Students’ expectations in an international Master of Science course in radiation biology

Abstract

Purpose: We assessed students’ expectations to a full two-year Master of Science course regarding workload, extracurricular activities, learning methods, and career plans.

Materials and methods: A questionnaire was handed out to all students in the MSc radiation biology course. Questions evaluated the time for study and lectures expected a desire for specific teaching and testing formats, expectations from extracurricular activities as well as the motivation to study the subject and the future career plans. All students (100%) enrolled in the first semester were handed out and completed the questionnaire.

Results: Most students had learned about the course from the internet (68.75%) or received information from teachers or professors (25%). Two students stated that all disciplines were equally relevant (25%). Others students made clear preferences: fourteen voted molecular biology (87.5%) as relevant, radiation protection in 93.75%, 81.25% consider physics the most important topic, followed by immunology (62.5%). Tutorials and lectures were preferred teaching formats. Generally, a workload of 20 hours per week is preferred.

Conclusions: An ongoing feedback loop is important in designing a modern Master of Science course in the context of the Bologna process. Valuable information is given by students and should be integrated continuously in the design and continuation process.

Keywords:

• Students’ expectations
• generation y
• work-life-balance
• test formats

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The MSc course and the questionnaire study (including design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and writing the manuscript) is currently funded by the Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Medical Faculty, TUM

Notes on contributors

Stephanie E. Combs

Stephanie E. Combs, Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology, Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology, Technical University of Munich (TUM); Head of the Institute of Innovative Radiotherapy (iRT), Department of Radiation Sciences (DRS), Helmholtz Zentrum München.

Carmen Kessel

Carmen Kessel, Course Coordinator of the MSc Radiation Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Pascal O. Berberat

Pascal O. Berberat, Professor and Chair of Medical Education, TUMedical, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Michael J. Atkinson

Michael J. Atkinson, Professor of Radiation Biology, Technical University of Munich (TUM); Head of the Institute of Radiation Biology, Department of Radiation Sciences (DRS), Helmholtz Zentrum München.