Quality assurance | Education

Higher education in the Netherlands enjoys a worldwide reputation for high quality. This is achieved through a national system of regulation and quality assurance. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) is responsible for legislation pertaining to education.

The quality of education at the University of Twente is assessed both internally and externally. Internal quality assurance is organised through dedicated committees and periodic evaluations with students and staff, at the level of courses, programmes and faculties. Externally, the institution as a whole and all programmes are assessed by the national accreditation organisation (NVAO) and for some programmes also by accreditation organisations specific to the field of study.

External Quality assurance

Accreditation

The degrees awarded by the University of Twente are formally recognised by the Ministry of OCW, based on accreditation of the programmes by the Netherlands-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO), and are listed in the Central Register of Higher Education Programmes (RIO).

M-GEO

In September 2020, the most recent site visit for re-accreditation took place, with a positive outcome. The final decision on the re-accreditation by NVAO followed in February 2021. At the end of the site visit, a development dialogue took place between the panel and representatives of the programme. They discussed several topics regarding the future development of the programme.
Reports are available:

The ECA Certificate for Quality in Internationlisation has also been awarded to Spatial Engineering (see below).

A re-accreditation is due before November 2027, which means another site visit is expect in the first half of 2027.

M-SE

In May 2023, the latest site visit for re-accreditation took place, with a positive outcome. The final decision on the re-accreditation by NVAO followed in April 2024. See NVAO website for the decision and assessment report.

Reports:

The ECA Certificate for Quality in Internationlisation has also been awarded to Spatial Engineering (see below).

B-ATLAS

In April 2024, ATLAS had the site visit for re-accreditation, with a positive outcome. The final decision on the re-accreditation by NVAO followed in February 2021.

Reports:

Decision (Dutch only)
Report

See NVAO website for the decision and assessment report. The special feature regaring Small-Scaled and Intensive Education (‘Kleinschalig en intensief onderwijs') was also awarded.

Since a developmental approach was used for the entire re-accreditation, there was no separate development dialogue during the site visit, but there were several round table discussions with students and staff. A summary of the outcomes and take-aways of these discussions is available here.

ECA Certificate for Quality in Programme Internationalisation

The international flavour of the ITC Master’s in Geo-information Science and Earth Observation and Spatial Engineering are highly appreciated by students and external officials alike. To prove the latter, both programmes have been awarded the ECA Cequint Certificate for Quality in Internationalisation, with internationalisation being labelled a “distinctive quality feature”.

Both programmes have been added to the overview of awarded certificates.

Diploma Supplement

THE UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE ISSUES A DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT FOR ITS DEGREE PROGRAMMES.

The Diploma Supplement (DS) is being issued in a widely spoken European language, given automatically and free of charge to every student upon graduation. It is an internationally recognised document attached to the diploma.

WHAT IS A DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT?

The DS gives a detailed description of the holder's qualification(s) and a description of the national education system. One of the main aims of the DS is to ensure a fair and objective academic and professional judgement of your qualifications abroad. It is important to note that the DS is a supplement to, not a replacement of, the diploma.

Code of Conduct

ITC has signed the "Code of Conduct with respect to International Students in Dutch Higher Education". The Code of Conduct is the result of cooperation between all Dutch institutions of higher education, the Dutch Ministries of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), Justice, and Foreign Affairs, commercial learning institutes, and several international organisations that are financed by the Dutch Ministry of OCW. The Code of Conduct came into effect on 1 May 2006.

The Code of Conduct states that institutes must provide clear and up-to-date information on admission procedures, the accreditation status of the programmes, the quality criteria that must be adhered to, and the internal procedures that guarantee this quality, as well as a description of the study programme and its admission requirements.

The educational institution must also detail the services it provides to international students within the framework of obtaining a visa and a residence permit, housing, introduction, informational materials and the related costs.

Internal Quality Assurance

The UT has set up an internal quality assurance system that uses a systematic approach to maintain and improve the quality of education being offered. More detailed procedures and documents from the Faculty ITC are only available via Intranet, see link below.