Courses
Do you want to enrol in a course at the Faculty of Law Economics and Governance? You can already do this before you arrive. Every school has its own enrolment procedure. You can check out the course overview of the school of your main interest.
Course Load
Utrecht University uses ECTS credits (ECTS: European Credit Transfer System). Almost all courses at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance are worth 7,5 EC (European Credit). A full-time student will typically take 30 ECTS per semester. Each semester is divided into two periods.
Levels
Level 1: Introductory. No specific background knowledge required.
Level 2: Intermediate. Some knowledge on the subject needed.
Level 3: Advanced. Sufficient background knowledge on the subject required.
Timeslots
Timeslots divide the week in different parts to prevent a clash in course times. Per period you should select courses in different timeslots. It is NOT possible to choose courses that are scheduled in the same timeslot. If two timeslots are indicated for one course, that means that the course is scheduled in both timeslots.
Registration
After you have been accepted as an exchange student we will ask you for your final course selection. This will be done in May (1st semester) or October (2nd semester). After the registration deadline, sometimes changes are no longer possible.
Early exit option
Do you need to leave Utrecht in December due to an overlap in semester dates? There are some courses in block 2 which have an "early exit" option. This means that you can finish the course before the Christmas-break.
This is only possible if you need to return to your home institution for the start of your second semester at home (due to overlap in the academic calendar). You will receive 5 ECTS instead of 7,5 ECTS after completing the course. The Student Information Desk of your designated school can provide you with more information during the course registration period.
Please note: housing through Short Stay Solutions can only be rented for a full semester.
Courses at another faculty
Interested in broadening your horizon? As long as you take a minimum of 50% courses at our faculty, you can also follow courses at other faculties. You can choose couses from a maximum of two faculties in total. For an overview of the courses offered, please check the overview at the University wide International Office. It is unfortunately not possible to register for courses that will be taught at the University College Utrecht (UCU) or at the University College Roosevelt (UCR).
Grading system
See also Grading system for Exchange and visiting students
In the course descriptions in the Course Catalogue you will find an explanation on the basis of what tests the lecturer determines the final grades of a course and how the result of each test factures in (weighing). It also states if you have to pass a minimum grade for a test. In the case of test results and final results it is possible to enter grades with decimals.
The final result is determined on the basis of the given weighing and the minimum marks of the tests. If tests are taken several times, the most recent grade counts. If there is more than one final result, the most recent grade counts. After the appropriate results are determined, they are rounded off.
Alphanumeric grades are given in the following cases:
If you are registered for a course, but have not participated in any exam segments, you will receive a NP (Not Participated).
If you are registered for a course, but have not completed one or more of the exam segments, you will receive a NC (Not Completed).
Credit system
Utrecht University uses the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). In the Netherlands, an academic year consists of 1680 study hours or 42 weeks of full time study, which are equivalent to 60 European Credits (EC).
In ECTS, 60 EC represent the workload of a year of study. Needless to say, credits are awarded only when the course has been completed and all required examinations have been taken successfully.
1 full academic year = 60 EC
Semester 1 = 30 EC
Semester 2 = 30 EC
Transcript of records
At the end of your exchange period, you will receive a transcript of records. The International Exchange Office will send a digital version via email to you with a copy to the contact person for outgoing students at your home university. In case you would still require a hard copy, you can submit a request via an onlineform.