Towards 400 years of Passion & Performance 4/28/2015 1 University of Groningen (RUG) ECTS grading table & grade conversion Regine van Groningen
4/28/2015 2 The Dutch Higher Education context A system with 13 research universities, 41 universities of applied sciences (hogescholen) and 1 open university (distance learning) Non-English-speaking country offering many courses taught in English (>1,560 international study programmes and courses) The Dutch system of higher education enjoys a worldwide reputation for high quality (a Universitas 21 study on educational systems ranks the Netherlands as number 9 worldwide). This quality is achieved through a national system of regulation and quality assurance (NVAO). The major rankings place most research universities in the Netherlands among the Top 200 in the world (NB the RUG is in the Top 100 THES 117, QS 90, ARWU 82) NB English is widely spoken throughout the Netherlands
4/28/2015 3 The European context / Bologna agenda; The three-cycle structure (BA-MA-PhD) has been implemented (Bachelor: 180 ECTS; Master: 60, 90, 120 or 180 ECTS; PhD: 180 0r 240 ECTS) ECTS & Diploma Supplement Labels awarded as early as 2008 Quality assurance: Netherlands-Flemish Accreditation Committee (NVAO) Lisbon Treaty has been ratified
4/28/2015 4 University of Groningen context (I) Arts Behavioural & Social Sciences Economics & Business Law Mathematics & Natural Sciences Medical Sciences Philosophy Spatial Sciences Theology & Religious Studies University College Groningen (from Sept 2014)
4/28/2015 5 University of Groningen context (II) 30,000 students in total Over 5000 international students > 50% of PhD students is international 120 nationalities 20% international staff (academics) 50% of all graduates will have gained international experience (aim for 2015) EU and RUG grants for outgoing mobility are available
4/28/2015 6 University of Groningen context (III) 50 Bachelor s degree programmes 116 Master s degree programmes, of which: 23 Bachelor s degree programmes in English 3 of those are double degree programmes 96 Master s degree programmes in English incl. 17 double degree programmes, 6 of which Erasmus Mundus Master programmes
4/28/2015 7 Student mobility 2013/2014 More than 5000 international students in bachelor and master programmes, of which 1300 for non-degree (credit) mobility (Erasmus and other programmes) 1154 outgoing non-degree students (study and internships) All bachelor and master degree students receive a Diploma Supplement with their degree certificate All non-degree students obtain a Transcript of Records, containing Dutch grades and ECTS credits Grade conversion will be dealt with by home universities
4/28/2015 8 Grading system in the Netherlands System of 1 to 10 in which 1 is the lowest, 10 the highest grade Minimum pass: 6 (5,5) 10 = excellent/outstanding 9 = very good 8 = good 7 = satisfactory 6 = sufficient 10 is rarely awarded, 9 is quite exceptional
Grading at institutional / departmental level 4/28/2015 9 Different study programmes tend to award grades in various ways. For instance: it may be easier for a student in study programme A to obtain an 8 than it is for a student in study programme B. In order to make the grades that are awarded in a specific degree programme more transparent, to better determine their actual value, and for mobile students to enable a fair conversion into local grades, the ECTS Grading Table has been introduced.
Study programmes compared 10
11 Calculation of grades distributed University level (MA) Faculty level (MA / Arts) Study level (MA / Arts / History)
ECTS Grading Table 4/28/2015 12 Introduced in 2013 The grading table provides a statistical distribution of grades for a specific degree programme, calculated over the past three years. It indicates the percentage of students who gained the grades mentioned in the transcript of records and gives a clear indication of the student s performance in relation to the current and the previous cohorts.
Diploma Supplement 13
More information 4/28/2015 14 www.rug.nl http://www.rug.nl/education/find-out-more/studying-atuniversity/the-ects-grading-table http://www.rug.nl/education/find-out-more/studying-atuniversity/diploma-supplement-ects-labels http://egracons.eu/page/egracons-video
4/28/2015 15 Thank you for your attention Questions? r.j.van.groningen@rug.nl www.rug.nl