Elective courses

Non-GSLS Master's courses provided by a Dutch university are optional components for your Master’s programme. Please use the general application form to apply for these courses

For face-to-face Master's courses offered outside the GSLS (both UU and non-UU) prior approval of the program coordinator is needed. Please provide your programme coordinator with all the information needed to assess the suitability of the course. This information has to include the level of the course (only Master's level courses are allowed), length and intensity (hours/day), supervision/guidance, books to be studied, examination procedures, and any other relevant material.

Master's courses provided by a foreign university (a university outside the Netherlands) are optional components for your Master’s programme. You need prior approval of the Board of Examiners.

How to ask for permission for foreign courses

You need to send an email to the Board of Examiners, including:

• Which foreign courses you want to take;
• The course descriptions (or a link to the website);
• The link to the website where the credit and assessment system of the foreign university is described;
• Written approval by your programme coordinator, including a statement that there is no overlap with other courses (to be) taken within your Master's programme.

You need to send your request at least two months before the course starts. The Board of Examiners will decide within six weeks whether the foreign courses may be part of your Master’s programme and the amount of credits that is awarded.

Registration of course results

On the basis of your official list of marks of the foreign university (Transcript of Records), the Board of Examiners will register your course results. The transcript of records needs to be sent by the foreign university to the Board of Examiners.

The foreign university will determine where the cut-off score lies for a pass, and records in the transcript whether the student has passed. Foreign grades are converted by the Board of Examiners into the alphanumerical results Pass/Fail. In addition, the original grades and assessment scale will be recorded in OSIRIS and printed on the International Diploma Supplement.

You may choose to take an online course as part of your elective component. You need prior approval of the Board of Examiners for online courses outside the GSLS. For courses offered by the GSLS no approval from the Board of Examiners is required.

Please note: fees for online courses are at your own expense.

How to ask permission for online courses outside the GSLS

An online course should meet the following requirements:

• The course is Master's level;
• The course is offered by a renowned university (Dutch or abroad);
• There needs to be individual assessment by an examiner;
• When the online course is not offered by a renowned university (e.g. edX or coursera) and/or there is no individual assessment, you need to find an UU/UMCU examiner for individual assessment (e.g. as an oral exam);
• Approval of your programme coordinator is required in all cases.

You need to send a request by email to the Board of Examiners, including:

• Which online courses you want to take;
• The course description (or a link to the website), including information about the assessment;
• A link to the website where the credit system of the university is described;
• If applicable: a statement of the UU/UMCU examiner that (s)he takes responsibility for the individual exam, and in which form the exam will take place;
• Written approval of your programme coordinator, including a statement that there is no overlap with other courses (to be) taken within your Master's programme.

You need to send your request at least two months before start of the online course. The Board of Examiners will decide within six weeks whether the foreign courses may be part of your Master’s programme and the number of credits that will be awarded.

Registration of course results

On the basis of a certificate or official document provided by the university that offers the online course (or in case of an individual exam: a statement of your UU/UMCU examiner), the Board of Examiners will register your course results. The documentation needs to be sent to the Board of Examiners.

You may choose to take summer courses as part of your elective component. You need prior approval of the Board of Examiners for all summer courses (except summer courses that are part of the GSLS).

Please note: fees for summer school courses are at your own expense.

How to ask permission for summer school courses outside the GSLS

A summer school course should meet the following requirements:

• The course is Master's level;
• The course is offered by a renowned university (Dutch or foreign);
• The course has an individual assessment;
• If there is no individual assessment, you need to find an UU/UMCU examiner to do the individual assessment (e.g. as an oral exam);
• Approval of your programme coordinator is required in all cases.

You need to send an email to the Board of Examiners, including:

• Which summer school course you want to take;
• The course description (or a link to the website), including information about the assessment;
• A link to the website where the credit system of the university is described;
• Written approval of your UU/UMCU examiner in case of an oral exam;
• Written approval of your programme coordinator, including a statement that there is no overlap with other courses (to be) taken within your Master's programme.

You need to send your request at least two months before start of the summer course. The Board of Examiners will decide within six weeks whether the summer course may be part of your Master’s programme and the number of credits that will be awarded.

Registration of course results

On the basis of a certificate or official document provided by the university that offers the summer course, the Board of Examiners will register your course results. The documentation needs to be sent to the Board of Examiners.

The course result will be registered in OSIRIS. In case of a summer school course at a foreign university, the grade will be converted by the Board of Examiners into the alphanumerical results Pass/Fail.