Study in the Netherlands
Your Gateway to Europe

Thanks to various programmes of international cooperation, increasing numbers of foreign students are coming to the Netherlands to complete all or part of their studies, or to pursue a doctorate.

Since the 1950s, the Netherlands has offered courses conducted in English especially for the benefit of foreign students - but the number of foreign students enrolling in regular degree programmes is growing. These students soon learn that higher education in the Netherlands means lots of opportunities, but also lots of hard work. Students are expected to be critical of what they read and hear, and be capable of working independently.

Dutch students are becoming accustomed to speaking English, since most will switch whenever there is a foreign student in their project group, even if that student can speak Dutch! 'Internationalization' has become a buzz-word at Dutch universities and hogescholen. Each institution is seeking partners in other countries, often for the purpose of exchanging students - most commonly, by setting up special programmes alongside English learning courses, so that language will not be a problem.

An Active Role for Students
Overseas students soon notice that at Dutch higher education institutions, everyone is expected to do a lot of talking! The traditional situation of a professor lecturing to a large audience plays only a small role in most curricula, only used when explaining basic material or elaborating on exam tasks. The most common form of teaching is the seminar, or working group: under a teacher's supervision, a small group of students analyses a certain problem - and everyone is expected to play an active part. During examinations, students must demonstrate not only that they know the material, but that they have well-founded opinions on the subject.

Internships, or periods of placement in real-world situations, are being incorporated into more Dutch programmes of higher education. A variety of programmes are being established in which, for example, foreign language study is combined with business studies and social sciences. Higher education institutions are increasingly taking into account the needs and wishes of society, making programmes more career-oriented.

Independent Choices
Enrollment in a Dutch programme of higher education means focusing on hard work and independence. Because courses are imparting factual knowledge together with insight and creativity, it is not enough just to memorize the required material. Sometimes students are asked to put together their own reading list for an exam, which they then submit for a lecturer's approval. A student who can explain how a particular elective subject is relevant to their programme will also be permitted to take the subject. In the midst of the many options and mountains of literature, an inexperienced student can easily get lost. Fortunately, the teaching staff is there to help make the choices easier!

Universities and hogescholen
The starting level of Dutch higher education is high, and the academic year is long, starting at the end of August and ending in mid-June. Programmes require 40 hours of study per week, including contact hours and independent work. However, quality of university is believed to be the same throughout the Netherlands, so it is the degree that matters, not the institution or hogescholen. Courses offered include management studies, agricultural sciences, astronomy, medicine, civil engineering, remote sensing and the arts.

The Netherlands has 13 universities, with the oldest being Leiden University, established in 1575, a gift from Prince William of Orange, founder of the Dutch republic. The University of Maastricht is the newest university, dating from 1976; the universities of Amsterdam and Utrecht are the largest, with around 22,000 students each, although average enrolment is 12,000. Alongside the traditional institutions is the Open University, offering distance education at university and hogeschool level.

Degrees and Titles
The doctorate is the highest degree awarded, with only one degree preceding this, the doctoraal. Graduates of doctoraal programmes may use the title ingenieur (ir), for engineers, meester (mr), for those studying law, or doctorandus (drs), for all other courses. Graduates can also use the internationally recognised term, 'Master'. University titles are legally protected in the Netherlands, conferred only by recognized institutions that meet the correct standards. The nearest equivalent to a doctoraal degree are the master's degree in Britain, the Diplom in Germany, and the Maîtrise/DEA in France.

Most academic careers end with the doctoraal, but there are many opportunities for further study, including post-doctoraal training that leads to the doctorate, the highest academic degree in the Netherlands. Candidates conduct independent research and report the results in a dissertation, which must be publicly defended. If successful, they may use the title doctor (comparable to a British PhD). For foreign students with a degree equivalent to a doctoraal, universities offer the possibility of obtaining the doctor's degree immediately.

Higher Professional Education (HBO)
Higher professional education, or Hoger Beroeps Onderwijs (HBO), is practice-oriented, preparing students for professions that require scientific knowledge as well as applied skills. There are around 60 hogeschool, enrolling a total of some 275,000 students, and generally with ties to industries and organizations that employ their graduates. Hogescholen tend to be regional in character, often interacting with Chambers of Commerce and local industry through regional networks. There are a variety of full and part-time courses, including agriculture, health care, engineering and technology, fine and performing arts, economics and management, and education.

An HBO programme consists of a foundation phase, the propadeuse, that introduces the basic subjects in a field, orienting students to a particular profession. They then move on to a main phase, exploring the field in greater depth, choosing a specialization, and often putting together their own combination of subjects. An essential component is internship or work placement, through which students acquire practical experience in real work situations. This generally occupies a large portion of the third year, while the fourth year is taken up by an individual project and thesis, which also usually involves solving a real problem in a professional setting.

HBO graduates may use the title baccalaureus (bc), although in engineering the title is ingenieur (ing). Dutch HBO graduates also have the right to use the internationally more familiar title of Bachelor. Like university titles, HBO titles are protected by law, conferred only be recognized institutions.

Advanced programmes are available in virtually all sectors of HBO, lasting anywhere between two weeks and two years. Some lead to postgraduate diplomas, some to accredited master's degrees, the latter often conferred in cooperation with a British University.

Overseas Students in the Netherlands

For foreign students, there are very few Dutch scholarships available. Instead, paid positions are made available for a maximum of four years, advertised as with normal jobs - in newspaper and via colleagues. However, there is no central register of such positions, so you must make your own inquiries.

A growing number of Dutch university departments are making special efforts to accommodate doctoral candidates from overseas. For example, foreign students can earn a doctor's degree using the 'sandwich model': they prepare their research projects at the Dutch university, conduct fieldwork in their own countries, then return to the Netherlands to write up and defend their dissertations, and receive their degree.

Several international student associations are very active in the Netherlands. They aim to help integrate foreign students into the host society, as well as providing practical information and organizing conferences, lectures and excursions. For further information, please contact one of the following:

NUFFIC
PO Box 29777
2502 LT The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)70-4260200
Fax: +31 (0)70-4260399
Email: nuffic@nuffic.nl
http://www.nuffic.nl

Erasmus Student Network
PO Box 15177
3501 BD Utrecht
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)30-2533828
Fax: +31 (0)30-2538775
Email: esn@pobox.ruu.nl
http://www.esn.org

Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe (AEGEE)
PO Box 10970
1001 EZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)20-5252496
Fax: +31 (0)20-4445611
Email: aegee@mail.uva.nl
http://www.studentsupport.nl/aegee

Author
Clare Coles
In cooperation with NUFFIC, the Netherlands organization for international cooperation in higher education.