The study programmes offered at RU include various training forms, throughout the entire study programme. Project learning is an essential part of each study programme: students have to cooperate in small groups and work on a theme or topical issue.
Theory is provided in lectures and seminars, practicals aimed at developing skills, and in the electronic learning environment. In addition, field trips and study tours are included in the curriculum.
Practice
Rotterdam University literally brings in professional practice (‘Outside in’), by using their hands-on experience. From their first year of study students learn how to handle real-life issues, relevant to the Rotterdam region, and how to develop practical and useful solutions. At first, students focus on small, exploratory research projects; as study progresses, projects will be increasingly complex and focused on reality, requiring closer cooperation. During work placements students will further themselves and become increasingly independent.
Full-time study programmes
At Rotterdam University a large number of study programmes, covering six different categories, are offered.
The duration of full-time study programmes is four years. They are designed for students recently graduated from high school (senior general secondary education, havo). A number of programmes allow faster graduation, e.g. for students who have completed specific study programmes (senior secondary vocational education, mbo), or students meeting the vwo admission criteria (vwo: pre-university education). Students are advised to carefully check the admission criteria, which may differ between study programmes.
The admission criteria also include the required profile of incoming students. For students who have not taken all required subjects, remedial programmes are offered, which must be completed with a test. Passing this test is a prerequisite for admission. The test should be completed prior to the start of study programmes; hence, timely registration is required. Please contact the Study Information Office for further information.
Part-time study programmes
Part-time study programmes are primarily designed for people who want to combine their job with a study programme in higher professional education.
These programmes enable a combination of study and a (full-time) job. The subjects included in these study programmes are mostly based on prior experience and learning.
Work-study programmes
In work-study programmes part of your training is combined with a paid job. Most work-study programmes include a 2.5-year theory programme, which is equal to the theory offered in the full-time study programmes. The final part of these study programmes include a combination of theory (1 day a week) and practice (4 days a week) in a job relevant to your study programme.
Some of these programmes enable a combination of theory and practice from the first year of study, e.g. for students entering teaching from another career background.
In these study programmes theoretical subjects and projects are replaced by projects implemented in practice, hence combining theory (2 days a week) and training-on-the-job (3 days a week). Graduation assignments are also carried out during employment. All students taking work-study programmes are offered individual supervision by university and employers’ staff.