when calculating the total number of EC.

  All internships have to include the following elements:

  • Theoretical deepening in the relevant field of Oncology
  • Elaboration, execution and analysis of the research question
  • Formulation of conclusions and recommendations
  • Written report in English
  • Oral presentation in English

  Amsterdam UMC Assessor
  
  The written report needs to be verified by a second assessor from Amsterdam UMC (VU/VUMC or AMC ). This Amsterdam UMC assessor needs to be invited by the student but has to be approved by the Examiner ILS and has to work at least at the level of assistant professor (UD). He/she will critically review the report and give a mark based on the report without considering the writing process or practical skills. For external internships the Amsterdam UMC assessor is also asked to serve as backup for questions of the student and/or the assessor.
  

  Approval and paper work in advance

  Before starting an internship, a student always has to request approval of the Examination Board of the Master programme. Only students who obtained a 5.5 or higher for 3 out of the compulsory courses of the first semester of the programme can request to start their minor internship. For approval you need to completely fill out the digital approval form to allow the Examination Board to make a sound decision based on the provided information. When your internship has been approved, you and your supervisor will receive an email stating the decision of the Examination Board.

  Approval of the major internship is no longer valid when the travel code announced by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the relevant country is orange or red. In that case, conducting the scientific internship in the country previously approved is not permitted. Students who nevertheless want to go abroad for their research internship under code yellow, are obliged to take this up with their study coordinator and/or internship examiner.

  Any costs in the event of cancellation or early return as a result of a change to code orange or red will not be reimbursed by any fund or funds.

  Internship Portfolio
  
  During your internship, you should provide us with several documents. The Internship Portfolio contains all required forms mentioned below and information needed during your internship. Only a complete portfolio handed in via email to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl will result in registration of your grade and credits!

  During your internship
  
  A List of Agreements (A) needs to be filled out and send to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl within
  2 weeks after starting your internship. This list describes the agreements made by the student and the supervisor about the start and ending of the internship, interruptions like optional courses, vacations/holidays or other obligations.
  
  Within 6 weeks after starting your Internship, a Research Proposal (B) should be written and send to the internship assessor and programme coordination. In addition, it is compulsory to have an Interim Assessment (C) with your supervisor. This assessment is used to evaluate your work at the department and assess whether the internship can be finished successfully. Halfway, you should give an oral presentation to the department to present the findings you obtained so far.

  Finishing your internship

  At the end of the internship, an assessment form has to be filled out. The Criteria Guidelines in the Internship Regulations should be used during the assessment to ensure uniform grading. The total mark is based on the quality of the practical work (40%), the written report (40%) and the oral presentation (20%).

  You have to send a PDF of your report and Internship Portfolio to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl and to the Amsterdam UMC assessor who will review and grade the written report. The final mark of the written report will be the average of the individual marks for the report given by the supervisor and the Amsterdam UMC assessor.

  Please also send the link of the second assessor assessment form to your second assessor.

  In addition, you should fill in the online evaluation form.

  Master Thesis
  
  The Master thesis includes the results of the major internship, integrated with and from the perspective of the knowledge acquired in the compulsory education. The Master thesis will get a uniform cover front and back provided and designed by the Master programme.

  All forms for approval and assessment, master thesis front / back, and other information can be found here.

  Internship abroad
  
  Are you planning an internship outside the Netherlands?
  The International Office can assist you in finding a suitable scholarship and make sure you leave fully prepared for your internship. When you tick the box 'This internship will be conducted outside of the Netherlands' in the approval form, the International Office will automatically be notified that you will perform your internship abroad. After you have received approval from the Examination Board, you can make an appoint with the International Office, send them an e-mail.

  The portfolio Science Masters Internship Abroad contains information on scholarships, visa etc. The portfolio can be downloaded from Canvas.

  Internship Platform

  Looking for a scientific internship? Discover the Faculty of Medicine VU Amsterdam Internship Platform.
  

• Literature study

  Introduction
  
  Your Literature Study will be carried out under supervision, but in this stage of your education it is expected that you act highly independent. It is also possible that you propose your own subject and present your own question. The study may be focused on a scientific (bio)medical question, but a more applied or social question is also allowed. The literature objective may be related to your major internship. The aim of the Literature Study is that you will be able to select, evaluate and critically discuss relevant literature. Based on the literature analysis, you have to clearly explain not only the state-of-the-art, but also the limitations and problems in the literature. Depending on the context of the study, the student has to formulate recommendations and strategies for further research to solve remaining problems. The Literature Study is written in the format of a review paper.

  Make sure you carefully read the Literature Study Regulations!

  Literature study figure

  Orientation
  
  For your Literature Study you need to find an Oncology-related subject that interests you. You can either find a suitable supervisor with knowledge on the particular subject you are interested in or find a supervisor from the lecturers that have been presenting during the courses. If you are not able to find a suitable subject or supervisor, your programme coordinator can assist you.
  
  Amsterdam UMC Assessor

  The Literature Study report needs to be verified by a second assessor from Amsterdam UMC (VU/VUMC or AMC). This Amsterdam UMC assessor needs to be invited by the student but has to be approved by the Examiner ILS and has to work at least at the level of assistant professor (UD). He/she will critically review the report and give a mark.

  Approval and literature study portfolio

  Your Literature Study needs to be approved by the Examination Board. For approval you need to fill out the approval form for a Literature Study. Finish the form as completely as possible to allow the Examination Board to make a proper assessment of your request.
  The Literature Study also has a portfolio. The Literature Study Portfolio contains a summary of the assignment and the Survey Outline which needs to be written and send to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl within 2 weeks after the start of the Literature Study.
  
  After writing your Literature Study, you need to give an oral presentation at the department of your supervisor/assessor to present your findings.
  When your Literature Study is finished, your assessor fills out the assessment form. As guidance, your assessor can use the Criteria Guidelines in the Literature Study Regulations which contain an overview of the assessment criteria. The total mark consists of 10% research outline, 70% report and 20% oral presentation.

  You have to send your report and the second assessor assessment form to the Amsterdam UMC assessor who will review and grade the written report. The final mark of the written report will be the average of the individual marks for the report given by the supervisor and the Amsterdam UMC assessor.

  Furthermore, you have to send a PDF of your report and Internship Portfolio to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl.

  In addition, you should fill in the online evaluation form.

  All forms for approval and assessment and other information can be found here.

• Academic core

  The Academic Core is a component of the Master programme which is designed to prepare students for the transition from student to scientist. During this course, students will learn academic elements such as writing a CV, skills required for a job application and participating in a conference. The academic skills are all related to a future career in scientific research.

  In the Academic Core the student learns several academic and transferable skills like career development (including a resume assignment), legal and ethical judgment, presenting skills, conference participation and networking. Most of the academic and transferable skills are integrated in the programme components and tested in the assessments. Others are explicitly separated in special meetings. A mentor (assistant, associate or full professor) is assigned to each student. The student has to contact the mentor at least twice to discuss aspects of a career in science. The students complete an Academic Core portfolio to demonstrate their development, and this is evaluated by the examiner of the Academic Core.

  The course lasts throughout the entire programme. During the course, students should make an Academic Core Portfolio. Upon completion of the whole portfolio, the student must send this portfolio to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl and it will be assessed by the Academic Core examiner and discussed during a meeting with the program coordinator or Academic Core examiner. The Academic Core is completed afterwards.

  Academic core overview

• Graduation

  Are you in the process of completing your Master's programme? VU Amsterdam will automatically start your graduation.
  Once you have completed the final part of your studies, you will receive an email from VU Amsterdam, containing an overview of your results and the date of your graduation. Would you rather not graduate on the date given?

  In certain circumstances, you can submit a request to your Examination Board to postpone your graduation. However, you must submit a postponement request within two weeks of receiving the email, otherwise you will graduate automatically. 
  
  More information on the new graduation process and submitting a request for postponement can be found on VU.nl.

  More information

  All information about graduation, awarding degree certificates and related topics can be found on VU.nl.
  Student must have:

  • All of their marks registerd on the VU-dashboard, but at least 4 weeks before the exam date;
  • You have fulfilled the requirements for the Master programme as stated in the Academic and Examination Regulations (OER);
  • On the requested graduation date, you will still be enrolled in the degree programme for which you are requesting your diploma;
  • You have met all your payment obligations (tuition fees);
  • If you stop your studies without succesfully completing the final examination, you can obtain an attendance certificate from the Examination Board, provided that you have successfully completed at least two course components. The attendance certificate lists those examination
    
    What is the graduation date?
  • Your graduation date will be in the month in which you officially completed your degree programme. This is always the last working day of the month. This date will also be stated on your degree certificate. Please note: it is not the date on which the degree awards ceremony is held.
  • The official graduation date is important for your deregistration from Studielink, your tuition fees, and your public transport pass.
  • Please consult the Graduation Schedule below to see which deadlines apply to you.

  Deadline*	Graduation date	Graduation ceremony
  13 January 2024 10 February 2024 10 March 2024 14 April 2024	31 January 2025 28 February 2025 31 March 2025 30 April 2025	27 June 2025

  *deadline for submitting all final products (Minor, Major, Literature study, Academic Core Portfolio) and the
   grades
   **In July and November and December, the deadline is one week earlier.
  ***If you graduate in the summer (June, July, August), you can let your registration expire on 31 August.
  

  Degree awards ceremony   
  
  Will you attend your graduation ceremony?
  Keep in mind the following:

  • You will receive your invitation to the ceremony no later than 2 weeks beforehand
  • Each graduate is permitted to bring max 4 guests 
  • Bring with you a valid form of identification (passport, IDcard or driver's license)
  • If there are less than 6 graduates, the ceremony might be cancelled. If you are already registered for the graduation ceremony, you will automatically be moved to the next graduation ceremony.

  The graduation ceremony is an official part of the Master Oncology and not a formality. Therefore, your presence is mandatory. If, by any chance, you are unable to come to the ceremony, you need to send an official statement to the program management with a valid reason for not attending. If the management approves your request, you could get the option to obtain your diploma at the nearest Exam Committee meeting. 

  Note: Being abroad for vacation or work is not a valid reason. In addition, it is not possible for your diploma to be sent via post due to strict academic regulations.

  What to do after graduation
  
  Stay in touch and connect with us on our: LinkedIn page
  We will post interesting updates and information relating to the programme, upcoming events etc.!

• FAQ

  Courses
  

  • How do I request approval for an optional course? 
    You must fill in the digital approval form for optional courses. 
  • How do I register credits for an optional course? 
    You must fill in the credit registration form for optional courses.
  • I want to do a course at a different university, is that possible? 
    Yes, you can follow courses at universities other than VU Amsterdam. However, you always need to request approval form the Examination Board for an optional course.

  Internships
  

  • How do I request approval for an internship? 
    For every internship you must request approval for an internship by filling out the internship approval form. 
  •  Who do I fill in as first/second supervisor? 
    Your first supervisor is usually your day-to-day supervisor (PhD student or post-doc), your second supervisor is a principal investigator (post-doc or professor).
  • Do I have to hand in hard copies at the Student Desk? 
    No, you only need to submit the Pdf version of your report and portfolio via email masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl 

  Literature study

  • How do I request approval for a Literature Study? 
    For every Literature Study, you must request approval by filling in the Literature Study approval form. 
  • How many ECTS/week does the Literature Study take? 
    The Literature Study grants 9 EC and officially lasts 6 weeks (full time).

• Contact

  Programme management master Oncology

  E-mail: masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl
  

  Postal address
  Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
  Faculty of Medicine VU Amsterdam, Master Oncology
  Room G-010
  PO BOX 7075
  1007 MB Amsterdam - The Netherlands