Shortened Programme

Admitted students who have completed course work at a university can apply for a Shortened Programme. You can transfer 30 or 60 ECTS (1 or 2 semesters of course work). Other amounts are not possible. 

Requests are subject to individual assessment by and approval of the Board of Examination. They will take into account the courses you completed and your proposed area of studies at University College Utrecht. A minimum GPA or average grade may be required for your request to be granted. 

Be aware that only courses that were NOT part of your admissions criteria can be used towards a Shortened Programme. If you are unsure, check if the university education you completed is stated as a condition in your offer letter. If you completed more courses than what is noted in your letter, you can still have those recognized. 

Make sure to read up on the Shortened Programme section of the Academic Rules & Regulations before you apply.

Please be aware that you will need to complete at least 2 years of study at UCU, meaning that if you shorten your programme by 60 ECTS, you will no longer be able to go on exchange. 

How to apply? 

Admitted students can apply for a Shortened Programme in OSIRIS Online Application after receiving their offer of conditional admission. The following documents are necessary for the application: 

  • An official transcript of the courses you have completed, including the course name, grade and credits received for the courses. 
  • Syllabi for all the courses you would want to count towards your Shortened Programme – if you have 90 ECTS of courses, you wouldn’t have to provide syllabi for all 90 but only for the ones who make up 30 or 60 ECTS. Please combine these to one PDF file. 
  • Grade conversion from the grading system from your previous university to letter grades, or otherwise a grading scale that shows the level of the work graded along that scale. 

Applicants receive a decision from the Exam Board before the start of the semester. If your request for a Shortened Programme is granted, you may also adjust the course choices you submitted during course pre-registration in consultation with your tutor.