4. Education

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Science (MSc) degree programmes at the University of Twente are governed by the Executive and Management Regulations (Article 4) (in Dutch only).

This also applies to the higher professional education (HBO) Master’s degree programme in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation.

The educational activities in every accredited programme at the University of Twente are carried out in compliance with the Education and Examination Regulations (OER), which form an integral part of the programme-specific section of the Students’ Charter.

The BSc is a three-year programme. It is a relatively broad programme with a self-contained first-year (propedeuse) and a degree of specialization in the final year.

Students who successfully complete the programme are awarded the title Bachelor of Science and are entitled to use the letters BSc after their name.

This qualification gives students the opportunity to progress to a Master’s degree programme (MSc) or to enter the job market.

The MSc degree programme may last one or two years. In a small number of cases it make even take three years to complete. Programmes at this level provide greater depth and further specialization in a particular field.

Students who successfully complete the programme are awarded the title Master of Science and are entitled to use the letters MSc after their name.

The Master’s degree programme in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation is a higher professional education programme (HBO) lasting one year (12 months).

The degree programmes begin on 1 September. For the Master’s degree programmes, it is also possible to enrol on 1 February.

Structure of the programmes and language of instruction

The language of instruction for Bachelor’s degree programmes and examinations at the University of Twente is Dutch. There are a number of exceptions: European Studies (Governance); International Business Administration (Management); Advanced Technology, Creative Technology and Elctical Engineering. These programmes are taught in English. The examinations are also in English.

For stipulations and exceptions in this area, we refer you to the Code of Conduct for Languages of Instruction: http://www.utwente.nl/so/studentenbegeleiding/en/regulations/languages/.

The first year of the Bachelor´s programme is structured in such a way that the student can obtain a clear impression of the programme as a whole, with a view to providing an accurate progress evaluation.

At the end of this phase, referral and selection should be possible (WHW Article 7.8 paragraph 5).

The student will receive a binding recommendation. Only for the programmes Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering there will be no binding recommendation in the academic year 2012-2013.

This phase is completed with a final review of the student’s academic record to see whether all the requirements have been met. Students who pass this review receive a certificate and a list of marks from the examination board.

In the last year of the Bachelor’s degree programme, the student can expand the scope of his studies by taking a minor in another subject area or can take an in-depth minor which relates to his own chosen field. Some programmes offer the opportunity to obtain a teaching qualification in a certain subject by taking a minor in education (in accordance with WHW Art. 7.11 paragraph 2c).

The University of Twente offers outstanding students the opportunity to take an honours programme alongside the standard Bachelor’s degree programme.

The Bachelor’s phase ends with a final review of the student’s academic record to see whether all the requirements have been met. Students who pass this review are awarded a Bachelor’s certificate and a diploma supplement by the examination board and, if applicable, an annotation regarding a distinction (cum laude), completion of the honours programme and/or the teaching qualification.

At the University of Twente, the language of instruction at Master’s level is English. This is necessitated by the more specific nature, the structure and the quality of the education provided. The examinations are in English, unless the specific nature, organization or quality of the teaching or the position of the student provide a valid reason to administer a certain examination in Dutch.

For further stipulations in this area, we refer you to the Code of Conduct for Languages of Instruction: http://www.utwente.nl/so/studentenbegeleiding/en/regulations/languages/.

The Master’s degree programme ends with a final review of the student’s academic record to see whether all the requirements have been met. Students who pass this review are awarded a Master’s certificate and a diploma supplement by the examination board and, if applicable, an annotation regarding a distinction (cum laude), completion of the honours programme and/or the advanced teaching qualification.

The diploma supplement enables the graduate’s qualifications to be accurately assessed from an international perspective. This document, issued by the University of Twente, is approved by the EU. It contains the graduate’s personal details and a standardized description of the nature, the level, the context and the content of the degree programme he has completed. It also contains a list of the marks obtained (transcript) and lists any special achievements and/or professional qualifications.

On request, the student can obtain a certificate from the University of Twente for the following:

For more information on this subject, click on the following link: http://www.utwente.nl/so/en/.

Timetables

In principle, all accredited educational activities are timetabled per semester in accordance with the academic calendar (annual timetable divided into four teaching periods) and the class timetable with set times each week when courses are taught (http://www.utwente.nl/so/student/onderwijs/roosters/). Timetables are drawn up for each semester and made available through the student portal. The ITC Faculty operates according to its own timetables.

Education and Examination Regulations

The Education and Examination Regulations (OER) contain plenty of information about education and assessment within your study programme. In the regulations, you can find information on matters including:

The Education and Examination Regulations for your programme can be found on the programme website.