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Transnational education (programmes abroad)

Dutch higher education institutions may provide programmes abroad (transnational education) (Dutch Bulletin of Acts, Orders, and Decrees 2018-152). Following approval, they may confer Dutch degrees upon completion of such programmes abroad.

General info

The point of departure is that the programme abroad is largely equal to an existing programme that has already been accredited in the Netherlands.

The Minister of Education, Culture and Science decides on the (first) application and may solicit advice from NVAO to this end. NVAO has developed a protocol for the quality assessment of programmes abroad, which addresses the (component of the) advice to be provided to the Minister (i.e., NVAO does not take a decision). As a rule, in addition to soliciting advice from NVAO, the Minister will also solicit advice from the Education Inspectorate. Following receipt of the recommendations, the Minister will decide on the application.

Any re-assessment will be incorporated into a regular accreditation procedure for existing programmes, with explicit attention being focused on the annexe abroad.

Information page on the website of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science regarding the provision of programmes abroad.

Steps

1

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION

Applications are assessed on the basis of the regular NVAO assessment frameworks. The assessment of the intended learning outcomes and the curricul...
Applications are assessed on the basis of the regular NVAO assessment frameworks. The assessment of the intended learning outcomes and the curriculum content will be based on the programme provided and accredited in the Netherlands. Any differences must be specified in the application and will be covered in the assessment. Useful documents are: the Self-Evaluation Report of the programme accredited in the Netherlands, updated and supplemented with the programme abroad, with explicit additional information on the elements to be assessed (see protocol); the curricula of the Dutch programme and the annexe; information on enrolment procedures, selection if any, and level guarantees; documents pertaining to the annexe; the Teaching and Examination Regulations with a paragraph on the annexe.
2

PANEL

The assessment is conducted by an independent panel to be convened by NVAO, whose members are familiar with the discipline and preferably with tran...
The assessment is conducted by an independent panel to be convened by NVAO, whose members are familiar with the discipline and preferably with transnational education and the region in which the annexe will be set up. One or two members of the panel that has conducted the assessment of the Dutch programme may be invited to sit on the new panel.
3

DECISION BY NVAO

NVAO submits a positive or negative advice to the Minister of Education, Culture and Science. In its advice, NVAO may include substantive recommend...
NVAO submits a positive or negative advice to the Minister of Education, Culture and Science. In its advice, NVAO may include substantive recommendations and conditions. In the event that NVAO cannot come to a conclusion, the advice to the Minister will be negative. Applications without a site visit outside the Netherlands can be completed within three months. Depending on the site visit, this timeframe will be extended to six months.

Rates

If a site visit outside the Netherlands is required, the costs for the initial assessment of a transnational programme in 2026 are comparable to those for the accreditation of a new programme and amount to €25,717.

Different rates apply to other or alternative procedures. Costs related to international site visits or the deployment of external experts, advisory services, or additional requirements are invoiced separately.

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    Protocol for the Assessment of Transnational Education

    Contact person

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    Infodesk Team Nederland

    Appeal procedure

    In the Netherlands and Flanders, the board of an institution may appeal a (draft) NVAO decision.

    More information