Study in Netherlands

ABOUT NETHERLANDS

Located in Western Europe with overseas territories in the Caribbean, Netherlands is bordered by  Germany in the east, Belgium and a maritime border with the UK in the North Sea. Its territories in the Caribbean consists the ilsnads of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Martin with special municipalities in the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. The country enjoys a rather moderate maritime climate which features mild winters and cool summers. However, the onset of rain throughout the year makes it have no dry season in its climatic characteristics. While Amsterdam is the capital and the largest city in the country, Utrecht, Maastricht, Delft, Rotterdam, The Hague and Harlem continue to be preferred by most students to stay and study in the country. Netherlands’s parliamentary constitutional monarchy structure has featured a long standing respect for social tolerance and development policies. The country was the first to legalise same sex marriage and uphold its historic commitments to abortion, human euthanasia, and death penalty. Its constant high rankings in the World Happiness Index come from its high indicators in economic freedom, human development, quality of life and press freedom.  Its contribution to the international community mostly comes from its role in the UN, NATO and EU.

 

HIGHER EDUCATION STRUCTURE 

The higher education system in Netherlands can be best described as a combination of three different cycles. They are:

 

The Bachelor’s or the first cycle: Netherlands provides a variety of programs for a bachelor’s degree which include agriculture, applied sciences, arts, design, business management, IT, education, engineering, environmental sciences, hospitality, humanities, journalism, law, medicine, natural sciences, social sciences. The degree may usually take upto 3-4 years to complete depending on the course. 

 

Requirement to study Bachelor’s in Netherlands: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • An IELTS score of 6 and above, a TOEFL PBT score of 550 and above or a TOEFL iBT score of 213 and above.

 

Master’s or the second cycle: After the successful completion of their bachelor’s degree, students may avail a variety of master’s courses that country provides based on their subject of interest. These include agriculture, applied sciences, arts, design, business management, IT, education, engineering, environmental sciences, hospitality, humanities, journalism, law, medicine, natural sciences, social sciences.. While the degree may take upto 1-4 years to complete depending on the course, students are often taught through seminars, exercises, practical workshops, field trips and research. These help them to not only prepare for a professional career but also an academic career if they choose to. 

 

Requirement to study Master’s in Netherlands: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of bachelor’s with 60% and above
  • An IELTS score of 6 and above, a TOEFL PBT score of 550 and above or a TOEFL iBT score of 213 and above. 

 

Doctoral degree or the third cycle: After the successful completion of their master’s, students can also apply for a doctoral degree which all public and private universities offer in the country. Students are given the opportunity to conduct independent research under academic supervision which later they will have to defend in front of a panel of experts appointed by the university. While the degree may take a minimum of 4 years to complete, students are also given financial grants that will help them sustain themselves in the country. 

 

Requirement to study PhD in Netherlands: 

  • Successful completion of class 12 with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of bachelor’s with 60% and above
  • Successful completion of master’s with 60% and above
  • Independent research idea 
  • An IELTS score of 6 and above, a TOEFL PBT score of 550 and above or a TOEFL iBT score of 213 and above.

 

Cost of study

While degrees taught in public universities may range from EUR 6000 – 15000 per year for a bachelors degree (around INR 510000 – 1200000) and EUR 8000 – 20000 (around INR 680000 1700000) per year for a masters degree, private universities may take as much EUR 30000 (around INR 2500000) per year for international students willing to study in the country. Students are also likely to pay between EUR 800 – 1200 (around INR 68000 – 100000) a month to live in any city in Netherlands. Cities like Amsterdam and Eindhoven may also cost upto EUR 1500 (around INR 120000) a month in the country. 

 

EMPLOYMENT IN NETHERLANDS 

The Netherlands Student visa allows international students to work upto only 16 hours a week while purusing their higher education. Students are likely to find jobs the service sector which include, cafes, restaurants, offices, etc. However, they are advised to be acquainted with the Dutch language since it would make it a lot more easier to communicate in the country. In addition, they are also required to apply for a work permit in order to be eligible for part time employment opportunities in the country .

When it comes to finding a job after graduation, the country has some of the best policies for international students to avail. After the successful completion of their degree, they may apply for a Orientation Year for Graduates Seeking Employment permit which allows students to stay and look for work opportunities in the country for a maximum of 12 months. Once they do, they are allowed to stay as long as their employment requires them to under their work and residence permit.  

 

VISA REQUIREMENTS 

For availing a student visa to the Netherlands, an applicant must furnish:

  • A passport that does expire within twelve months at the time of application
  • A letter of acceptance from a Dutch higher education institute  
  • Proof of sufficient funds to sustain stay
  • Proof of accommodation in the country 
  • Proof of health insurance

 

SCHOLARSHIP

While universities have their own set of scholarship, the government of Netherlands provides a variety of financial assistance programs for international students to study in the country. Most notably, the Holland Scholarship, the Orange Knowledge scholarship and the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship have been availed many international students to pursue their higher education in the country.