View the General Terms and Conditions for Registration Open Group Courses.

CEFR level

The aims of our general language courses are described in terms of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), developed by the Council of Europe. The CEFR is a reference framework that provides a basis for comparing language proficiency levels and interpreting test scores.

Target Group / Office Hours

The Language Centre's courses are designed for students of 18 years and older who have followed higher education. If you are not sure whether our courses are right for you, please visit our office hours.

For some language courses, it is strongly recommended or even mandatory (Dutch and English) to attend the office hour and speak to a teacher. During that meeting the teacher will determine which course is most suitable for you.

Language of Instruction

The target language is the language of instruction as much as possible. When necessary, the course is taught in Dutch and/or English, depending on the members of the group and the teacher.

Lesson Duration

A contact hour during a lesson in person lasts 50 minutes (excluding break). Classes start on the hour.

Course Materials

On each course page there is a description of the course material. The course material is not included in the course fee. The course material is not available at the Language Centre, unless stated otherwise on the course page.

Group Size

There is a maximum of 16 participants in each group, unless otherwise indicated in the course description.

Intern

An intern may attend our courses, but always under the supervision of the teacher.

Attendance Certificate

At the end of a course, every participant will receive an attendance certificate on condition that they have attended 75% of the lessons.

You can register for a course via our online course catalogue. The link to the catalogue can be found on each course page on this website.

To purchase a course, please log in via SURFconext:

Login for students or employees of: University of Groningen, UMCG, Hanze University Groningen, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences or University of Twente.

Choose your educational institution or employer from the list shown on SURFconext. You will then be redirected to your own login service. Your account will be automatically activated with the data known to your educational institution or employer. This means that all communication about the registration will take place via the e-mail address with which you are known by your employer or educational institution. Special discount rates for our courses are only visible if you log in this way.

Login for other interested parties

Are you not (yet) a student or staff member of one of the above institutions? Then log in by choosing eduID in SURFconext:

You can now easily create a new account with your private email address.

Once you are logged in, only the courses that apply to you will be shown in the catalogue. Courses for which you have not yet received the right advice through our office hours or at the end of the course, are visible but you cannot yet register for them. Online registration is possible up to 7 or 14 days before the start of a course, this is indicated per course.

Please keep in mind that a course may be full at an earlier time. Therefore, we advise you to register as soon as possible. If a course is full, please register for our waiting list via the link on the course page. If a place becomes available, you will be contacted.

Payment methods

Payment via iDeal or credit card

You will be redirected directly to the payment provider as soon as you choose this option. After checkout you will receive a confirmation of your order and the invoice by email.

Payment guarantee for University of Groningen employees

If a University of Groningen faculty or department will be paying for your course, we ask you to choose the internal payment method. You will be redirected to the internal UG payment system where you can purchase the course using an internal project code.

Payment guarantee for University of Groningen students, PhDs' and postdocs

On the basis of your UG account details, the course catalogue will read whether you are eligible for reimbursement of your course by the Board of the University. In this case the course is free of charge for you, PhD's and postdocs with the 30% tax facility can pay their own part of the course fee directly via iDeal or credit card.

If you do not see an opportunity for a free or partially reimbursed course, you either do not belong to the target group or you have already used up your credit balance of the maximum number of courses to be followed.

Payment guarantee UMCG or University of Twente

When you are logged in with Surfconext via the account of your educational institution or employer, you will automatically see the payment option whereby your educational institution or employer reimburses the costs for you.

Pay with a loan from the Education Executive Agency (DUO)

You can pay for Dutch courses at the University of Groningen Language Centre in preparation for the State Examination in Dutch as a Second Language (level B2) or Staatsexamen NT2 with a loan from the Education Executive Agency (DUO). You should register as follows:

1. Visit en.inburgeren.nl for more information about integration.
2. Request a loan from DUO. Log in to My Integration on the internet. You will need DigiD to get access to government websites. Online requests are processed much faster than paper form requests.
3. Go to our overview of Dutch courses
4. If this is your first Dutch course at the Language Centre, you must first register for an intake.
5. Register online for the course or the waiting list. Select the payment option ‘DUO loan for integration via the State Examination in Dutch as a Second Language (level B2) or Staatsexamen NT2 '.

6. When you register for your Language Centre course, upload a photocopy or scan of the letter in which DUO approves your loan. For all future courses that you register for, you must present the most recent overview of your DUO grant.

7. You will be sent more information about the course by e-mail one week before the course is due to begin.
8. Before the start of the course you will receive a digital course contract which you must sign. This contract states the conditions applying to your course schedule, in line with the criteria of Blik op Werk.
   1. DUO invoice – stating the costs of your course and the teaching material. The Language Centre will submit the invoice to DUO. DUO will pay for the course using your loan.
9. After the course your DUO invoice will be sent to your DUO-account, you need to approve this invoice in your account. The Language Centre will inform you on this.

N.B. the Language Centre satisfies the Blik op Werk quality standard. This means that course participants who are obliged to participate in a civic integration programme can use their loan from the Education Executive Agency (DUO) to pay for their Dutch language course. The obligation to participate in a civic integration programme applies to all course participants who have not yet gained their civic integration certificate or passed the State Examination in Dutch as a Second Language.

If you have already passed the Inburgering A2 course or the State Examination for Programme I (B1) or II (B2), you no longer have this obligation and are thus not permitted to use a DUO loan for the course. If you want to use your DUO loan for the course, you should therefore not take any exams until after you have completed the course.

Online courses are taught via Blackboard Collaborate, in the online learning environment of the UG. Read here everything you can expect from an online language course.

On-site courses will be held as much as possible in the University buildings in the city centre of Groningen. However, sometimes we have to use different locations due to a lack of available rooms. Locations may also change for part of the course period. As room timetables are always announced very late, we will not be able to inform you of where your course will take place until less than a week before the start of the course. Here is an overview of the various course locations:

• Academy building RUG, Broerstraat 5
• Archeology building RUG, Broerstraat 9
• Aweg Education building/Arctic Centre, Aweg 30
  • (Detailed map Aweg)
• Bloemstraat, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences (GMW), Bloemstraat 36/36a
• Calmershuis, Oude Boteringestraat 24
• Harmonie complex, Faculty of Arts, Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat 26
  • ( Detailed map Harmonie)
• Meerwold location, Laan Corpus den Hoorn 300
• Munting building, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1
• Oude Boteringestraat 18
• OB 23, Oude Boteringestraat 23
• OB 34 HOVO, Oude Boteringestraat 34
• Forum Groningen, Nieuwe Markt 1
• Poststraat 6 (Institute for Archeology)
• Turftoren building, Faculty of Law, entrance: Uurwerkersgang
  • (Detailed map Turftoren building)
• University College Groningen (UCG), building 4345, Hoendiepskade 23/24
• University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) building 3211, Antonius Deusinglaan 1
  • (Detailed map UMCG Antonius Deusinglaan 1 and 2)
• University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) building 3111, Antonius Deusinglaan 2
  • (Detailed Map UMCG Antonius Deusinglaan 1 and 2)
• Zernike Duisenberg building 5411, 5412, 5414, Faculty of Economics and Business, Nettelbosje 2
• Zernike Kapteynborg building 5419, Faculty of Science and Engingeering, Landleven 12

You can request a cancellation by email via languagecentre@rug.nl.

The following applies to Dutch courses:

1. If the registration is cancelled by the registered person or the client in writing or by e-mail at least 10 working days before the starting date of the course the registration fee will be refunded or a voucher will be issued allowing the course participant to enrol in an equivalent course. This voucher is valid for 1 year from the day of issue and is not exchangeable for cash.
2. If the registration is cancelled by the registered person or the client less than 10 working days before the starting date of the course, the full amount of the registration fee is forfeit.

The following applies to other courses:

1. If the registration is cancelled by the registered person or the client in writing or by e-mail at least 5 working days before the starting date of the course the registration fee will be refunded or a voucher will be issued allowing the course participant to enrol in an equivalent course. This voucher is valid for 1 year from the day of issue and is not exchangeable for cash.
2. If the registration is cancelled by the registered person or the client less than 5 working days before the starting date of the course, the full amount of the registration fee is forfeit.

The Language Centre aims to provide optimal service. Should you not be fully satisfied with any of the services provided by the Language Centre, however, please let us know. More information about the Language Centre Complaints Procedure.