Academic policies and procedures
For students of the Graduate School of Teaching
In the Education and Examination Regulations or EER (Dutch: Onderwijs - en Examenregeling, or OER) you will find the essentials of the education and examination. The rules in the Education and Examination Regulations are binding.
Note: If the information in the English version differs from the Dutch version of the Education and Examination Regulations (pdf), the Dutch version prevails.
Errata / addenda
In case of any changes, amendments or inaccuracies in the Regulations, an erratum or addendum will be issued.
Archive (pdf)
- 2022-2023 EER - 2023-2023 addendum
- 2021-2022 EER - 2021-2022 errata
- 2020-2021 EER - 2020-2021 errata (in Dutch)
- 2019-2020 EER - 2019-2020 errata (in Dutch)
- 2018-2019 EER - 2018-2019 errata (in Dutch)
- 2017-2018 EER - 2017-2018 errata
- 2016-2017 EER - 2016-2017 errata
- 2015-2016 EER - 2015-2016 errata
- 2014-2015 EER
- programme appendix cohort 2013-2014
- programme appendix cohort 2012-2013
- programme appendix cohort 2011-2012
- programme appendix cohort 2010-2011
The regulations of the Board of Examiners are established by the Board of Examiners of the Graduate School of Teaching of Utrecht University.
Students can request the Board of Examiners of the Graduate School of Teaching for individual arrangements by submitting a request, for example a request for exemption or approval of course modules not yet completed. Please read the procedures below before submitting a request.
Each Master’s programme has a standard curriculum which is specified in the Education and Examination Regulations (EER) of the degree programme. If you want to deviate from your standard curriculum, you will have to ask for approval from the Board of Examiners. Make sure you always include your name and student number in your request.
Approval of course modules
If you want to take course modules that are not part of the standard curriculum during your degree programme and you want to include these modules in the examination programme (such as Mandatory electives that are not listed in the selection of suitable courses), you must request approval from the Board of Examiners in advance. The motivated request must contain the following:
- a copy of the official course description(s), including level and description of tests;
- mention under which part of your examination programme you want to follow the course.
The Board of Examiners will submit the request, if necessary, to the programme coordinator or a content specialist for the degree programme for advice.
Exemption based on one (or more) successfully completed course(s)
Modules that you completed prior to starting your degree programme can be used to request exemption for certain parts of your degree programme.
To arrange this, you first need to approach the coordinator of the relevant course with a well-founded, written request for advice. You can then submit your motivated request to the Board of Examiners by e-mail (examencommissie.gst@uu.nl), including the following annexes:
- the course coordinator’s advice;
- copy of the official description of the course or courses on the basis of which you are requesting exemption;
- certified results overview for the relevant course(s).
The Board of Examiners will submit the request, if necessary, to the programme coordinator or a content specialist for the degree programme for advice.
Certified documents
With your request or after you have completed the approved course modules (outside of Utrecht University), you must send one or more certified documents in order to prove you have successfully completed the course(s). These can be original documents, with the stamp and signature of the institution issuing the document. They can also be copies, but there should then be a stamp and a signature on the copy showing that it corresponds to the original (a “certified copy”). You can make a certified copy of the original documents for free at the FSS Student Information Point.
Certified documents must be handed in to the desk at the FSS Student Information Point or can be send to the following address:
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Student Information Point
Attn. GST Board of Examiners
Padualaan 14
3584 CH Utrecht
The Netherlands
Postponement of the graduation date
If you have successfully passed the examination and you are entitled to a diploma, you may request the Board of Examiners to refrain from proceeding and postpone the examination date. This request must be submitted within two weeks after you have been informed of the result of the examinations by the Examinations Office of the Graduate School of Teaching. Please consult the Education and Examination Regulations, art. 6.1 – Examination.
Processing period
The Board of Examiners will give a decision on the request within six weeks from the date the complete request was received.
Study planning
If you like assistance filling out the planning forms, you may contact your tutor.
- Planning form for students who started in / after 2023 (docx)
- Planning form for students who started in 2022 (docx)
For schedules and planning you can use the course planner and go to our Study programme page.
For all students of Utrecht University
All students are subject to a number of rights, duties, guidelines and regulations.
Your UU-grades abroad
To help foreign universities to interpret the value of our grades, UU publishes Grading Tables:
- a table for Bachelor’s courses and
- a table for Master’s courses.
The Grading Tables provide statistical distributions of grades awarded at Utrecht University. They show which percentage of all passing grades that were awarded in the three most recent academic years were (rounded-off) a 6.0, a 6.5, a 7.5, etc. The tables will be published on the International Diploma Supplement of all students who graduate after September 1st 2017.
In addition to the Grading Tables, UU also publishes a weighted average grade on the ten point scale on your International Diploma Supplement.
What do Grading Tables not show?
Grading Tables do not show whether you belong to the 10% (or any other percentage) of your class. The tables do not contain information about the average either, nor are they just about your fellow students.
The most recent Grading Tables (September 2020 – August 2023)
| Grade | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 6.0 | 17.69% |
| 6.5 | 16.83% |
| 7.0 | 20.11% |
| 7.5 | 19.47% |
| 8.0 | 14.31% |
| 8.5 | 7.50% |
| 9.0 | 3.02% |
| 9.5 | 0.85% |
| 10.0 | 0.22% |
| Grade | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 6.0 | 8.45% |
| 6.5 | 9.68% |
| 7.0 | 16.90% |
| 7.5 | 22.19% |
| 8.0 | 22.64% |
| 8.5 | 12.76% |
| 9.0 | 5.63% |
| 9.5 | 1.29% |
| 10.0 | 0.46% |
Grade Point Average substituted by Grading Tables
Until 1 September 2017, Utrecht University published a Grade Point Average (GPA) to provide help institutions abroad to interpret UU-grades. Many Anglo-Saxon universities use this four point scale to express their weighted average grade. The GPA always needs clarification. The standards according to which the GPA is calculated differ between (international) universities.
Utrecht University considers any form of academic dishonesty to be a very serious offense. Utrecht University expects each student to be familiar with and to observe the norms and values that ensure academic integrity.The most serious forms of deception that can impair this integrity are fraud and plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of fraud and is defined as the wrongful appropriation of another author’s work without proper citation. See the further elaboration on what may be considered fraud or plagiarism.
If the university discovers a case of fraud or plagiarism, then the study programme’s Board of Examiners may implement sanctions on the offender. The most serious sanction that the Board of Examiners may implement is the submission of a request for expulsion to the Executive Board.
If you feel you have not been treated properly by someone employed by Utrecht University, or if you disagree with a decision that affects you personally, you can respond in a number of ways. You can submit a complaint, an objection or an appeal.
For the full details about the various procedures and which procedure is applicable for your situation, visit Complaints, objections and appeals.
Utrecht University processes a substantial volume of personal data. In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) the university is responsible for ensuring that personal data is processed properly. Also see the Privacy Statement on the Utrecht University website.
Sets out all the rights and duties of students and the University. Download the Students' charter.