How to balance a career and a master’s in the Netherlands

Working full time while studying for a master’s can be a tough balancing act. Melina Gkiolma, a sustainability consultant and currently a student on the Online Master Sustainability Management at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) in Amsterdam, talks about how she handles the burden.

For many internationals in the Netherlands, going back to university means fitting lectures and assignments around a full-time job, family commitments and trips back home. Finding the time and the energy is often the biggest hurdle.

Melina, who is originally from Athens, has worked in the sustainability sector for five years, having spent the past 2.5 years as a sustainability consultant at Kōan, a boutique consultancy in Amsterdam. She started her career at Deloitte Luxembourg. She helps organisations deal with sustainability reporting requirements and changing regulations across Europe and beyond.

She wanted a part-time course she could follow online, so she could keep working while building her academic background in a field where she sees her long-term career. “This programme seemed like the perfect fit because it met all the criteria I was looking for,” she said.

Finding a routine
Returning to study took some adjustment. “I admit that returning to academic study after several years in the workplace was a little challenging at first,” she said, “but I’ve found a balance that works for me.”

She tries to join the live class every week and usually studies in the evening after work, when she is “already in a productive mindset”. She also puts in some time at weekends, but makes a point of keeping time free to relax.

Weekly updates from the programme managers on upcoming activities and assignment deadlines help her stay on top of the workload, she said.

Studying on the move
Because the course is entirely online, Melina can keep studying wherever she is – at home, on work trips or visiting her family in Greece.

She also found it more sociable than she expected. “People often assume online learning can feel impersonal, but my experience has been the opposite,” she said. Live classes, discussion forums and informal virtual coffee chats have helped her build strong ties with classmates around the world.

The international mix is one of her favourite parts of the course, with students from almost every continent. “It’s eye-opening to hear about people’s different experiences depending on where they live and their different professional backgrounds,” she said.

Theory into practice
Melina has been able to use what she learns at work straight away. Earlier in the programme, students were asked to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for a logistics company. When a new client later asked her for help setting KPIs for its carbon emissions, she drew on the research she had done for that assignment.

“The master’s has also helped me broaden my horizons in sustainability. Because I work in sustainability reporting, there are many topics I hadn’t explored in depth before. One module I found particularly interesting focused on ethics and leadership. It made me reflect on what I want to stand for in my work, my moral compass, and the purpose behind the things I do. It really got me thinking.”

“Be kind to yourself”
Her advice to anyone thinking of combining a job with a part-time master’s is to go easy on themselves. “Working full time while studying for a part-time master is a significant challenge, but you can find the balance that works for you,” she said.
“And remember, pursuing further education while advancing your career is a major achievement in itself.”

Applications for the Online Master in Sustainability Management at RSM are now open for cohorts starting in 2027. Find out more about the programme and apply here.