Elective courses

You are free to partly choose your study program curriculum, based on your interests and ambitions. You could choose to specialize in a specific field, or to build up a broader profile by choosing electives in multiple fields. This is also possible when you choose for an honor’s program or get your qualifications to become an upper-class high school teacher. While composing your bachelor’s program curriculum, you can choose for a USE learning trajectory (15 ECTS) and electives (45 ECTS) that fit you best. The number of electives you can take is less when you take a combined major: 

• Applied Mathematics – Computer Science and Engineering: 10 ECTS for electives and 15 ECTS USE-learning trajectory 
• Applied Mathematics – Applied Physics: 10 ECTS for electives and 15 ECTS USE learning trajectory 

When you start your studies, you can find an overview in Osiris where all the required courses of your study program are stated. You can choose coherent packages, single electives, and USE-tracks via the PlanApp. You can basically choose from all courses that the Bachelor’s College offers, even major courses from other study programs. It’s also possible to choose more than one USE learning trajectory (this is seen as a coherent electives package of 15 ECTS). 

Make sure that at the end of the first year you have a clear picture of what you want to do in the elective space. If necessary, discuss this with your academic advisor.

When choosing your electives, pay attention to the following: 

• The required knowledge 
• The timeslot at which the course is given 
• The fact that there can’t be any overlap with your major courses and between the electives themselves 

You take three courses every quarter. The courses that you can take are all mentioned in the course catalogue (Osiris). Both your coach and the PlanApp can help you choosing. During the annual Check Your Match-event, it’s possible to get more information on electives and the USE learning trajectory possibilities. 

If you have added elective courses, packages and/or USE-tracks to your required exam program, and if you got 90 ECTS, you can submit your proposal for the elective space to the Examination Committee via the PlanApp, which they’ll assess. The Examination Committee evaluates your proposal for the elective space based on coherence, depth, and overlap. Your study advisor can review your elective space beforehand. 

The Examination Committee approves your exam program if: 

• There’s enough coherence between the electives (coherence elective packages can help) 
• There’s no overlap between major courses and electives and between electives themselves. Check the overview of your major to see which courses this entails and contact your study advisor if you have any questions 
• If the electives (including USE learning trajectory) have a minimum of 30 ECTS study components of level 2 or 3. 

If the Examination Committee approves your proposal for the elective space, then this is ‘frozen’ in Osiris. You can change the timeline in the PlanApp, but you can’t change anything about the composition of your elective space. If you want to take another elective or coherent package and you do not have a diploma request yet, then you have to submit a new proposal for the elective space  to the Examination Committee again. You can submit this new proposal via the PlanApp, click here for more information on how to do that. Keep in mind that it can take up to four weeks before the Examination Committee has taken a decision.

• Approval or disapproval of your elective space is separate from course registration. Every quarter, you can register for four courses at a time 
• The Examination Committee has to approve if you want to take additional courses outside your exam program. You have to submit a request through your study advisor. If you pass the course, then this will be stated on your track record when you graduate 
• Even if your exam program is frozen, you can register for courses. These will than be stated as extracurricular courses. It’s possible, however, that the study credits you gained don’t count for the assessment whether you comply with the graduation requirements. The Examination Committee has to assess this. 
• Use your first year’s electives to orientate yourself o your interests and the way you’d like to compose your remaining electives 
• Do you want to continue your studies with a Master’s degree program? Check out the Landelijke doorstroom-matrix.  If your major doesn’t give direct access to a master’s degree program, it’s useful to take electives that improve the transition from a bachelor’s program to a master’s program. Always consult the academic advisor of the master’s program to see if you need to take additional courses.