Overview

 The Foundation Programme trains for the following Maastricht University bachelor's programmes:

• Economics and Business Economics
• European Law School
• European Public Health
• International Business
• Maastricht Science Programme
• University College Venlo
• Data Science and Knowledge Engineering
• Econometrics and Operations Research
• Arts and Culture
• European Studies
• Digital Society

• Global Studies
• Business Analytics

The switch from high school to university education can be challenging - especially when you are planning to study abroad. To give yourself the best chance of succeeding in your study, you should prepare properly for this challenge. In the Foundation Programme, you will be able to familiarise yourself with a new culture and adjust to a new style of learning. The intensive education and training that you will receive during this programme will make you eligible for your chosen bachelor’s programme. It will help you be able to ‘hit the ground running’ and get the most out of your university education.

The one-year, full-time Foundation Programme consists of four parts:

• Content courses
• Academic skills training
• English language training
• Cultural and social events

Assessment

Your progress will be assessed throughout the Foundation Programme using written assignments, presentations and exams. You can only begin with your bachelor’s programme once you have passed the entire Foundation Programme successfully. As it happens, our students have a high success rate - over 75% of them advance to the bachelor’s programme of their choice.

Additional support

The Foundation Programme staff and mentors offer additional support with practical issues (such as housing, banking and insurance) to help you get settled in Maastricht. Before you arrive, we will apply for your visa (if you need one) and will provide you with information about housing options. Other practical matters will be taken care of during the first week of the Foundation Programme. This will also be the time you will meet your fellow students, your mentor and the Foundation Programme staff.

After the Programme

Once you have successfully passed the programme, you will be eligible for the Maastricht University bachelor’s programme we prepared you for.

Please note that some bachelor's programmes still require an additional application after graduating from the Foundation Programme. As part of the Foundation Programme, we will also assist you in this application procedure.

So far we have placed 100% of our graduates in the bachelor's programme of their choice.

Start your application via the “apply now” button or by sending us an email. During the application procedure you will need to provide us with:

• A certified copy of your original high school diploma including a grade list, along with an official English translation. Students who are yet to graduate are also welcome to apply. In this case, a conditional acceptance is possible
• Proof of at least an overall 5.5 on an IELTS exam (or equivalent) with a minimum score of 5.0 for each test component (listening, reading, writing and speaking). Students who are yet to take the language test are also welcome to apply. In this case, a conditional acceptance is possible
• A copy of your passport
• A curriculum vitae or resume
• A motivation letter (500 words), outlining the reasons you are applying to the Foundation Programme by answering the following 3 questions:
  • Why would you like to enrol in the Foundation Programme?
  • What are you hoping to learn in the follow-up bachelor’s programme?
  • Why would you like to study in Maastricht?
• Please note that to enrol in the Foundation Programme you must be at least 17 years old.

Admission date and deadline

If you need a visa or have extra immigration requirements to study in the Netherlands, you must apply on time or your application will not be accepted. If you apply before our early applicant deadline of April 15, you will receive a tuition discount of €500.

• Early Applicants (€500 discount): 15 April 2020
• Applicants with a visa requirement: 1 August 2020
• Applicants with no visa requirement: 15 September 2020

There are many reasons to enroll in the Foundation Programme, such as familiarizing yourself with the culture and a new style of learning, to becoming eligible for the bachelor's programme of your choice. In addition, the Foundation Programme offers additional support to help you with some of the challenges that come with living abroad, for instance: applying for a visa, looking for housing and taking out insurance.

The Foundation Programme will help you get started

The switch from high school to university education can be challenging, especially when you are planning to study abroad. To give yourself the best chance of succeeding in your study, you should prepare properly for this challenge.

In the Foundation Programme, you will be able to familiarise yourself with a new culture and adjust to a new style of learning. It will help you be able to ‘hit the ground running’ and get the most out of your university education.

We will train and test you in a variety of ways to prepare you for the future bachelor’s exams, we will introduce basic academic study skills and we will do all of this in the Problem-based Learning system that characterises Maastricht University.

The Foundation Programme staff and mentors offer additional support with practical issues to help you settle in Maastricht. Before you arrive, we will apply for your visa (if you need one) and will provide you with information about housing options. Once you have arrived in Maastricht you will join our introduction period and we will assist you in all the things you need to know as a new international student in Maastricht. 

Other practical matters, such as banking, transportation and insurance will be taken care of during the first week of the Foundation Programme with the support of the Foundation Programme staff.

Become eligible for a bachelor's programme

Successfully passing all parts of the Foundation Programme makes you eligible for the Maastricht University bachelor's programme you applied for.

All the Foundation Programme graduates were offered a place in the programme of their choice, even though some bachelor's programmes have an additional selection procedure and do not automatically place eligible students.

• 75% of all Foundation Programme students finished the programme successfully
• 100% of our graduates were accepted into a bachelor's programme

If a student should fail the Foundation Programme, we help them look for a suitable study alternative. We have been able to assist several students in finding an alternative study location after the Foundation Programme.

1+3 years = a bachelor's degree

Successfully passing the one-year Foundation Programme will make you eligible for a bachelor's study at UM. The bachelor's programmes last three years. This means you can obtain a bachelor's degree within four years. Master's programmes take one or two years additionally.

Four pillars of the Foundation Programme

Content courses

In the content courses, we look at the academic theory, what to study, and the way to study this. We try out different examination formats, the Problem-Based Learning methodology and look at different types of academic sources.

Intro to Europe: focuses on various aspects of living and studying in Europe, different examination methods are introduced and you will practice discussing in an international classroom with students from different backgrounds and English levels.

Research methods: introduces you to scientific methodology and provides the necessary tools for understanding how academic research is set up.

Critical reading: focusses on the way to tackle complex pieces of text, from different academic disciplines.

Mathematics: offers level-based classes supported by an online environment with exercises providing instant feedback. Students are divided into groups with different end requirements depending on your chosen bachelor's programme. Topics range from algebra and equations to differentiation and integration (amongst others).

In the fourth period, students are divided over different “Intro to” courses depending on their chosen bachelor with content ranging from introductions into Economics, Law, Health, Sciences and the Humanities.

In the last period, you tackle a Research and Reading project in small teams. The projects are based on the content of your final course and the skills practised during the skills training periods.

Different bachelor's - different tracks

Since Foundation Programme students go to different bachelor's programmes afterwards, they also need to enrol in different courses during the Foundation Programme. Your choice of Bachelor influences the level of mathematics you need to follow (from basic to advanced), means you enrol in either research methods or in critical reading, and finally it decides the content of your “Intro to…” course. This final course of the Foundation Programme focusses on the most important topics that you will cover during your further bachelor studies. It lays the foundation for the bachelor's programme of your choice.

Students are divided over different courses depending on their chosen bachelor's programme. The “intro to” courses are organised by teaching staff from your future faculty. 

Successfully passing the one-year Foundation Programme will make you eligible for a bachelor's study at UM. A bachelor's programme at Maastricht University is a perfect setup for a master's programme or a career.

Employability

Are you looking forward to an exciting career in the Netherlands? After you have obtained a bachelor's or master's diploma from Maastricht University you will be eligible for an orientation year whereby your residence permit for the Netherlands is extended for a maximum of one year. You can use this orientation year to find a job in the Netherlands. Graduates who then find employment within this orientation year will be eligible for a residence permit.

Knowledge and skills are highly valued in the Netherlands and opportunities in fast-growing industries and academic institutions are waiting for you. Maastricht University alumni have among the highest employability ratings of all Dutch universities.

Career guidance at UM

Maastricht University prepares students for a successful career in the international job market. A good future begins with a good education, but the university also provides excellent career guidance. Maastricht University's Career Services helps you explore your options and gives you the tools to get the job you want by providing:

• Personal guidance from trained career counsellors
• Application and career management training and workshops
• Information on the labour market, vacancies, internships and traineeships.