ECTS Credit System and Study Hours
A regular semester workload consists of 24 - 30 ECTS. Each ECTS credit is equivalent to 28 study hours. Unlike many other academic systems, ECTS credits include hours spent in class as well as self-study hours spent independently working by yourself outside of the classroom. A course that is worth 6 ECTS credits would be equal to 168 study hours (including time spent both in and outside of class). Students are advised to take 24-30 ECTS per semester.
Dutch grading culture
There are many different grading systems in the world, such as (from lowest to highest grade) 1 to 5, 1 to 10, 1
to 20, 1 to 100, F to A. In the Netherlands, the traditional grading scale is from 1 -10, where 1 is the lowest and 10 the highest grade. The pass mark for a single subject is 6.
At Dutch universities, top grades (10 and 9) are rarely awarded, and the same is true for the lowest grades 1 through to 4. The most common grades in higher education are 6 and 7.
So, if you are used to getting top grades, but you find yourself getting grades in the middle range here at VU Amsterdam, please do not worry about this. It does not mean you are underperforming. You are actually doing well. It just shows that our grading system and culture is different.
More about the Dutch grading system and how grades are distributed? Make sure to visit the Nuffic website.
Dutch teaching style
Study hours at VU Amsterdam are a combination of hours spent in class with the instructor and hours spent out of class working independently. In general, a VU student has about 10 hours per week of strictly student/professor contact hours. The remaining hours are spent outside of the classroom and can include time spent working on assignments with other students from your course, known as “work groups,” or time spent working individually on assignments, known as “self-study.”
The Dutch understanding of “self-study” is a fixed number of hours spent working on specific assignments. Although the number of hours spent by each student may vary, all students are expected to complete a minimum number of hours of self-study for each course. This varies per course, but you should be prepared to spend more time studying independently than you may be used to. Self-study hours are weighted the same as in-class hours and are thus included in the 1 ECTS = 28 contact hours calculation.
Studying at VU Amsterdam: What is expected of you?
- Be an active learner and critical thinker: ask questions, participate, and share your opinion
- Be present and on time: many teachers have a 100% attendance policy; it's wise to check this with your professor beforehand
- Be prepared: fewer lectures, more self-study
- Be accountable: you are responsible for knowing when your assignments are due and when the exams take place
- Be transparent: always mention your source of information; plagiarism may result in automatic failure of the course
Studying at VU Amsterdam: What can you expect?
- High level of classroom interaction
- Independence and active learning
- Relative lack of competition
- Direct feedback
- Social equality
- No grade inflation or scaling
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, or using others’ work without acknowledgment or source references, is considered a serious offense at VU Amsterdam. If you are caught committing such acts, your work will be declared invalid, among other possibly more serious consequences. Therefore, make sure to inform yourself and understand how to apply the rules. Note: even self-plagiarism is possible!
