Amsterdam, Netherlands - SEO Economisch Onderzoek

(higher health care education, HZO), hoger pedagogisch onderwijs (higher teacher education),HPO), hoger sociaal-agogisch onderwijs (higher behavioral-societal education, HSAO), hogertechnisch onderwijs (higher technical education, HTNO) and kunstonderwijs (art-relatededucation, KUO). As the figure shows, the vast majority of UAS students are enrolled ineconomics and business-related programmes (HEO). With an increase of over 20,000 studentsover the last four years, economics and business-related education was the fastest growing sectorin absolute terms. In relative terms, the growth in HEO students (15.4%) was surpassed by thegrowth in health-related programmes (HGZO, 21.4%) and social-behavioral programmes (HSAO,33.5%). Agricultural (HAO) and teacher education-related (HPO) programmes have become lesspopular, they faced a decline of over 600 and almost 5,000 students, respectively. Especially thedevelopment in the teacher education sector is worrisome, as the labor market for teachers at theprimary and secondary level is already plagued by a lack of supply of teachers.Figure 2-4: Students at UAS by broad disciplines160,000140,000120,000100,00080,00060,00040,00020042006200820,0000HAO HEO HGZO HPO HSAO HTNO KUOSource: HBO-raad (2009)Figure 2-5 gives a broad classification of educational programmes at research universitiesaccording to nine different domains: agriculture, nature, technology, health, economics, law,behavior & society, language & culture, and teaching. Most students (more than 45,000) areenrolled in Bachelors or Masters programmes within the behavior & society domain, such aspsychology. Over the years 2002-08, the largest absolute increase in students (8,710) is found inthe educational programmes related to the theme language & culture. In relative terms, the growthof these educational programmes (35%) was only surpassed by the increase in students enrolledin programmes in the domain nature (an increase of 39%). Contrary to UAS, the studentenrolment at universities is on the rise for all educational domains in recent years (over the 1993-98 period the total student population at universities was still in decline). The lowest growth isfound among educational programmes related to technology (10%). Interestingly enough, thegrowth in university students has also been low for the domains economics (13%) and law (11%),which are among the fastest growing areas of interest for UAS students.40