Welkom/Welcome!
So, you've decided you (may) want to study in the Netherlands, perhaps as part of your degree on an exchange programme, or maybe you're planning to do a full degree here.
In this forum (and this thread in particular) you'll be able to ask us everything you want to know about studying at a university in the Netherlands and living here as an international student. We (FOK! crew) cannot guarantee you the answers to those questions will be correct or perhaps sometimes people will simply not know and will tell you so, but, it's a start! So always double check with your school of choice once you've made a decision to double check with them, for example about the costs involved, documents you need to send in and the visa you might need.
For most questions you'll be able to contact the international office of the school of your choice, but perhaps, this is one of the first times you went looking for some information, so if you need a little help on where to start your journey, this is the place for you.
Where to go?
There are a lot of things to consider, of course, when deciding on which school you want to go to. You can get a lot of information from their websites (see below) and of course rankings can be a guiding force in your search of where to go. Next to this, of course, there's also the city or town to consider, because it would be nice if, next to completing your studies, you also feel at home where you live. There is a massive difference between university life in Groningen as opposed to Amsterdam, for example. So if you have the chance to visit before you decide, go and do a tour of the universities that are on the top of your list. The great thing about the Netherlands being not the largest country out there is that you can get around a few universities over the course of a week(end)! If not, visit the website of the city/town as well as the university, and see what's on offer in terms of nightlife, cultural sites and perhaps you're more of a nature dweller. Get your read on!
Levels of higher education in the Netherlands
There are a lot of 'hbo' schools out there in the Netherlands that call themselves 'University of Applied Sciences' or sometimes just 'University', with a lot of larger towns and cities offering at least one option, but academic universities aren't that widespread. Where in other countries there is less of a difference between universities and universities of applied sciences and the courses they offer, there is a significant difference here, as the 'hbo' aims to prepare people for employment, whereas universities are aimed at academic / research development. This does not make the one 'better' than the other, they mostly have a different focus and course set-up. For Dutch people the difference is that you can only go to an academic university after doing an extra year at a higher level of secondary education, after obtaining a pass on the first year of you 'hbo degree' (and perhaps some additional certificates) or what is called a Colloquium Doctum, a test that people over 21 can take to grant them access to a specific academic course.
For more information on the Dutch School System, have a look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Netherlands.
In practice, for non-Dutchies, this means that you have to be careful of where you start looking for the degree and/or subject of your choice, because you might not find it in the place you'd expect it, or you might get confused because of multiple options. For example, in the UK, nursing is a university degree. In the Netherlands you'll find it at a 'hbo school'/university of applied sciences. On the other hand, some courses are offered on both levels, with the academic university course being considered the most difficult of the two, and will have stricter/higher entry levels. One example here might be Computer Science and the hbo version 'hbo Computer Science'.
I will, in the near future, also open a thread on 'hbo schools', but in order to keep it a bit contained and clear, I'll focus on just the main universities here.
The main universities in the Netherlands are (linking to the English pages):
• Radboud University Nijmegen
• Wageningen University
• University of Groningen
• Maastricht University
• University of Technology Eindhoven
• Tilburg University
• Universiteit van Amsterdam
• VU Amsterdam
• University of Twente (Enschede)
• Universiteit Utrecht
• Delft University of Technology
• Universiteit Leiden
• Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
There are also some specialist Universities such as:
• Theological University Apeldoorn
• Catholic Theological University
• Nyenrode Business University
I'll leave it at this for now, any questions, just ask.
[ Bericht 0% gewijzigd door motorbloempje op 04-01-2016 18:49:56 ]
Edit: Fixed already I see.
[ Bericht 52% gewijzigd door Rezania op 04-01-2016 18:32:54 ]
What do you mean by that? Can we get the same job with both diploma?quote:Op maandag 4 januari 2016 17:39 schreef motorbloempje het volgende:
On the other hand, some courses are offered on both levels, with the academic university course being considered the most difficult of the two, and will have stricter/higher entry levels. One example here might be Computer Science and the hbo version 'hbo Computer Science'.
What do you recommend for Computer Science for example (Hogescholen or Universiteit)?
Do the universities are easy to access for a foreigner? If so, what is the minimum level? If it depend of the courses, which are the most and the less courses requested?
It will depend on your background in your home country, and the type of courses you have done there, where you will fit in. The faculty staff of your desired degree will have an idea of whether your background and experiences will fit within the one or the other, but, again, that is depending on the institution, faculty and specific course you want to apply for. I could not 'recommend' anything on the basis, of, well, nothing
It all depends on what your end game is, as well as what your 'level' is, so to speak, what are you capable of in terms of education, as in general universities require more academic, and a different kind of, thinking than hogescholen. Academic vs. practical knowledge, again. So say you would be interested in doing 'something with computers', it would be worth it talking to someone at a university and a hogeschool, just to see what the courses are like and where they could take you. I do believe that academic universities are attracting more international students than hogescholen, and therefore they often have a very good international office and support network for their international students.
First of all, did you just successfully passed your baccalauréat or have you already obtained a degree from a higher education institute in France? The option of studying in the Netherlands as a foreign student immediately after obtaining your high school degree sounds a bit odd to me. Or at least I'm not familiar with such a study path. A far more common time and decision for foreign students to study in the Netherlands, is after finishing their Bachelor degree in their home country, which means that in the Netherlands they would likely follow post grad education (i.e. for a Master degree). Of course an Erasmus exchange during their Bachelor phase would be possible as well.quote:
[..]
What do you mean by that? Can we get the same job with both diploma?
What do you recommend for Computer Science for example (Hogescholen or Universiteit)?
Do the universities are easy to access for a foreigner? If so, what is the minimum level? If it depend of the courses, which are the most and the less courses requested?
Correct me if I am wrong, but as far as I know, the private institutes (Grandes écoles) in France are more reputable than the public universities. Am I right? This is not the case in the Netherlands, since almost all higher education institutes in the Netherlands are public. The only difference is between hogescholen and universities (listed here as "main universities", which is outlined by Motorbloempje.
With regards to your question concerning minimum requirements, I recommend you to take a look at the websites of an university and check the "admission and application" for your specific study. For instance for computing science at Utrecht University, you have to consider this webpage in order to find out whether you are admissible concerning your previous education: http://www.uu.nl/masters/(...)d-application/eu/ndu
If you intent to pursue a masters degree (post grad), than your choice would likely to be a research university since a hogeschool hardly offers any post grad education.
Be aware that a hogeschool should not be translated as a Grande école. A hogeschool is very similar to a Haute école in Belgium. I am not quite familiar with the French secondary education system, but if you obtained a BEP or CAP degree or any other professional secondary degree, I guess that you are only able to enroll to a hogeschool, not to an academic / research university.
If you intent to do an Erasmus exchange than you can check whether your university has listed any Dutch education institutes on their webpage. Or you can look the other way around and check out which French education institutes are listed on the webpages of Dutch universities or hogescholen and are part of Erasmus. For instance, at https://www.wageningenur.(...)-sorted-by-study.htm or http://www.uu.nl/sites/de(...)iversities_study.pdf, just to show two Dutch academic / research universities who listed their French partner universities or Grandes écoles, sorted by study program.
[ Bericht 0% gewijzigd door krulbrul op 06-01-2016 18:15:14 ]
Well, I'm in my last year of High School, so right now I have nothing, I'll pass it in June but will submit my wishes on Studielink at the same time than in "Admission Post-Bac" so around February and pass my IELTS in March.quote:
First of all, did you just successfully passed your baccalauréat or have you already obtained a degree from a higher education institute in France? The option of studying in the Netherlands as a foreign student immediately after obtaining your high school degree sounds a bit odd to me.
I prefer do all my post-bac study in a foreign country, and I don't want take an Erasmus, I'll have no time to learn your languagequote:
A far more common time and decision for foreign students to study in the Netherlands, is after finishing their Bachelor degree in their home country, which means that in the Netherlands they would likely follow post grad education (i.e. for a Master degree).
(and 4 years or 5, I guess that is enough)Well, that's depends totally. We have a lot of Business Schools which are almost all private, and "Écoles d'ingénieurs / Grandes Écoles" which are mainly public as universities. But yes, we have also a lot of very famous "Écoles d'ingénieurs" private.quote:
Correct me if I am wrong, but as far as I know, the private institutes (Grandes écoles) in France are more reputable than the public universities. Am I right?
I'm doing a Terminale S (Scientifique), so not problem with thatquote:
but if you obtained a BEP or CAP degree or any other professional secondary degree,
That's why I hesitate, I can apply in both, but if I do in a Hogescholen it is like if I've lost a year.
And I know that the HBO level is lower (well, I mean different) than level acquired in Universities ; but for Computer Science (I want be developer / software architect) I don't know if it's matter a lot.
I already have make a list of schools to apply, so there is UT (Enschede), Tu/e (Eindhoven), Fontys (Venlo), Saxion (Enschede) and Stenden (Emmen). What do you think?
Anyways, thanks for all you answers
[ Bericht 1% gewijzigd door #ANONIEM op 07-01-2016 19:47:22 (No need to have an image) ]
https://www.epnuffic.nl/e(...)gn-education-systems
https://www.epnuffic.nl/e(...)-the-netherlands.pdf
Especially the difference between statutory tuition fees ("wettelijk collegegeld") and Institutional tuition fees ("instellingsgeld"). There's a huge difference in the amount off money between those two and I know multiple people who come to study here on their (second) Dutch nationality even if they are "officially" from outside of the European Union.
And regarding the international students on hbo, it really depends on the city. Around the German border (Heerlen, Enschede) and in Amsterdam for example, the institutions offer more international courses for multiple reasons. But this is the university topic.
Never go to fontys.quote:
[..]
Well, I'm in my last year of High School, so right now I have nothing, I'll pass it in June but will submit my wishes on Studielink at the same time than in "Admission Post-Bac" so around February and pass my IELTS in March.
[..]
I prefer do all my post-bac study in a foreign country, and I don't want take an Erasmus, I'll have no time to learn your language
[..]
Well, that's depends totally. We have a lot of Business Schools which are almost all private, and "Écoles d'ingénieurs / Grandes Écoles" which are mainly public as universities. But yes, we have also a lot of very famous "Écoles d'ingénieurs" private.
[..]
I'm doing a Terminale S (Scientifique), so not problem with that
That's why I hesitate, I can apply in both, but if I do in a Hogescholen it is like if I've lost a year.
And I know that the HBO level is lower (well, I mean different) than level acquired in Universities ; but for Computer Science (I want be developer / software architect) I don't know if it's matter a lot.
I already have make a list of schools to apply, so there is UT (Enschede), Tu/e (Eindhoven), Fontys (Venlo), Saxion (Enschede) and Stenden (Emmen). What do you think?
Anyways, thanks for all you answers
Uh. can you explain?quote:
Op When should I use Studielink? Can I make my wishes whenever I want (before the deadline), example right now? Done.quote:
that is depending on the institution, faculty and specific course you want to apply for.
[ Bericht 36% gewijzigd door #ANONIEM op 13-01-2016 16:04:15 ]
There's a huge difference between hbo and research universities. If your aiming for software architect positions, you should definitely choose the academic track. Most job descriptions for software architect ask specifically for a background in academic schooling. While it is possible to land a job as software architect in the long run with a hbo background, if you are just that good, it doesn't make sense to skimp on your education now and work your way up later on and prove your worth on the job with a not so ideal background.quote:
And I know that the HBO level is lower (well, I mean different) than level acquired in Universities ; but for Computer Science (I want be developer / software architect) I don't know if it's matter a lot.
[ Bericht 0% gewijzigd door wiskundenoob op 13-01-2016 13:46:04 ]
Yes, everyone say that, but what is THAT huge difference between both, that everyone know but nobody tell... And I've always thought that in computing only experience which matter was the level and not the diploma, is it no more true?quote:
There's a huge difference between hbo and research universities.
At hbo you will learn how to work with a tool at a level you can explain it to someone else, on a university you will learn to make the tool from scratch and to find a way to improve it.quote:
[..]
Yes, everyone say that, but what is THAT huge difference between both, that everyone know but nobody tell...
Oh! Okay... I'll choose university if I canquote:
[..]
At hbo you will learn how to work with a tool at a level you can explain it to someone else, on a university you will learn to make the tool from scratch and to find a way to improve it.
THANKS.[ Bericht 0% gewijzigd door #ANONIEM op 15-01-2016 17:36:54 ]