NARIC guide on Higher Education Systems in the European Union

Upon completion of 168 credits in an HBO programme, students are awarded the getuigschrift hoger beroepsonderwijs,
stating the name of the faculty awarding the diploma and the study programme which the student completed. Since the
implementation of the WHW, the final exam is officially referred to as the afsluitend examen and the diploma as the
getuigschrift van het afsluitend examen. Both terms, getuigschrift hoger beroepsonderwijs and getuigschrift van het afsluitend
examen, are, however, in use ( 1 ).
All HBO graduates are permitted by law to use a particular title. Graduates of programmes in engineering, agriculture and
environmental science may use the title ingenieur, abbreviated as ing. Graduates of all other disciplines may use the title
baccalaureus, abbreviated as bacc. Abbreviated titles are in both cases placed in front of the person’s name. Graduates of all
programmes, regardless of discipline, may use the title Bachelor. This title is placed after the person’s name, and is normally
used in abbreviated form (B) followed by an indication of the discipline in which the programme was completed.
In addition to the three academic titles which are regulated and protected by law, graduates of HBO programmes can also use
a professional title such as fysiotherapeut (physical therapist) or maatschappelijk werker (social worker), designating the
profession which they have been trained to practise. Graduates are considered sufficiently qualified to practise their
professions, and may therefore use the professional title as soon as their degree is conferred without further training or
licensing examinations.
Graduates of post-HBO programmes in fine and performing arts and in architecture also receive a getuigschrift hoger
beroepsonderwijs, with the additional specification that the study programme in question is a tweede fase (i.e. post-HBO)
programme. Graduates of the post-HBO programme in architecture are directly eligible for registration as architects, and may
use the legally protected title.
II.3.2. Final university qualifications
The doctoraal diploma
Upon completion of 168 credits in a university programme, students are awarded the doctoraal diploma, stating the name of
the faculty awarding the diploma, the student’s major discipline and the minor or subsidiary subjects studied. Since the
implementation of the WHW, the doctoraalexamen is officially referred to as the afsluitend examen and the diploma as the
getuigschrift van het afsluitend examen. Both terms, doctoraal diploma and getuigschrift van het afsluitend examen are,
however, still in use ( 1 ).
All university graduates are permitted by law to use a particular title. Graduates of most disciplines may use the title
doctorandus, which is abbreviated as drs. in front of the name. The corresponding titles in engineering and law are ingenieur
(ir.) and meester (mr.) respectively. Since the introduction of the university education act of 1986 it has been possible for
doctoraal graduates to use the internationally more familiar title of ‘Master’, abbreviated as an ‘M’ after the name. This
possibility has also been included in the WHW.
In addition to the abovementioned academic titles, the legally protected titles psycholoog (psychologist) and architect may be
used by graduates of programmes in psychology and architecture, respectively.
The open university
The title baccalaureus (bacc.) or ingenieur (ing.) can be earned by completing an HBO programme requiring a total of 56
modules, i.e. 168 credits. University programmes also require a total of 56 modules, i.e. 168 credits, and graduates of
university programmes can use the titles doctorandus (drs.), ingenieur (ir.) and meester (mr.), depending on the programme.
A doctoraal diploma awarded by the OU gives admission to post-doctoraal courses at regular universities. The same applies
to HBO diplomas conferred by the OU.