Orientation 2023
You will meet your fellow students and your tutor during the orientation. You will also receive information about all sorts of practical matters, such as ICT, academic supervision and the binding recommendation regarding the continuation of studies.
Utrecht, 2023
Dear student,
It is our pleasure to inform you that you have been admitted to our Bachelor’s programme in English Language and Culture. Congratulations!
Although it may still seem far away, we hope to welcome you to the programme’s orientation in the first week of September. By mid-July you will receive more detailed information. Before that, you can look up our student association, Albion, on their website, where you’ll also find all of the back issues of student magazine Phoenix to read. It’s full of culture, literature, student life and light entertainment; highly recommended! Furthermore, you can take a look at our programme’s page for new students.
Keep an eye on your UU-email address as well: every month we will send you our newsletter hUUmannews full of practical info and fun events. Do you already want to take a quick look behind the scenes to see what is happening at our faculty? Follow us on Instagram @HumanitiesUU.
Student Life in Utrecht
Studying in Utrecht could be a very familiar experience, but it could also be something brand new. It could help to read up on life as a student in Utrecht, for example regarding housing, sports, and health and safety. Check Student Life to see what our students think are the city’s hotspots, or what their favourite places on campus are.
Keep in mind that the availability of student housing in Utrecht is limited and in high demand. As a student, you must arrange housing yourself. We advise you to start as early as possible.
Practical matters
- You will receive a separate message from our Central Student Administration about the completion of your enrolment and any previous education requirements you still need to meet.
- Have you decided not to start our with programme? You can help us and yourself a lot by cancelling your application in Studielink.
Students with special needs
Utrecht University wants all of its students to be able to study without limitations. If you have a disability, such as dyslexia, that may affect your study progress or your access to our education, you can apply for special facilities and support.
You can apply for practical provisions via Osiris Student from July 1. Please also make an appointment with your study advisor. If you cannot log in to Osiris Student yet, make an appointment with your study advisor anyway. Any information you provide will remain confidential.
- Orientation days: First week of September
Semester I
- Start 1st period: Monday 4 September 2023 (week 36)
- Start 2nd period: Monday 13 November 2023 (week 46)
- Winter break: 25 December 2023 - 12 January 2024 (week 52 and 53 and week 1 and 2)
Semester II
- Start 3rd period: Monday 5 February 2024 (week 6)
- Start 4th period: Monday 22 April 2024 (week 17)
You can find additional information on the Academic Calendar.
Questions?
Should you have any questions concerning the application procedure, please contact the Student Desk. If you have any questions concerning the programme, you can contact us at: OLCTLCEngels.gw@uu.nl.
We wish you a good summer and look forward to meeting you in September!
Kind regards,
Dr. Koen Sebregts & Dr. Onno Koster
Programme Coordinators English Language and Culture
Utrecht University
Utrecht, 2023
Dear student,
It is our pleasure to inform you that you have been (conditionally) admitted to our Bachelor’s programme in English Language and Culture. Congratulations!
Although it may still seem far away, we hope to welcome you to the programme’s orientation in the first week of SeptemberBy mid-July you will receive more detailed information. International students will also receive an invitation for the UU Welcome Week. Before that, you can look up our student association, Albion, on their website, where you’ll also find all of the back issues of student magazine Phoenix to read. It’s full of culture, literature, student life and light entertainment; highly recommended! Furthermore, you can take a look at our programme’s page for new students.
Keep an eye on your UU-email address as well: every month we will send you our newsletter hUUmannews full of practical info and fun events. Do you already want to take a quick look behind the scenes to see what is happening at our faculty? Follow us on Instagram @HumanitiesUU.
Visit Utrecht University’s Welcome to Utrecht website for practical information on your arrival, such as housing, paying your tuition fees, and learning Dutch. It also helps you to get ready for your studies.
The availability of student housing in Utrecht is limited and in high demand. As a student, you must arrange housing yourself. We advise you to start as early as possible.
Pre-departure weeks
In spring and summer, Utrecht University will be hosting several online meetings to prepare you for your stay. These meetings are for all our future students and will help you prepare for your stay abroad, providing you with practical information about life in Utrecht and the Netherlands. You will receive an invitation.
Explore UU student life and the city of Utrecht
Check Student Life to see what our students think are the city’s hotspots, or what their favourite places on campus are.
Chat with future classmates
Want to connect with your future classmates? Check out the Goin’ App to get to know peers and experience the UU community before your arrival.
Are you not joining us?
Have you decided not to join our programme in September? That’s very unfortunate, but you could help us and yourself a lot by cancelling your application in Studielink.
Students with special needs
Utrecht University wants all of its students to be able to study without limitations. If you have a disability, such as dyslexia, that may affect your study progress or your access to our education, you can apply for special facilities and support.
You can apply for practical provisions via Osiris Student from July 1. Please also make an appointment with your study advisor. If you cannot log in to Osiris Student yet, make an appointment with your study advisor anyway. Any information you provide will remain confidential.
- Welcome Week international students: Last week of August
- Orientation days: First week of September (you will receive more information by mid-July)
Semester I
- Start 1st period: Monday 4 September 2023 (week 36)
- Start 2nd period: Monday 13 November 2023 (week 46)
- Winter break: 25 December 2023 - 12 January 2024 (week 52 and 53 and week 1 and 2)
Semester II
- Start 3rd period: Monday 5 February 2024 (week 6)
- Start 4th period: Monday 22 April 2024 (week 17)
You can find additional information on the Academic Calendar.
Questions?
Should you have any questions concerning the application procedure, please contact the Student Desk (if you have a Dutch educational background) or our Admissions Office (if you have a non-Dutch educational background). If you have any questions concerning the programme, you can contact us at: OLCTLCEngels.gw@uu.nl.
We wish you a good summer and look forward to meeting you in September!
Kind regards,
Dr Koen Sebregts & Dr Onno Kosters
Programme Coordinators English Language and Culture
Utrecht University
1. Log in at Osiris Student.
2. Click on the pencil and paper symbol: 'Enrol''.
3. Click on 'Show my enrolments'.
4. Go to the course Eng-Tutoraat Engels Basis (EN1V14001).
5. You can find your groupnumber under 'Seminar'.
Still having trouble finding your group? Use this instruction with screenshots.
In the Courseplanner you are able to see which books you need for each course.
For all courses you are able to buy textbooks with a discount if you become an Albion member. At the moment Albion is working hard to find a new provider for discounted books, as the previous provider went out of business. For more information, please visit the Albion website.
Reading list Block 1
Basic Grammer test (Note: this material is recommended but not required)
- J. Kerstens & A. Sturm, Beknopte grammatica van het Nederlands. (Bussum: Coutinho 2002)
- M. Klein & M.C. van den Toorn, Praktische cursus zinsontleding (Groningen: Wolters-Noordhoff 2011)
- A. DeCapua, Grammar for teachers: A guide to American English for native and non-native speakers (2nd ed., 2017), Available online via university library.
The Sound Lab
- Collins, B., Mees, I., & Carley, P.. Practical English phonetics & phonology: A resource book for students (4e druk). Routledge.
And ONE of the following two:
- Target accent General American: Carley, P., Mees, I.. American English phonetics and pronunciation practice (1e druk). Routledge. OR
- Target accent Standard Southern British English: Carley, P., Mees, I., Collins, B.. English phonetics and pronunciation practice (1e druk). Routledge.
The Writers’ Lab: Responding to Literatures in English
- Kelly Mays, The Norton Introduction to Literature. Shorter 14th ed., W.W. Norton
- Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Basic Grammar Test (TL1V19002) English Language and Culture
Knowledge of grammar and grammatical concepts
In order for you to be able to successfully participate in your BA programme in the English department, you will require some basic knowledge of grammatical concepts and some basic competence in sentence analysis. It is important that all students start out with sufficient familiarity with linguistic concepts, so as to be able to communicate about language and linguistic expressions at a sufficiently sophisticated analytic level. However, it is our experience that not all students arrive with the same level of background knowledge in these areas. This divergence in the level of prior acquaintance with grammatical concepts and linguistic analysis tends to cause delays in the programme.
Obligatory grammar test
In order to avoid such problems, all first-year students in the English department are required to take a basic grammar test. The purpose of the test is to assess your knowledge of basic grammatical concepts and your competence in linguistic analysis. Because this is an entry-level test, no ECTS are awarded for this test. However, the test is an obligatory part of the programme for all students pursuing a BA degree. You are required to pass the test in order to pass your BA exam.
Language of the test
As a student in the English department you are required to take the test in English. You should bear in mind, however, that the questions on the test are not only stated in English, the test also deals with grammatical concepts from the Anglo-Saxon tradition, which differ from those in the Dutch traditional grammar tradition that you may be familiar with if you arrive here from a Dutch-speaking school system. And of course, the test will require you to analyse English linguistic expressions, not Dutch ones. We advise you to assess on the basis of the practice materials available in Blackboard how familiar you are with the concepts tested, and to take sufficient time to practice.
Preparation
It is important to review how familiar you are with the grammatical concepts as we test them, as you may have been taught slightly different uses for some of the terms. We provide a list of all concepts tested, with example sentences, in Blackboard. Select the Blackboard site for “Basic Grammar Test (TL1V19002)”; then navigate to “Course content” and open the folder “Course materials for Basic Grammar Test”, then select the document entitled “Grammatical terms, example sentences and further reading”.
If you find that some of the concepts do not seem entirely familiar, look them up in one of the online books and resources on English grammar listed in the document. You can also access lists with translations of grammatical terms in Dutch, English and various other languages in the course materials folder.
Practice materials for the test are also available on the Blackboard site. Navigate to “Assignments” and choose the “Practice assignments” folder. It is important to prepare well for the test during the first weeks of block 1. The practice assignments are at the same level as the assignments on the test. Please refer back to the recommended reading if you find that you have trouble arriving at the correct answers in the practice materials.
Taking the test
The test will be administered in block 1, probably in week 4 or 5 of the block. The definitive place and time will be announced as soon as possible via Blackboard (look under Announcements). The test is not administered in Blackboard but with dedicated test software (Remindo). You pass the test if you answer at least 70 out of 100 questions correctly. If you fail to do so, you will need to take a resit exam later in the year.
Taking the resit exam
If you are prevented from attending the test due to illness or other circumstances, you are required to inform the course administrator (dr. E.G. Ruys) via grammaticatoetsMT.gw@uu.nl.
If you cannot participate in the test, or if you do participate but obtain a failing grade, you need to take the resit exam. You will be informed of this via the Blackboard site. Of course, students who fail the test are urged to read up on difficult concepts and practice with the practice assignments available on Blackboard.
For those students who fail the resit exam as well, we will organize an extra instruction session – the so-called remedial seminar – in December or January, followed by a final resit exam. If you do not attend the remedial seminar, you will not be eligible to take part in this second resit exam.
In the unlikely event that you should fail both resit exams, you will need to take the test again next year. In this case, you need to register for the course Basic Grammar Test (TL1V19002) in block 1 of the following year, via Osiris, during the regular enrolment period for blocks 1 and 2. In this case, you can take the test and resit exams again in the following year.
Students with a contract for teaching provisions (contract Onderwijsvoorzieningen)
If you are entitled to extra exam time or other provisions because of a disability or chronic illness, you are required to inform the course administrator at the beginning of block 1 (mail to: grammaticatoetsMT.gw@uu.nl). If you are late in informing the administrator, it may not be possible to organise the necessary provisions.
Questions?
Should you have any questions, please contact grammaticatoetsMT.gw@uu.nl. Please state your name, student registration number and programme, as well as the year in which you started the programme.
Importance of passing the test in block 1
Finally, we want to stress again that it is important that you pass the test as soon as possible, preferably during block 1, because this will benefit the quality of your contribution to courses focusing on language acquisition, linguistics and literature, and the quality of these courses as a whole. It will also make these courses easier for you.
The BSA at the end of the first year determines whether you may continue with your studies. The BSA is a decision by the Board of Examiners about the continuation of your studies, based on your study progress.
For the academic year 2023-2024 the BSA norm is 45 EC.
The BSA is determined as follows:
- positive BSA
- if you have obtained at least 45 EC at the end of the academic year 2023-2024. Credits associated with exemptions or courses from previous years do not count.
or - if you have completed the first-year program of your study at the end of 2023-2024. Both previously obtained results and exemptions are taken into account. For more information about this option please contact your study advisor.
- if you have obtained at least 45 EC at the end of the academic year 2023-2024. Credits associated with exemptions or courses from previous years do not count.
- negative BSA: if you fail to meet at least one of the conditions mentioned above.
You will receive your BSA at the end of July at your students.uu.nl email address.
Negative BSA
If your binding study recommendation comes back negative, you may not enrol in the degree programme again for another four years for the same programme at Utrecht University.
Interim study recommendation
At an earlier point during the academic year, you will receive what is called the 'interim study recommendation'. This recommendation is not binding. It is issued in December or January of the first year of study, and is based on the results of the first study period. You will receive:
- a positive interim recommendation for 15 EC or more;
- a progress warning for 7.5 EC;
- a negative interim recommendation for 0 EC.
Terminating your enrolment before February 1st
If you want to drop out of your current degree programme and you terminate your enrolment before February 1st (through Studielink), you will not receive a binding study advice and will be able to make a fresh start with the degree programme next year. Please note that this only applies in the first year that you are registered for your current degree programme.
Students who receive a warning or a negative recommendation are advised to contact their tutor and/or Study Advisor. The tutor can provide additional information on study progress. The Study Advisor can help with a wide range of questions on faculty regulations and the more organisational aspects of the programme, such as drawing up a realistic study plan, or discussing support with academic skills. Students can also make an appointment to see the Study Advisor to discuss any personal or social circumstances that affect their studies. To qualify for an exception to the BSA rules, contact with your Study Advisor is a prerequisite (see further information under the heading Special Personal Circumstances).
Stopping your degree programme
Students who wish to cease their studies (or who must do so following a negative BSA) are advised to discuss the matter with the Study Advisor. There may be regulations in place for you from which you can benefit. The Study Advisor can also provide information on options for studying something else at Utrecht University, or transferring to a degree programme at a different institution.
If you know (or suspect) that you will not be able to meet the BSA criteria due to personal circumstances, you may ask the Board of Examiners to take this into consideration when making their decision. However, it is important that you report and present evidence of these circumstances to the Study Advisor as soon as possible after they appear. The study advisor offers relevant guidance to prevent study delay where possible and informs you about relevant regulations and procedures.
Special circumstances include:
- illness
- pregnancy
- functional disorder
- serious mental problems
- serious family circumstances
- top-level sport
- management activities (for student organisations with full legal capacity, or as part of the organisation or management of Utrecht University, the faculty or the study programme)
Notifying the Board of Examiners
Further information on how to notify the Board of Examiners will follow in May 2024. Interviews with the Board of Examiners will take place in late June or early July 2024.
More information
Read more about the binding study advice (BSA) and special circumstances in Article 7.4 of the General Education and Examination Regulations for Bachelor's degree programmes.