Bridging programmes

Many Master’s degree programmes offer graduates of related HBO programmes a special transfer programme. Before you can begin your Master’s degree, you must follow a so-called bridging programme. HBO graduates cannot automatically register for a Master's programme. The most common transfers have standard bridging programmes. A combination that is less usual does not necessarily mean that there is no bridging programme, just that one will have to be tailored to your situation.

NB: the two programmes must be related to each other in some way. For example, you cannot transfer from Primary School teacher training college to a Master's degree in Archaeology.

Transferring with a HBO degree

Some degree programmes offer a bridging programme (one or two years) that results in a certificate of admission for a certain Master’s degree programme or a university Bachelor’s degree certificate that grants admission to a range of Master’s degree programmes. Please contact the study advisor of your chosen Master's degree to discuss your options.

Transferring during your HBO degree programme

Some degree programmes enable you to follow an extra heavy programme during your last HBO year to prepare you for a Master’s degree. This enables you to earn 30 ECTS credits from the bridging programme in advance. A limited number of Master’s degree programmes will then permit you to join immediately on graduation, without having to follow the bridging programme or suffer other delay. Others will require you to follow a shortened bridging programme worth a further 30 ECTS credits. Whether this applies to you depends on your HBO degree programme and which programme you want to follow at the University of Groningen.

Agreements the University of Groningen has with Universities of Professional Education in the North

The University of Groningen has drawn up agreements with HBO degree programmes in the north about the extra heavy HBO programme. This arrangement enables you to follow certain university-level modules during your HBO Bachelor’s programme. Only outstanding students will be allowed to follow this programme. If you are interested, please contact your study advisor or the study advisor of the Master’s degree programme you want to follow.