I'm an EU citizen but not a "home student" (have to pay international prices in Ireland) but I speak some dutch and have work experience coming into the masters. It's just that industry placement at galway that is holding me back...

I’m trying to decide between the MSc Health Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam and the MSc Health Economics at University of Galway, and I keep going back and forth.

My long-term goal is HEOR / HTA / market access, with the possibility of eventually moving into life sciences strategy consulting. My background is in neuroscience, clinical research, and medical writing (specifically competitive intelligence, not promo), so I’m looking to build the economics, modeling, and reimbursement side of my skill set.

The main reason I’m drawn to Erasmus is honestly pretty simple: I think it's a better school. Plus I’d rather live in Rotterdam and its way cheaper! I've lived in the Netherlands before, I like the city, the location in Europe, and the lifestyle. Erasmus also seems to have the stronger reputation academically, particularly for economics, and I think I’d enjoy that environment.

The big appeal of Galway is the internship.

The MSc has an optional (obviously I'll do it), 8–12 week summer work placement, with recent placement partners including IQVIA, Novartis, AbbVie, NCPE, HIQA, etc. Placements can involve cost-effectiveness analysis, modeling, HTA, market access/pricing, and policy.

The cohort is also tiny (~20 full-time students), and most placements are paid, although payment isn't guaranteed.

That is really appealing to me because I care a lot about getting actual industry experience. Part of me thinks its more valuable to spend my summer learning HEOR/market access in an office than have a better known degree and graduate without relevant experience.

The downside is that Galway is about triple the cost, I don't think the ranking is that great (big for me, right? since I'm pivoting heavily from clinical research and a neuroscience undergrad). I'd also probably have to commute 30+ minutes to school because of the housing crisis they are facing.

I also recently spoke to someone who did Economics & Business at Erasmus for his bachelor's and then the MSc Health Economics at Galway. He's now a Senior Associate in Health Economics, Market Access & Reimbursement at J&J. He said that academically he'd choose Erasmus, but he chose Galway because the industrial placement gave him confidence and essentially provided his entry into the industry (he was econ undergrad whereas I have clinical trials experience)

That made me take the placement much more seriously.

With Erasmus, I'd have to put much more effort into finding an internship myself. I'm a hustler and I know I'll do whatever I can to get one, but I'm also aware that I'd be trying to break into a strongly quant based, relatively niche field, and I only have basic Dutch language proficiency.

So I'm trying to figure out how much that structured internship is actually worth compared with living somewhere I'd prefer and having the academic/location/network advantages of Erasmus.

What would you choose?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who actually work in HEOR, HTA, market access, pricing/reimbursement, life sciences consulting, or pharma.

If you had these two options, would you prioritize:

A) Erasmus + living in Rotterdam + stronger economics reputation + access to the broader European/Benelux ecosystem, while taking responsibility for finding your own internship

or

B) Galway + a small cohort + a structured industry placement + potentially graduating with direct HEOR/market access experience, despite the higher cost and the fact that I don't particularly want to live there?

And if you've attended either program, I'd especially love to hear:

• How strong is the actual quantitative/modeling training?
• How difficult is it to get an internship?
• What kinds of jobs do graduates actually get?
• Does the university's reputation matter much when applying for HEOR/market access roles?
• How valuable is having an internship built into the MSc?
• Would you choose differently knowing what you know now?

Thanks!

Summary — Pros, cons & caveats

University of Galway

Pros:

• Structured, credit-bearing industry placement (IQVIA, Novartis, NCPE, etc.)
• Very small cohort → close faculty support + networking
• Higher chance of graduating with direct industry experience
• Some placements are paid and can act as a pipeline into pharma/consulting
• Could be cute

Cons:

• More expensive overall for me (housing + cost of living + tuition)
• Housing crisis → likely long commute / limited accommodation options
• Less strong academic reputation in economics compared to Erasmus
• More geographically limited network than the major European pharma/consulting hubs
• I might go stir crazy

Caveat:

• The placement is optional and competitive, so specific roles aren't guaranteed
• International/UK placements may be possible, but this isn't formally assured

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Pros:

• Strong academic reputation in economics/health economics, with a strong quantitative foundation
• Located in Rotterdam → access to the broader Benelux/European pharma, consulting, and health policy ecosystem
• Stronger international brand recognition in economics/quantitative fields
• Larger ecosystem of relevant companies nearby
• I would genuinely enjoy living there more (I've lived in the Netherlands before and know it's a better lifestyle fit for me)
• Cheaper for me

Cons:

• No structured, built-in industry placement → I would be responsible for securing relevant experience myself
• I'd need to be proactive early to secure an internship in a relatively niche field
• Likely more competitive to break into HEOR/market access without prior direct experience
• Dutch language can be a soft barrier for some local roles (I only have basic Dutch)
• Potentially less direct exposure to UK-style HTA systems such as NICE

Caveat:

• Erasmus has a very strong academic reputation in economics/health economics, but it is more theory- and research-oriented than industry-structured, so I'd need to be proactive about translating the degree into relevant HEOR/market access experience through internships and networking.

Hi all, I know I'm not the first (and probably won't be the last) person to inquire here, but like the title says I'm going to NUIG for my masters and looking for an apartment. Having lived in NYC for a few years, I thought I knew tough situations... but this.... is bad. It's not even that the price is shocking (which, it is, but I'm more or less used to crazy sticker shock), it's that there are SO few options at all! Are people even living in Galway??

Anyways, I'm looking for a place somewhat desperately starting Sep 1. Also happy to sublet for a month and then move again. Is my best bet something like the student housing until something comes along? Should I live out of town even if I don't have a car? I'll have class almost everyday of the week so I was really hoping for something close by.

Also, if anyone is looking for a roommate pls let me know! I'm a 27 year old female, from Washington, DC, USA but am an Irish citizen. I'm obtaining my masters in Health Economics, and I love food, travel, fashion, and socializing! Thanks so much!!