You have a diploma. Where can it take you?

Nine years in the Netherlands, and she did not start out in VWO: first VMBO, then on to university through the ‘free baccalaureate’ route (CCVX). She now has a place in Medicine, and has also enrolled in Biomedical Sciences as a plan B — a student may apply for several programmes at the same time, and a missing VWO diploma does not close the door. She also gave the general session on the difference between WO and HBO.

KEY TIPS

• No HAVO diploma? You can apply to a university of applied sciences (HBO) and request the 21+ admission test (21+ toets) there.
• Educated abroad and need to pass entrance exams? VASVU, VU’s preparatory year for students whose first language is not Dutch, prepares you for them — the link is under the sources.
• An alternative to VWO: CCVX (mathematics A/B, biology, physics, chemistry) + Staatsexamen NT2 B2 + IELTS/TOEFL.
• Check the numerus fixus for each university separately — Leiden, Utrecht, UvA and Radboud apply one for this programme; VU and Maastricht do not.
• After the bachelor’s: 53% go on to a master’s in Biomedical Sciences, 9% switch to Medicine, and the rest spread across cardiovascular research, oncology, neuroscience and bioinformatics.
• A student may apply for several programmes at the same time and treat one of them as a plan B.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• A VWO diploma, or an HBO propedeuse/bachelor’s, or VAVO
• If something is missing: CCVX + NT2-B2 + IELTS/TOEFL
• Apply through Studielink

SOURCES

He came from Syria after 10th grade and completed VWO in the Netherlands. In his final year he had already applied for Medicine, and he was offered conditional admission before his final exams. He has finished his bachelor’s and is now a master’s student in a ‘waiting period’ (wachttijd) before the intensive clinical rotations (coschappen) — a period many students choose to extend so they can work or travel.

KEY TIPS

• Medicine has a numerus fixus at all eight medical faculties — see the table below.
• Apply through Studielink from 1 October to 15 January.
• Go to the Bachelor’s Days (Bachelordagen) and try ‘Proefstuderen’, a trial study day, if you are still unsure.
• The HBO route can be another way into WO — don’t rule it out.
• After graduating there are also careers beyond working as a doctor: teacher, consultant, data analyst, science journalist.
• Discovering after the bachelor’s that Medicine is not for you is not a dead end — fellow students moved on to very different master’s programmes.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• VWO with physics/chemistry/biology/mathematics A-B, or an HBO route
• The HBO route alone is not enough: you also need separate VWO subject certificates (deelcertificaten) in the required subjects
• Dutch at B2 · a selection procedure at all eight faculties

SOURCES

He earned an American high-school diploma in the UAE (taught in English), so he submitted a ‘Medium of Instruction Letter’ from his school instead of an official language test. Now in his third year at Saxion, he describes year 1 as individual, hands-on basic skills, and year 2 as real building — sawing metal, soldering circuit boards, putting together complete control systems: a robot from scratch to finish, with your own hands.

KEY TIPS

• Mechatronics combines mechanics, electrical engineering, electronics, programming and control engineering — a growing field thanks to automation and AI.
• Was your previous education in English? A ‘Medium of Instruction’ letter can replace an official language test.
• Expect project-based learning (prototypes, labs, teamwork), not just theory.
• Year 1 lays the foundations before the robotics and control-engineering projects of year 2.
• After the HBO bachelor’s, a WO master’s in robotics/AI is possible — for example at the University of Twente.
• Career options go beyond robotics engineer: automation, control engineering, embedded systems, mechanical or electrical design.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• An equivalent secondary-school diploma
• Proof of English, or a Medium of Instruction Letter
• Apply through the university of applied sciences’ official portal

SOURCES

She finished secondary school in Syria, then earned her VWO diploma in the Netherlands, then the bachelor’s in Physics and Astronomy, and is now a master’s student in the joint UvA–VU programme. Not sure yet? She recommends ‘Proefstuderen’ — a trial study day organised by the university — before you make a choice.

KEY TIPS

• There is no numerus fixus for this programme — you can apply from 1 October to 1 May.
• The direct route: VWO with the NT profile (or NG/EM/CM) with physics and mathematics B.
• Alternatively: HBO + English at VWO level, or ‘Colloquium doctum’ as an exceptional admission route.
• Career options go beyond purely academic research: a one-year teaching master’s qualifies you to teach physics at any level, or you can start straight away as a consultant, data analyst or science journalist.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• VWO (NT or NG/EM/CM) + physics and mathematics B
• or HBO + English at VWO level · or Colloquium doctum

SOURCES

A software engineer, now working as an IT business consultant. He deliberately chose the applied route: in his view, IT asks for more hands-on experience than research — for anyone who wants to work directly with code and clients. He explains the practical difference between the two roles: a software engineer can work in-house without direct client contact, while the business consultant is the face the client sees.

THE FOUR SPECIALISATIONS

• Forensic IT: tracing digital footprints, securing digital evidence, analysing cybercrime, and working within legal frameworks.
• Business Data Management (BDaM): data engineering, optimising business processes, managing database systems, and finding patterns in large datasets.
• Interaction Technology: media technology, front-end development, and user-centred design.
• Software Engineering (SE): designing, building, testing and maintaining complex software applications — the foundation you can specialise from later on.
• Business Consultancy: more about communicating with the client than about the code. From here, master’s options open up: AI, bioinformatics, or business administration.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• These differ by university of applied sciences and by year — check the website of the specific school before you apply (Hayyan’s own advice).

SOURCES

She studied psychological counselling in Syria; that diploma was recognised as equivalent enough for her to apply directly for Psychology without redoing secondary school — although she had to start in year 1 and take the selection test (Selectietoets), like everyone else. She also gave a parallel look at International Social Work: taught only in English, at HAN, with internships and work outside the Netherlands possible.

KEY TIPS

• Requires VWO with mathematics and sciences (or equivalent) — HAVO 5, or the Syrian baccalaureate on its own, is not enough.
• A limited number of places (around 600 per university) with a selection test, and a maximum of 3 application attempts in your whole life across all Dutch universities combined — so apply with care.
• The bachelor’s alone is not enough to practise: you need a master’s (1–2 years), and the title ‘Psycholoog’ (psychologist) is reserved for those who complete a master’s in Clinical Psychology, followed by about 2 years of supervised practice.
• The difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist: the psychiatrist focuses more on the physical side and may prescribe medication; the psychologist focuses on thoughts and behaviour and does not prescribe medication.
• The HBO alternative (Applied Psychology, Toegepaste Psychologie): taught only in Dutch, with a narrower scope to practise.
• International Social Work: a four-year HBO bachelor’s, taught in English, only at HAN — and you can work both in and outside the Netherlands without having your diploma evaluated.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• VWO with mathematics and sciences, or equivalent
• Selection test · a maximum of 3 application attempts in a lifetime

She arrived at the end of 2021, aged 17: first a year and a half at a language school (ISK), then a bridging class (Schakelklas), then a preparatory year equivalent to HAVO, then CCVX exams. She explains the difference between the optician, the optometrist (her own field) and the ophthalmologist, who is the only one allowed to operate.

KEY TIPS

• Optometry includes eye examinations, detecting eye diseases, vision correction and contact lenses, and low-vision care — it is different from orthoptics (Orthoptie).
• A good foundation in mathematics is recommended. Applications run from October to May.
• About half of year 1 is practical; at the end of the year, students carry out a full basic eye examination on a fellow student.
• The part-time route is for people who already work in eye care, but it has a numerus fixus and requires at least 16 hours of supervised work a week.
• A strong job market that improves every year: 88% → 95% → 97% in work within 1.5 years of graduating, over the last three years.
• A master’s is also possible in the Netherlands, practice-oriented or academic: Physician Assistant, Management in de zorg (healthcare management) or Gezondheidswetenschappen (health sciences). A specialised optometry master’s is only offered outside the Netherlands: the United Kingdom (Manchester, London), Germany and Canada.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• VWO or HAVO (any profile) or MBO-4
• Dutch through the Staatsexamen NT2 B2, or the ‘21+ toets’
• No numerus fixus for full-time study (since 2024); there is one for part-time

SOURCES

From Suwayda, 22 years old, in his third year at the RUG. He explains his choice with a striking comparison: unlike a civil engineer, who knows in advance which profession he is heading for, this degree gives a broad view of research, marketing, economics and finance all at once. His Syrian diploma was rated equivalent to HAVO, not VWO — so he did a Preparatory Year at Alfa College before going to university.

KEY TIPS

• Check the required VWO profile: Natuur & Techniek, Natuur & Gezondheid, Economie & Maatschappij, or Cultuur & Maatschappij + mathematics A/B.
• No VWO? The HBO bridging year ‘Academic Propedeuse’ is an alternative route.
• Foreign diploma not directly equivalent? The Preparatory Year (VBJ) can be a bridge.
• Numerus fixus: 550 places a year, with a selection procedure.
• After graduating: 13 master’s programmes to choose from, and a wide range of careers (export, CSR, international marketing, data analysis, HR).

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• VWO with a specific profile + mathematics A/B, or an HBO propedeuse, or VBJ
• An English language test (TOEFL iBT 80 / IELTS 6 / Cambridge C1 or C2 169 / PTE 61 / LanguageCert 65)

SOURCES

He has lived in the Netherlands for about four years and is now in his second year. Year 1 has ten courses over six periods and two group projects: the first qualitative, using interviews, on the influence of social media on how Generation Z votes; the second quantitative, in which they analysed consumer trust in Philips. He is honest about the courses: ‘Interpersonal Communication’ is the hardest course of the first two years, and ‘Public Relations’ was the most gripping, because it analyses real crises — among them the data breach at Odido, which then lost many customers, not because of the breach alone but because its communication with customers fell short.

KEY TIPS

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions — lecturers at VU are approachable and friendly.
• Keep up with the weekly reading and don’t miss lectures (they go beyond the book).
• Don’t ignore the lecture slides — many exam questions are based on them.
• Build a network with your fellow students — useful for group projects and later in your career.
• Work on your academic writing — the programme requires at least two research papers.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• A diploma equivalent to VWO · proof of English (IELTS/TOEFL) · specific mathematics requirements
• A compulsory study choice check (studiekeuzecheck) through Studielink and VU Dashboard
• Application deadline: 1 April (non-EU), 1 May (EU/NL)

SOURCES

Open day / Study Choice Check Day: 7 November 2026