Minors at VU Amsterdam

The Faculty of Dentistry (ACTA) does not offer any minors.

Minors of the Faculty of Science (BETA)

Minors of the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences (FBMS)

For minors of the bachelor's programmes Pedagogical Sciences, Movement Sciences and Psychology you do not need to request permission from the Examination Board.

Minors of the School of Humanities (SH)

You can fill in your elective space with an SH minor (provided that none of the courses of the minor are part of your regular courses) or university minor without permission of the Examination Board. For other minors, you must first request permission from the Examination Board.

In a minor, you follow a set program of courses of 30 credits. If you did not pass one or more courses of your minor and you want the minor's endorsement on your diploma supplement, you can choose to resit the course the following academic year. You can also choose to fill in missed credits with elective courses (for example, in period 4, 5 and/or 6). You will then not receive the endorsement 'minor' on your diploma supplement. Ask your Examination Board for permission in advance to include these electives in your program. 

If a course from a minor is already part of your regular courses, you cannot take this minor (in full), because courses cannot be counted twice. In that case, ask permission from the Examination Board to complete your elective space.

Note: For courses taken in the elective space, the requirement is that a minimum of 12 EC must be at “level 300” (advanced level). Language and educational minors are excluded from the rule that they must consist of at least two courses at level 300.

Minors of the School of Religion and Theology (SRT)

You can fill in your elective space with an SRT minor (provided that none of the courses of the minor are part of your regular courses) or university minor without permission of the Examination Board. For other minors, you must first request permission from the Examination Board.

In a minor, you follow a set program of courses of 30 credits. If you did not pass one or more courses of your minor and you want the minor's endorsement on your diploma supplement, you can choose to resit the course the following academic year. You can also choose to fill in missed credits with elective courses (for example, in period 4, 5 and/or 6). You will then not receive the endorsement 'minor' on your diploma supplement. Ask your Examination Board for permission in advance to include these electives in your program. 

If a course from a minor is already part of your regular courses, you cannot take this minor (in full), because courses cannot be counted twice. In that case, ask permission from the Examination Board to complete your elective space.

Note: For courses taken in the elective space, the requirement is that a minimum of 12 EC must be at “level 300” (advanced level).

Minors of the School of Social Sciences (SSC)

When you choose for a minor, you follow a 30 credits programme with fixed courses on one subject. This can be within the School of Social Sciences, at another VU Amsterdam faculty or at another university.

All students who are going to fill in their elective space must meet the requirement that at least 12 ECTS are courses of “level 300” (advanced level).

If a certain course from the faculty minor is already part of your regular courses, you will not be able to (completely) follow this minor as courses cannot be counted twice. In that case, ask the Examination Board for permission to fill your elective space.

You can fill in your elective space without permission from the Examination Board with a SSC-minor (if none of the courses of the minor are part of your regular courses) or university minor. For other minors you must first request permission from the Examination Board.

Minors of the Faculty of Medicine (MED)

The minors of the bachelor's programme of Medicine focus on medical scientific deepening and broadening and the translational connection between research and clinic. The aim is to strengthen academic and scientific education within the clinical context. As a result, you will be better prepared for current developments in healthcare. In light of internationalisation and the reinforcement of academic training, the minors are taught in English. Please mind that in some minors certain components (e.g. patient presentations) will be taught in Dutch.

The minors Challenges in Women's & Child Healthcare, Clinical & Scientific Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Care and Anatomy and Global Health Indonesia are only open to Medicine students of VU Amsterdam.

The minors at the Faculty of Medicine start in September, last 16 weeks and comprise a total of 24 EC. Teaching is small-scale and consists of interactive tutorials of +/- 25-48 students, study groups of approximately 12 students, practicals and working visits. Each minor is multidisciplinary in scope. You can complete your minor in January with a literature essay (6 EC) to make it 30 EC.

For more information see the web page International Minors in Medicine (electives/exchange).

Minors of the Faculty of Law (LAW)

In principle, a minor which is to be included in a bachelor's programme of the faculty of Law must meet the following level requirements:

• maximum of 1 course (or 6 EC) on level 100; and
• minimum of 2 courses (or 12 EC) on level 300.

For VU minor courses the level is mentioned in the Study Guide. For more information see the OER of your programme.

Completing a specific minor is not a requirement for admission to the master's programmes of the Faculty of Law, except for the master's programme in Tax Law. For this master you must have successfully completed the Business Economics courses (9 EC) and a Tax Law course (6 EC) of the minor Tax Law. 

Minors of the School of Business and Economics (SBE)