Study programme
Liberal Arts and Sciences at University College Utrecht is a three-year Bachelor’s programme taught entirely in English. You compose your own unique curriculum by choosing classes from over 20 academic disciplines across the domains Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences. After graduation you will receive a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree depending on your curriculum.
This 2-minute video below explains how the multidisciplinary curriculum works and gives an idea about possible academic directions you can take.
Curriculum structure
At University College Utrecht each academic year is divided into two 15-week semesters. You will take 4 courses per semester, amounting to a study load of approximately 14 hours per course, per week. The University College Utrecht curriculum is fundamentally free, meaning that you can study any combination of the academic disciplines, the Humanities, Sciences and Social Science. Find out more about these academic disciplines by following the link below.
Designing your own personal curriculum requires good planning and frequent decision-making. There are graduation requirements in place to help you create structure and coherence in your study. These requirements are designed to make sure you receive both a broad education and enough in-depth knowledge to apply for a Master’s programme or find a job after graduation.
Support
When starting your studies at University College Utrecht, you will be assigned a personal tutor. Your tutor will guide and advise you in constructing a curriculum that aligns with your interests, talents, and future goals. Tutors have an understanding of specific programme requirements and circumstances that can affect your progress through the programme and can provide guidance and support accordingly.
In addition, tutors can reflect with you on the way your approach your studies, discuss successes and possible obstacles, allowing you to evaluate your strategies and explore new ones. Tutors can also be the first point of contact to discuss matters related to student wellbeing.
Teaching method
The primary learning format at University College Utrecht is in small classes of 20 students on average. Courses can take different forms depending on the subject matter (classic lectures, tutorials or group work), but most of them are highly interactive where both students and the teacher contribute to class discussion. Participation in class is expected and encouraged, and often involves giving presentations and engaging in debate.
Independent study is also an integral part of the programme, and assignments range from writing research papers to analysing texts and data. Independent study does not always mean studying alone however, you will also frequently work on assignments in groups or pairs.
Assessment
Courses at University College Utrecht have continuous assessment. This means that students have at least 3 different types of examinations each semester in each course, such as a paper, exam, presentation, group or individual work. There is no all-encompassing exam at the end of each course, this is replaced by continuous assessment throughout the semester.