Why Maya chose an online master’s instead of putting her career on hold

“I really liked working in a company and getting insight into what it does,” she says. “Especially product development. But I also realised I needed more knowledge to become a good product developer later.”

That realisation led her to the Online Master’s in Food Technology at Wageningen University & Research. Now in her second year, Maya combines the programme with a part-time role at a cheese-producing company.

For Maya, studying full-time was not the most logical next step. She enjoyed the structure, responsibility and financial security that came with working. At the same time, she saw that many people in product development had at least a master’s degree, and sometimes even a PhD.

“I liked working, and I also liked the financial security of working part-time,” she explains. “So I really appreciated finding a master’s programme that allowed me to do both.”

The online format made that balance possible. Maya works two and a half days a week and studies two and a half days. The programme is designed for around 20 hours of study per week, which, in her experience, is accurate.

“They say you need around 20 hours a week, and for me that is actually true,” she says. “I have good grades, and I still have a weekend.”

One of the things Maya values most is that the programme does not require her to attend fixed online lectures every week. Instead, she studies through online knowledge clips, assignments and courses that run in four-week blocks.

That gives her the freedom to organise her study time around work and life.

“I can do it whenever I want,” she says. “I can follow my own schedule.”

But that freedom also means taking responsibility. On study days, Maya knows she has to sit down, watch the knowledge clips, make notes and keep up with the course work.

“You definitely need some discipline,” she says. “But I don’t want a fixed lecture every week, because that would stress me out. I have a lot going on in my life, so I want the freedom to study when it works for me.”

Although most of the programme takes place online, Maya does not experience it as distant. The lab weeks in Wageningen play an important role in that. During these intensive weeks, students meet in person, work together and get to know each other beyond the screen.

“You see the people, work together, laugh together and go for a beer in the evening,” she says. “After that, the next group work is much easier.”

For Maya, those connections also make the online part of the programme stronger. It becomes easier to send someone a message, ask for help or collaborate on an assignment when you have already met in person.

Another part Maya enjoys is hearing what her fellow students do alongside their studies. Some work in pet food, others in flavour, product design or quality management. That variety has broadened her view of what a master’s degree in Food Technology can lead to.

“It is so interesting to hear what the others are doing,” she says. “You get insight into different companies, different jobs and different career paths.”

For someone who is still shaping her own future in the field, that professional perspective is valuable.

After the master’s, Maya hopes to move further into product development, ideally within the company where she currently works. The programme is helping her build the knowledge and confidence she feels she needs for that next step.

“I hope to gain more knowledge, so I become more confident,” she says. “After the master’s, I would like to work full-time in product design or product development.”

For Maya, the Online Master’s in Food Technology is not about pausing her career to study. It is about using both at the same time: learning from Wageningen while staying connected to the reality of the food industry.