Electives / minor

Electives

45 credits of the CPS programme consists of electives. This part offers you an orientation possibility into those subjects that you find interesting.
From the elective courses, at least 7.5 EC must be at level 2 (deepened) and 22.5 EC at level 3 (advanced), leaving 15 EC for level 1 (introductory) courses. Of course you can also follow all 45 EC at level 3.
Electives can be chosen from the offered CPS electives (see schedule of the CPS) or from other courses of Utrecht University, from another university in the Netherlands or abroad.

Note 1: Especially when you choose electives outside the CPS, notice that there might be specific entry requirements for courses and note that registration periods might be different at other faculties / universities.
Note 2: electives outside Utrecht University must be approved by the Board of Examiners.
Note 3: Be aware that a replication of content in relation to courses already completed is not allowed

Ways of finding electives

  • In the course offerings schedule of the CPS, the courses labeled with a green colour, are the optional electives offered by the CPS itself.
  • The Courseplanner is an application where you can easily browse for courses, offered by the faculty of Science. You can refine your search for courses of a certain level, in a certain period or timeslot. 
  • The Osiris course catalogue is an application where you can browse for all courses offered by Utrecht University. You can select the language of instruction.

Examples of Electives

Minors

You can also choose to do a minor (mostly consisting of 30 EC). A minor is a set of fixed courses related to the same subject. Minor courses are especially designed for students from outside the programme that offers the minor. You may choose to do a complete minor or just certain courses from a minor. You can select for English taught minors.

Educational Minor (Educatieve Minor)

In this 30 EC minor (taught in Dutch) you will qualify for an initial teacher qualification in Chemistry for lower secondary education (vmbo-t and the lower grades in havo and vwo). About half of the programme consists of a school placement, the other will be filled with coursework and training to provide you with a background in classroom management, educational design, educational psychology, and subject matter teaching. Activities include: observing and analysing teaching activities, designing and teaching your own lessons. At the start of the programme, you will write a personal development plan to define your study objectives, tailored to your individual needs. You will document your progress in a personal portfolio.

More information: Educatieve minor.

Minor History and Philosophy of Science

At the university, students are taught to conduct scientific research according to a specific method. But why do we practice science in this way and not another? How did modern science come into being? Are other methods imaginable? How certain is our knowledge and where do fundamental concepts in evolutionary theory, relativity theory and quantum mechanics come from? Where does our concept of ‘number’ come from and what is the relation between alchemy and chemistry? The minor History and Philosophy of Science (taught in Dutch) addresses these questions and the various ways in which they can be answered. The minor will broaden and deepen any Bachelor’s programme. In addition, it is an excellent preparation to the Master's programmes History and Philosophy of Science and Science Education and Communication.