Admission Requirements in Netherlands

Admission Requirements

24 Aug 2007

To be admitted to a programme of higher study, foreign students should first contact the institution that offers the programme. The main requirement for admission to a bachelor’s programme is a secondary-school diploma at the appropriate level.

Foreign students must have a diploma judged equivalent to the minimum diploma required. There are also study programmes – in the arts for example – for which institutions set their own additional requirements. For admission to a master’s degree programme, applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. In certain popular fields, the number of places is limited and quotas are set.
 

Language requirements

It is essential for foreign students to be able to speak, read and write English well. Students must have passed an English language test. IELTS and TOEFL are commonly accepted, but institutions may accept other tests as well. The required scores are at least 550 (paper based) or 213 (computer based) for TOEFL. For IELTS a score of at least 6 is required. 

Quality assurance

24 Aug 2007

Higher education in Holland enjoys a worldwide reputation for its high quality. This is achieved through a national system of regulation and quality assurance.

Accreditation and Quality Control

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (www.minocw.nl) is responsible for legislation pertaining to education. See also www.qa-in.nl. Responsibility for accreditation has been allocated to the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (see www.nvao.nl). Students will be awarded recognized degrees only after completing an accredited degree programme. Only degree programmes can be accredited by the NVAO. Accredited programmes will be listed in the Central Register of Higher Education Programmes (CROHO).

Institutions may also offer bachelor’s, master’s or other programmes that have not been accredited by the NVAO, but by a body in another country. For example a master’s programme offered by a Dutch university of professional education, but validated by an accredited British university.

In the database of international programmes and courses the status of each individual programme is indicated by icons.

Accreditation of degree programmes

A degree programme leads to a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree. The system of accreditation in higher education aims to guarantee that study programmes meet the highest standards. The law (the Higher Education and Research Act) requires that all degree programmes offered by universities and universities of professional education be evaluated against a specific set of criteria. Bachelor’s and master’s programmes that meet the criteria are accredited by the NVAO (i.e. officially recognized). PhD programmes are the responsibility of the university concerned and cannot be accredited by the NVAO.

Quality control of specialized courses

A specialized course does not lead to a degree, but to a certificate or diploma. As these courses do not lead to a bachelor’s or master’s degree, they cannot be submitted for accreditation by the NVAO. The fact that a specialized course has not been accredited does not therefore mean that it does not meet quality criteria. The quality of specialized courses that are part of an accredited master’s programme is assured through the accreditation of the main programme. For other types of specialized courses, a procedure is currently being prepared so that institutions are able to declare that the course meets a minimum set of quality criteria.

( http://www.nuffic.nl/international-students/dutch-higher-education/admission-requirements )