bachelor's and professional master's degrees in Netherlands
The Netherlands has compulsory education from age 5 to 18 (or 16 as a study is completed which has given the student adequate professional skills to start as a professional in the labour market).
Pupils attend primary or elementary school from age 4 to age 12. After that they will continue their education at high school minimally until the age of 16; which indicates one of three tracks in the Dutch educational system.
The vocational track starts with VMBO, which is seen as the lowest level of secondary education and lasts four years. Successfully completing VMBO results in a low level vocational degree and/or gives access to higher (secondary) levels vocational education. Completion of second level vocational education results in professional skills, and gives access to further study a university of applied science.
The medium level HAVO lasts five years. After completion a student can attend a university of applied science, which award professional bachelor's and professional master's degrees. A degree at a university of applied science gives access to the university system.
The highest level of high school education is VWO, which lasts six years, completion of which allows students to attend a university. University consists of a three year bachelor's degrees, followed by one or two year master's degrees. A master's degree is required to start a four year doctoral degree. Doctoral candidates in the Netherlands are often (temporary) employees of a university.
Higher education in the Netherlands is offered at two types of institutions: research universities (universiteiten; WO) and universities of professional education (hogescholen; HBO). The former comprise general universities and universities specialising in engineering and agriculture. The latter comprise general institutions and institutions specialising in a particular field, such as agriculture, fine and performing arts, or teacher training.
Since September 2002, the higher education system in the Netherlands has been organised around a three-cycle system consisting of Bachelor's, Master's and PhD degrees. At the same time, the ECTS credit system was adopted as a way of quantifying periods of study. The higher education system continues, however, to be a binary system with a distinction between research-oriented education and professional higher education.
The Netherlands has compulsory education from age 5 to 18 (or 16 as a study is completed which has given the student adequate professional skills to start as a professional in the labour market).Pupils attend primary or elementary school from age 4 to age 12. After that they will continue their education at high school minimally until the age of 16; which indicates one of three tracks in the Dutch educational system.
The vocational track starts with VMBO, which is seen as the lowest level of secondary education and lasts four years. Successfully completing VMBO results in a low level vocational degree and/or gives access to higher (secondary) levels vocational education. Completion of second level vocational education results in professional skills, and gives access to further study a university of applied science.
The medium level HAVO lasts five years. After completion a student can attend a university of applied science, which award professional bachelor's and professional master's degrees. A degree at a university of applied science gives access to the university system.
The highest level of high school education is VWO, which lasts six years, completion of which allows students to attend a university. University consists of a three year bachelor's degrees, followed by one or two year master's degrees. A master's degree is required to start a four year doctoral degree. Doctoral candidates in the Netherlands are often (temporary) employees of a university.
Higher education in the Netherlands is offered at two types of institutions: research universities (universiteiten; WO) and universities of professional education (hogescholen; HBO). The former comprise general universities and universities specialising in engineering and agriculture. The latter comprise general institutions and institutions specialising in a particular field, such as agriculture, fine and performing arts, or teacher training.
Since September 2002, the higher education system in the Netherlands has been organised around a three-cycle system consisting of Bachelor's, Master's and PhD degrees. At the same time, the ECTS credit system was adopted as a way of quantifying periods of study. The higher education system continues, however, to be a binary system with a distinction between research-oriented education and professional higher education.
