What is a Review Elective?
Review Electives typically include a writing assignment in which the literature of a particular topic is critically reviewed or summarized into a new theoretical framework or working model. Review Electives are thus more personalized to the student and the supervisor. This means that the student is free to contact and consult any member of the scientific staff of Maastricht University who has scientific expertise on a relevant topic and is willing to supervise the student. Approachable staff members include those from the participating RM specialisations as well as those from other departments and faculties.
Choosing from offered review electives
Currently offered Review Electives are posted on 'Collent' (see below for details on how to search and apply for a Review Elective). Specify "Review" in the SUMMARY filter box to see a complete list of available Review Electives. Add keywords for topic and/or supervisor to refine your search. Click on the "eye" icon on the right of a Review Elective to view the elective description, supervisor, project tasks and requirements. If you are interested in one of the offered Review Electives, email the supervisor and include in that email:
- Your name and student ID number
- The title or code of the Review Elective
- Your RM specialisation
- A brief motivation for participating
- Attach a short CV
- Attach additional documents (where requested)
If you and the supervisor reach a common decision to collaborate on a Review project, register yourself to the elective via "Collent". Apply for a Review Elective one project at a time! Start by applying to your most "favourite" elective and, in case you cannot join the project, move on to the next elective on your "favourite electives" list. Do NOT "shop around and spread your chances" by sending out applications to multiple projects at once. This causes miscommunication and unnecessary frustration for both the contacted supervisors as well as you, the applying student.
Proposing your own review elective
You can also propose your own Review Elective topic or format to a supervisor. You must take the initiative to approach a staff member for supervision of the Review Elective and discuss the topic and format. The topic of interest should match with the supervisor's field(s) of interest, and should be of current scientific relevance. The student and supervisor are free to organize their Review Elective within the boundaries of the format of the Review (see above) and grading deadline of the RM Electives (that is, the Review must be graded before starting the internship). Note that, in the case of a newly developed Review Elective, the supervisor must first upload the elective description on "Collent" for approval before you can register! If you and the supervisor reach a common decision to collaborate on a Review project, register yourself to the elective via "Collent".
Important notice: Please verify that your supervisor is aware of the RM Electives procedures as described on this site. If supervisors do not complete procedures correctly you run the risk of not having your credits and grades assigned to you. In case your supervisor is not yet aware of the rules and regulations, please forward the link to this site to your supervisor.
Format of the Review
The final version of the Review paper must contain maximally 5000 words and be typed in clearly readable font (e.g., Times New Roman) and paragraph settings (font size 11 or 12, line spacing of 1.5). The Review must contain appropriate citations to international scientific literature, in accordance with APA regulations. The Review format can be different for different Review Elective projects or goals (e.g., literature overview or summary, argumentative essay, meta-analysis, description or introduction of a theoretical model, etc.). Further details about format (e.g., structure, subheadings, use of figures or tables) must be discussed between student and elective supervisor. The final version of the Review paper must be checked and corrected for English grammar and spelling. For more information on scientific/academic writing, please consult the Handbook Writing Skills.
Submitting the final Review manuscript for grading
To finish the elective, your supervisor must grade the final version of your Review manuscript. You must submit the document on "Collent", which will then forward the document to your supervisor. Note that you must be registered to the Review Elective project on "Collent" in order to submit the document. The day and time of submission will be automatically registered as the official moment that you finished the elective.
Important notice
The elective must be completed and graded before the start of the internship. When you submitted the elective but do not see the grade listed on your gradelist, contact the RM Electives coordinator in time. We can then figure out whether the supervisor has not yet finished grading, has not yet submitted the grade on "Collent" or whether there is an unexpected error or delay in processing the grade. Do not wait until the day before you start the internship to contact the RM Electives coordinator! You are responsible for finishing your elective in time and signalling any unexpected events about the elective. The Review Elective grade does not count into your GPA, but the elective credits are required for graduation.