Like Amalia, Nathalie de Beer studies politics, psychology, law and economics in Amsterdam. She moved from America to the Netherlands for this and is now in her third year. “I’m very happy with my choice, it’s a great study,” 21-year-old student Editi tells NL.

Zeitgeist

She chose PPLE keeping her future in mind. “Modern society is becoming globalized and everything is interconnected. I think this study fits well with the current zeitgeist.”

Or not multiple disciplines? “I think it’s a good mix,” Natalie says. “In the real world, these separate themes are also interconnected. I’m interested in seeing how psychology and economics, for example, influence each other. It’s interesting to have one or two or more.”

Moreover, as a student you also choose your own specialization. “I chose politics, so 50 percent of my teaching material is now about that.” After PPLE she plans to do a Masters.

Cross sectoral study

Over time, more and more ‘cross-sector’ studies have emerged. In 2012, the counter was still 13, and last year it was already 35. This is clear from the figures of the umbrella organization Universities in the Netherlands.

More and more cross-sectoral studies are not a bad thing, says education historian Peter Slaman. “A bachelor’s degree like this is apt to make young people doubt. You never know what your career will be like at eighteen,” he tells EditiNL.

A little bit of everything

But such a study has its drawbacks. “You haven’t tried and tested the research method of a discipline. You know a little bit about everything.” You will never become a specialist like you can in other studies like medicine.

On the other hand, the advantage is that you have many jobs where knowing a little about everything is very useful. “Think about working in public administration, but also entrepreneurs in the cultural sector.”

international

Natalie is very happy that she is studying at the University of Amsterdam. “It’s a great place. I have classmates from all over the world, which makes talking about topics like politics and economics more interesting. Everyone sees it from their own perspective. It makes the conversations unique.”

Saw Amalia recently. “We haven’t met yet, but I hope it will. It’s not that big of a study.”