In the Netherlands, when children finish secondary school they can choose to go into tertiary education: MBO, HBO or WO.
In the Netherlands, tertiary education comes after secondary school . There are three levels: MBO, HBO and WO. MBO concentrates on practical training for specific jobs. HBO focuses more on a mix of theory and practical topics. WO is primarily focused on theory and research.
MBO stands for ‘middelbaar beroepsonderwijs’, which means ‘senior secondary vocational education’. At an MBO school you learn a trade so you can work as a chef, carpenter, mechanic or hairdresser, for example. Study programmes usually last 2 to 4 years. Lessons often focus on developing practical skills. In many cases, you do an internship. After finishing MBO you can begin working immediately or continue studying at HBO level.
HBO stands for ‘hoger beroepsonderwijs’, which means ‘higher professional education’. HBO combines practical and theoretical aspects, for example in areas such as engineering, healthcare, economics or education. Most HBO study programmes take four years. HBO is for professions that require a combination of knowledge and skill, such as nursing, teaching and management. After finishing HBO you can start work or continue studying.
WO stands for ‘wetenschappelijk onderwijs’, which means ‘university education’. Students learn mostly about theoretical concepts and how to do research. Studying for a bachelor's degree takes three years. You can then go on to do a master's degree, which takes one or two years. WO is for people who want to work in professions involving a lot of knowledge and research, for example as doctors, lawyers or scientists. If you want to continue studying or do research at university, you can do a PhD.
The language of many study programmes is Dutch. Sometimes a study programme is also available in English. If you want to follow an English-language study programme, you will probably have to take a language test. For study programmes in Dutch, you need to be able to understand Dutch well enough to follow classes and complete assignments.
Tuition fees depend on the study programme you follow and whether you are from the EU. You also have to pay for books, materials and sometimes travel expenses. Many students can get or borrow money from the government for this. This is called student finance. For more information, go to www.rijksoverheid.nl.
For tertiary education, you need to have a secondary school diploma. In many cases, a VMBO diploma is enough for MBO. For HBO, you need a HAVO or MBO-4 diploma. For WO, you need a VWO diploma or you must have passed the HBO propaedeutic exam. Some study programmes have additional requirements, such as an entrance test.
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