Academics
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.
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
The duration of a 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.
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.