09 - Netherlands - Organisation of the academic year
Academic Lear
In higher education, the academic year begins on 1 September and ends on 31 August of the following
year.
Weekly timetable and study credits in higher education
Initial education is provided in the form of study programmes – or courses – made up of a number of
units of study, which together form a cohesive entity. The length of higher education courses is defined
in the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW) in terms of the study load, which is expressed in
credits. The system is based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and facilitates
comparison at an international level. A credit is equivalent to 28 hours of study, consisting of lectures,
seminars and tutorials, laboratory work (where applicable) and independent study. As a rule, each
module (unit of study) is worth one or more credits. To convert old-style credits (42 credits per year of
study) into ECTS credits, the number must be multiplied by 1.43. Numbers may be rounded up to
prevent students being disadvantaged.
The academic year lasts 42 weeks (equivalent to 60 credits, or 1,680 hours of study). Most full-time
courses have a study load of 240 credits, which is equivalent to four years of study. The first part of the
course is called the ‘propaedeutic phase’ and consists of 60 credits. This part of the course concludes
with an examination.
The length and timing of lectures in higher education are not laid down by law but are set out by the
administration of the institution in the teaching and examination regulations for that institution.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
EN 
CS
DE
ES
FR
HU
IT
PL
PT
РУ
SK
TR
УК
AR
中文
