Monday, December 14, 2009

Minor programmes Netherlands

Major and minor programmes at the RUG
The structure of Bachelor’s degree programmes at the RUG has changed. They now consist of two parts. The main part of the Bachelor’s degree programme will be called Major and will consist of 150 ECTS (= 2½ years). The remaining six months of the Bachelor’s programme will consist of modules that are part of a Minor. Minors are coherent educational programmes of 30 ECTS (= ½ year). They are created in such a way that in principle students can attend these programmes within one semester. The Faculty of Arts uses a somewhat different structure: besides a Major of 120 ECTS students can follow a minor of 30 ECTS at the Faculty of Arts, and next to this are able to fill up a free space of another 30 ECTS. A similar system also applies to the faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. You can consult the faculty for more information.
What kind of Minors are there?
There are two kinds of Minors. Firstly, there are Interfaculty Minors, to which this website refers to. An Interfaculty Minor allows you to become acquainted with a completely different degree programme, usually at a different faculty. It resembles a General Studies Module (AVV), but it takes more time and is more intensive. While there are currently no entry requirements for Interfaculty Minors, this will change. As of 1 September 2010 a propedeuse degree (which you get after succesfully completing the first year of your study) will be a general entry requirement.

You may also decide to specialise further within your field by choosing a Faculty Minor. A Faculty Minor requires previous knowledge of the chosen discipline. Consequently, there are entry requirements. These Minor pages only concerns the Interfaculty Minors. If you want to know if your faculty offers Faculty Minors, please consult the website of your faculty. It is not yet certain how many Faculty Minors will be offered.
For who?
Almost all faculties work with the Major/Minor system as of 1 september 2009. Only the Faculty of Medical Sciences does not participate. At the Faculty of Law you have to follow a so called 'free bachelor' to be able to do a Minor. And the students of the Faculty of Spatial Sciences will transfer fully to the new structure in the academic year of 2010/2011. Also there are certain studies that have a so called 'civil effect', like Medical Pedagogy ('Orthopedagogiek') and Medical Science, that can deviate from the central structure for the Minors. You can get more information on this at your own study.
Compulsory?
Students at faculties that introduce the Major/Minor structure are, obviously, obliged to fill up the space that their Bachelor’s programme has allocated for Minors. You may take these 30 ECTS abroad within the context of internationalization and you may choose your own combination of modules. In both cases, you will need permission from the Board of Examiners of your degree programme, so remember to consult your study advisor in good time!
When?
In principle, you take a Minor in the first semester of your third year. Because all faculties plan their Minors at this stage, it is easy for students to take a Minor at a different faculty (since there is no need to take their timetables into account). Moreover, those who take a Minor abroad can do so in this semester.
How to choose
Choosing a Minor is quite difficult. The university will provide good information in order to help students select a Minor. Students will be informed about the possibilities concerning Minors in three ways. Besides this Minor website there is a printed Minor brochure that has been spread throughout the university. You can collect this brochure at your study advisor or at the educational bureau at your faculty/study. On Friday 24 April 2009 there will be a Minor market in the Academy building ('Academiegebouw'). From 11.00 - 13.00 you can meet the people who are responsible for all the different Minors and ask them all of your questions. The faculty is responsible for providing information on the Faculty Minors (see link). It is not yet certain how many Faculty Minors will be offered.
Registration
Once you have made a choice, you will have to register for a Minor using Progress. The registration period will start on 24 April 2009, the day of the Minor Market, and is open untill 15 June 2009. Sometimes you can register after that date - but before 1 September 2009 - if there is space left and the Minor will indeed take place. In this case please contact the minorcoördinator of the specific minor.
If a lot of students want to follow a particular Minor it may be possible that the university will use a selection procedure. Students that are not selected to follow this Minor will hear this before 1 July 2009. These students will get the opportunity to register for another Minor until 15 July 2009.
Wrong choice? If you have made the wrong choice and you discover this within three weeks, you can begin another Minor in the same semester, provided that you arrange this quickly (by contacting the co-ordinator of the new Minor). If you discover later in the semester that you have made the wrong choice, you will have to wait until the next academic year.
Minor and AVV
In September 2008, the first Minor students will be studying at the RUG, but Minor programmes will not be available or compulsory in all faculties by then. Other faculties will follow suit in the next year. For several years at least, some faculties will require their students to take a General Studies Module (AVV). For that reason, the General Studies Modules will continue to be offered for at least another three years (until 1 September 2010), but will gradually be replaced by Minor modules.
Not a RuG-student? The RuG-Minors are meant for RuG-students. They are also open to students of sifferent research universities - please contact the Central Service Desk, tel. 050 363 8004. The Minor programmes are not meant for students at professional universities (HBO). They only have acces if they are in the possession of a HBO Bachelor's degree.
Read more about: www.study-netherlands.info

1 comment:

  1. I am so relieved I finally admitted that I needed help and decided to use a Phd dissertation writing service.
    I received a pass with Distinction on it and graduated with honors. Without help from https://netherlands.thesiswritingservice.com/,
    this would never have happened. Their service always superb!

    ReplyDelete