The Netherlands is part of mainland Europe, it sits in Western Europe with an extensive

coastline to the North Sea and shares land borders with Germany and Belgium. The
Netherlands is also known as Holland and was the first non-native English speaking
country to offer courses taught in English to international students. Now almost all
courses offered to international students are taught in English and Dutch, which is great
if youre planning on studying in the Netherlands. Study in Netherlands is similar to
other popular study abroad destinations in terms of duration Bachelors Degree (BA,
BSc, BEng): 3-4 YearsMasters Degree (MA, MSc, MEng): 1-2 Years and PhD: 4
Years.

The higher education system in the Netherlands is made up primarily of three different
types of institution, each with a unique offering to an international student. These are
Research Universities, Universities of Applied Science and Institutes for International
Education.Certain degrees levels are only available from each institution type like ,
Bachelors are available at Available at Research Universities and Universities of
Applied Sciences , Masters are Available at all Institution types , PhDs are Available
only at Research UniversitiesThe Netherlands is an established and revered seat of
higher education with 4 universities in the QS Top 100 Universities 2010/11, those

institutions are University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, Utrecht University and

Erasmus University Rotterdam.
As most courses and degrees run for more than one year most international students will
require an entry visa called a Provisional Residence Permit or Machtiging tot Voorlopig
Verblijf (MVV) in Dutch. Your MVV will allow you entry into the country for a sixmonth period and once in the country you will need to apply for a Residence Permit
your chosen University should do this on your behalf.
Check Out: Study Programme in Netherlands
A Provisional Residence Permit (MVV) will only be granted if your application meets
certain requirements, including but not limited to:
You must have a valid passport
You have sufficient financial means
All required fees have been paid
You have a letter from your host University stating you have or will be enrolling
A level of competence with the English language is required before you can study at
degree level in Holland as with other destinations, this will need to be proven when
applying for your course by showing the results of an accepted English Language test.
You will require a score no lower than 6.0 IELTS or TOEFL 550 (Paper Based), 213
(Computer Based). Other language tests may be accepted so please check with your
chosen institution. Higher education in the Netherlands is subsidised by the
government and helps to keep tuition costs below that of the main study abroad
destinations - USA, Australia and the UK. The qualifications will boost you career
prospects as well as show you as an out-of-the-box thinker for choosing a less wellknown destination.
The Dutch are a welcoming nation of open minded and tolerant people and you will
find a very diverse culture in most cities and their Universities. There is a lot to do and
see in the country, some of which is described in the About the Netherlands section to
the right. The country offers excellent transport links to other European countries which
gives you the option of travelling and sight-seeing in other popular destinations such as
France and Germany at a low cost during your time there.The currency in the
Netherlands is the Euro (). The expected cost of living is approximately 800-1,100 a
month for a student lifestyle.

Discounts for students are available on many leisure activities and transport costs can be
reduced by buying a discount card for rail travel. You are advised to split your funds
into three equal amounts:
1/3 on housing
1/3 on food and sustenance
1/3 on transport, leisure and study materials.
Scholarships to Study in Netherlands are available for a variety of courses and
student nationalities, Nuffic maintain a database of these that you can search.Dependent
on your nationality, working while studying for a limited number of hours is allowed.
Your employer will have to apply for a work permit on your behalf and you should not
assume there will be a job available as part of your budgeting.