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You are here: Home Education Higher Education A guide to higher education in the Netherlands

19/06/2008A guide to higher education in the Netherlands

What you need to know about higher education (HBO, WO) in the Netherlands.

Higher Education
Third-level education, as it is known in the Netherlands, is offered at vocational level (HBO; so-called “professional universities” or hogeschool) and at academic level (WO, university or Universiteit)), in the Dutch language and often also in the English language. Bachelor’s and master’s degrees are available at both HBO and WO institutions but you can only do a PhD at a (WO) university.

There’s a huge range of courses taught in English (around 1,300) and you can see what’s available where on the Nuffic website (www.nuffic.nl) which includes extensive information about the Dutch higher educational system. Institutions are either government-funded or government-approved.

There are also privately financed institutions that are not recognised. The accreditation organisation is NVAO (www.nvao.net).

Higher education


HBO
Around 350,000 students are enrolled at 44 “universities of professional education”  or Hogeschool which provide general courses or specific study in one of seven sectors: agriculture, engineering and technology, economics and business administration, healthcare, fine and performing arts, education/teacher training and social welfare. More information is available at www.hbo-raad.nl.

WO

There are 14 research universities with around 205,000 students involved in intensive academic studies. More information can be found at www.studyin.nl and www.mastersportal.eu, www.vsnu.nl.

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