The Dutch system of vocational and higher education
It is more common these days to continue your higher education abroad. If you have completed your secondary schooling in an international school, within or outside the Netherlands, the ACCESS Guide "Studying in the Netherlands" will help you find information about the Dutch vocational and higher education system, together with a brief description.
Having successfully completed a secondary school education you have the following options:
- Secondary vocational education (MBO)
- Third level vocational education, college (HBO) or so called universities of applied science
- MBO (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs) This is a senior secondary educational course taking from one to four years
Useful websites with English options unless stated
www.nlnrp.nl (vocational education)
www.mboraad.nl/?category/126232/english.aspx
www.roc.nl (Dutch website)
www.rijksoverheid.nl/#ref-minoc
www.nuffic.nl/international-students
www.studyin.nl (database with higher education courses in English and other useful information)
www.nuffic.nl/international-students/dutch-higher-education/search-international-study-programmes/ispac_search_form (database of English courses and universities)
www.nuffic.nl/international-organizations/dutch-higher-education/universities
masters.qompas.nl/en (database for Masters Courses)
www.netherlands-embassy.org.uk/culture/index.php?i=217
Other useful websites
These three websites are in Dutch but give links to all universities and colleges, with most of them having English options:
http://universiteiten.startpagina.nl/
Studying in the Netherlands
It is always an emotional moment for international students when they bid farewell to their family and move to a foreign country, and there are usually some difficulties at the beginning.
In the ACCESS guide "Studying in the Netherlands", we present some essential information for international students concerning housing, financial matters and working in the Netherlands.