Higher Education System in Netherlands | Dutch Studies

   Menu

    Dutch Universities   Introduction

Higher Education University Higher Education University2 Higher Education University3

Types of universities

The Dutch higher education system comprises three main types of institutions:


  • 1. Research universities (Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs or WO): You may pursue a Bachelor, Master of PhD degree at these research universities in various fields: economy, human and social sciences, languages and culture, engineering, natural sciences, law and medicine. There are also multidisciplinary programmes. Their main purpose is to endow students with academic and scientific knowledge to further their learning.

  • 2. Universities of applied sciences (Hogescholen BeroepsOnderwijs or HBO)These institutions prepare students for a particular professional field. You may prepare a Bachelor or a Master degree at an HBO in a specific area: economy, business management, healthcare, education, social studies, engineering, applied arts, agriculture, etc. Your in-class curriculum will be shored up by internships, team work and project groups. Upon earning your Bachelor degree, you may start working or decide to pursue a Master degree.

  • 3. International education institutes They offer various types of education including short courses, master's programmes and sometimes PhD programmes. Most of these institutes are part of research universities.

Summary

Type of institution Diploma Duration

Research university (WO)

 Bachelor of Sciences (BSc) 3 years
Bachelor of Arts (BA) 3 years
Master of Sciences (MSc) 1-2 years
Master of Arts (MA) 1-2 years
Master in medical sciences or pharmaceutical studies 3 years
PhD 4 years minimum

University of applied sciences (HBO)

 Bachelor (B) 4 years
Master (M) 1-2 years

International education institute

 Master of Sciences (MSc) 1-2 years
Master of Arts (MA) 1-2 years
PhD 4 years minimum

Dutch academic year

An academic year starts in September and finishes mid-June. It is divided into two semesters during which you will sit two rounds of exams, in December and in June.


Medicine and dentistry

Dentistry: Dentistry is exclusively taught in Dutch. With our trusted partner Tama Online©, we can help you reach the right level of Dutch fluency in the comfort of your own home and pass the required Dutch language exams to be admitted. Dentistry programmes are taught at three Dutch universities over 6 years: 3 years for the Bachelor degree and 3 for the Master of Science degree. You may then pursue further specialisation into orthodontics or maxillofacial surgery over the course of 4 more years.


Medicine: It is possible to study medicine in the Netherlands in English but only partly, for the first three years of your curriculum. Learning Dutch is an absolute must if you commit to this path. All foreign students are required to pass the NT2 Dutch language exam before they can be admitted. To become a General Practitioner, you will be studying for a Bachelor of Science in 3 years, followed by a Master of Science in 3 more years and then take up a full year of training.



Click here to start learning Dutch now!