University Education  

The Netherlands has 13 universities, which train students for the independent practice of science. The universities differ in the programmes they offer. Nine offer education in a broad range of fields: natural sciences, health, economics, law, behaviour and society, and language and culture, for example. Four universities offer more specific curricula, three in engineering and one in agriculture. 

Higher Professional Education (HBO) 

Higher professional education, or HBO, is practice-oriented. Students are prepared for professions that require scientific knowledge as well as skills for applying that knowledge. There are some 70 hogescholen in the Netherlands, enroling a total of some 260,000 students. They generally have close ties with the industries and organizations that employ their graduates. This enables them to adapt their programmes quickly to the changing needs of the labour market.
If you are considering enroling in a regular, four-year programme of study at a Dutch university or hogeschool, there are several things you need to know. For foreign students there are no Dutch scholarships or fellowships available for pursuing a doctorate at a Dutch university.

Enroling as an independent foreign student - that is, not in connection with an exchange programme - requires careful preparation. You must make sure to choose the programme and course that meets your needs, and you must obtain all the necessary information from the university or hogeschool in question. The best person to contact first is usually the student dean: this should be done at least a year in advance of the academic year you wish to come to the Netherlands.

International Education  

Several institutes of International Education (IE) however, do offer the possibility of earning a doctor's degree or a Ph.d. and a small number of scholarships are available for this purpose. These institutes tend to specialize in fields with particular relevance for developing countries. The scholarships are provided by the Dutch government from its budget for development cooperation.
A growing number of Dutch university departments are making a special effort to accommodate doctoral candidates from other countries. Foreign students can earn the doctor's degree using the "sandwich model". They prepare their research projects at the Dutch university, conduct field work in their own countries, and then return to the Dutch university to write up and defend their dissertation and receive their degree.

International Education is meant primarily for people at postgraduate level who already have some professional experience. Curricula are intensive, at an advanced level, practically oriented, and designed to meet the expectations of students seeking specialized knowledge. The courses alternate theory with practice in real or simulated work situations. These are in fact the main characteristics of all international courses offered in the Netherlands.

These advanced courses are conducted in English. They are offered by universities and hogescholen and at special IE institutes. The Netherlands has almost 300 different courses and study programmes, which each year enrol over 4000 participants.

A wide range of subjects are covered. IE courses last anywhere from a few weeks to four years. Most IE courses lead to a diploma: a number of the longer courses lead to a master's degree; and at some IE institutes one can earn a Ph.D.