Level of diplomas
To which Dutch diplomas can you compare diplomas from England, Wales and Northern Ireland?
| Diploma | RQF/CQFW | EQF | Comparable to |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in 6 subjects (D to G or 3 to 1) | 1 | 2 | a VMBO-T diploma |
| General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in 6 subjects (A* to C or 9 to 4) | 1 | 2 | at least a VMBO-T diploma |
| BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma | 3 | 4 | an MBO diploma level 4 |
| Access to HE Diploma | 3 | 4 | an MBO diploma level 4, a HAVO or a VWO diploma |
|
The following combination:
|
3 | 4 | a HAVO diploma |
|
The following combination:
|
3 | 4 | a HAVO diploma |
|
The following combination:
|
3 | 4 | a VWO diploma |
| Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) with a study load of 120 CATS | 4 | 5 | an associate degree, 2 years of HBO or 1 year of WO |
| Higher National Certificate (HNC) | 4 | 5 | an associate degree or 2 years of HBO |
| Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) with a study load of 240 CATS | 5 | 5 | 3 years of HBO or 2 years of WO |
| Higher National Diploma (HND) with a study load of 240 CATS | 5 | 5 | 3 years of HBO or 2 years of WO |
| Bachelor (Ordinary) degree | 6 | 6 | at least 3 years of HBO or at least 2 years of WO |
| Bachelor (Honours) degree | 6 | 6 | an HBO or a WO bachelor's degree |
| Master's degree | 7 | 7 | an HBO or a WO master’s degree |
| MA/MSc by research | 7 | 7 | a WO master's degree |
| Master of Philosophy | 7 | 7 | a WO master's degree (research master) |