Recognition and accreditation status of Dutch educational institutions

Higher education in the Netherlands enjoys a worldwide reputation for its high quality, which is achieved through a national system of regulation and quality assurance.

Check before you enrol

Before you register for a study programme at a higher education institution in the Netherlands, please make sure it is an institution that is recognised by the Dutch authorities and the programme that is offered is accredited by the NVAO. If an institution offers bachelors, masters or other programmes that have NOT been accredited by the NVAO, but by a body in another country, the degrees may be recognised in that country, but NOT in the Netherlands. The information that follows will enable you to check the recognition and accreditation status of institutions and programmes.

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Higher Education

The Dutch higher education system is binary, consisting of research-intensive universities offering bachelors, masters and Ph.D. programmes on the one hand, and universities of applied sciences, offering predominantly professionally oriented bachelors (and some masters) programmes, on the other. Combined, Dutch institutions offer more than 1,560 international study programmes and courses. Most of these are recognised by the Dutch ministry of Education and therefore registered in the Central Register of Higher Education Programmes (CROHO), which is currently only available in Dutch (http://www.ib-groep.nl/zakelijk/ho/croho/raadplegen_croho.asp)

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Accreditation

The institutions are only permitted to offer international students duly accredited degree education. The Dutch Higher Education and Research Act requires that all degree programmes offered by research universities and universities of applied sciences be assessed according to a set of criteria. This is called accreditation. Accreditation in the Netherlands is a “formal and independent decision indicating that an institution or programme meets certain predefined quality standards which, from an international perspective, can be reasonably expected of a bachelors or masters programme.” The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch only) carries out this task (http://www.nvao.net). The NVAO only accredits bachelors and masters programmes. Ph.D. programmes are the responsibility of the individual university and therefore fall outside the scope of the accreditation process.

Higher-level short courses and customised programmes may also be offered to international students. If these are also a recognised element in an accredited bachelors or masters programme, their quality is guaranteed. If the course or customised programme cannot be identified as part of an accredited bachelors or masters programme, the institution must demonstrate the quality of the course or customised programme. Be aware that diplomas from short courses and customised programmes are NOT eligible for legalisation / authentication / certification.

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Legalisation/authentication/certification

The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in the Netherlands (http://english.minocw.nl) is responsible for legislation pertaining to education. Students will be awarded recognised degrees ONLY after completing a recognised degree programme, and only diplomas from recognised programmes will be eligible for legalisation/authentication/certification. For more information, please contact the Agency for International Educational Credential Recognition and Authentication at http://www.ib-groep.nl/International_visitors/Diploma_assessment/Going_abroad/s10_general.asp .

For more information on the Dutch education system please visit Eurydice at: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/eurybase_en.php#netherland .

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Code of Conduct

All Dutch higher education institutions that wish to recruit international students and avail themselves of national scholarship programmes must adhere to the Code of Conduct (http://www.internationalstudy.nl). This Code establishes a series of rules setting a quality standard that the educational programmes offered to international students must meet. In return, the Dutch immigration services simplify, unify and accelerate visa procedures. The Code thus serves as a method of quality assurance for the higher education institutions. An independent commission monitors compliance with the Code. International students and other stakeholders can file complaints with this commission if they believe an institution is contravening the rules set out in the Code of Conduct.

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Study grants, scholarships and more

For more information, about such topics as study grants, scholarships and housing in the Netherlands, please visit http://www.newtoholland.nl/NewToHolland/app/en/home?init=true .

Source: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

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