The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democracy organized as a unitary state. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland. The country is situated in the west of Europe and borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and the North Sea to the north and west.
From Holland, many European capitals are within easy reach.Netherlands has the ninth-highest per capita income in the world. The country is host to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and five international courts. The first four are situated in The Hague, as is the EU’s criminal intelligence agency Europol and judicial co-operation agency Eurojust. This has led to the city being dubbed “the world’s legal capital”.
In May 2011, the Netherlands was ranked as the “happiest” country according to results published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Today, the Netherlands is regarded as a liberal country, considering its drug policy and its legalisation of euthanasia.
The Netherlands has a moderate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters.The number of sunshine hours is affected by the fact that due to the geographical latitude the length of the days varies between barely 8 hours in December and nearly 17 hours in June.
Although a small country in size, Holland has a big international presence. It is the 21st largest economy in the world. Some of the world’s big multinationals, including Philips, Heineken, KLM, Shell, ING Bank and Unilever, are Dutch.
In addition, companies such as Sony, Sara Lee and Microsoft all have their European headquarters in Holland.
STUDIES IN NETHERLAND
HIGH QUALITY IN AN INTERNATIONAL SETTING
Higher education in Holland is known for its high quality and its international study environment. It has the largest offer of English-taught programmes in continental Europe.Dutch higher education has a binary system, which means that you can choose between two types of education,
Research-oriented education, offered by research universities
At a research university you will focus more on research-oriented work, which could be either in an academic or in a professional setting
Higher professional education, offered by universities of applied sciences
At a university of applied sciences you can choose a professional programme in the applied arts and sciences, to prepare you for a specific career. Both research universities and universities of applied sciences can award a bachelor’s or a master’s degree
EARN A QUALITY DEGREE AT A COMPARATIVELY LOW COST
Life in Holland is not expensive compared with English-speaking countries, and tuition fees are relatively low. With the renowned quality of education and the comparatively low cost of living, studying in Holland will give you true value for money. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings put the Dutch higher education system in 3rd place in a measurement referred to as the ‘best value higher education systems in the world’. You can study
- Bachelor Programmes
- Masters programme
- Diploma
- Short courses
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The main requirement for admission to a bachelor’s programme is a secondary-school diploma at the appropriate level. This level is set by the institution. For admission to a master’s degree programme, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. It is essential that you speak, read and write English well. You must have passed an English language test. IELTS and TOEFL are commonly accepted, but institutions may accept other tests as well.
PREPARATORY YEAR
Sometimes you are not yet eligible to the programme of your choice, but with a little extra preparation you could become eligible. The Dutch higher education institution of your choice can provide you with a conditional letter of acceptance. Dutch immigration law then allows you to come to the Netherlands for a maximum of one year prior to your studies to follow preparatory courses and pass the examinations set by the institution. After you have passed the examinations, the conditional letter of acceptance will be turned into a definite letter of acceptance.
INTAKES
Every September for all the program’s.
SCHOLARSHIPS
There are Scholarship programs available for EU and non EU students.
STUDENT VISA ENTITLEMENT
The students from a country outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland, there are some restrictions if you want to take a job next to your studies. You need a permit and you can only work for a maximum of 10 hours a week or, instead, you can work full-time during the summer months June, July and August. If you are studying at a Dutch host institution and you need to do an internship as part of your study programme, you do not need a work permit.
1-YEAR STAY BACK
After graduation from a Dutch University, foreign students are allowed to spend a period of up to1 yr in the Netherlands in order to find a job as a highly skilled migrant. The Dutch government stimulates international Bachelor’s and Master’s students to start a career in the Netherlands after graduation by offering a residence permit for a search year. This permit is valid for twelve months and gives you free access to the Dutch labour market.
DUTCH DIPLOMA
Once you have received a Dutch diploma, Nuffic can provide a description of its approximate value. The description will give specific information about your study programme and an explanation of the Dutch education system. In addition, the diploma description will provide an indication of which national diploma your diploma compares to. It will provide a clear insight into your degree for your future employer outside Holland, thereby increasing your chances of finding a job. Even if you want to continue your studies in another country, the diploma description will be useful as an overview of your previous education for your education institution.
