Level of diplomas
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 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) |
Study load
The amount of time the average student needs to master the subject matter/course material. This includes both contact hours (education) and hours for self-study. Educational institutions describe the study load in credits, such as ECTS.
- You can find information about the Dutch diplomas on our web pages about the education system in the Netherlands.
- You can find more information about how we compare diplomas via Credential evaluation.
- SBB evaluates foreign diplomas and training at VMBO and MBO level. The evaluation may vary if the SBB evaluates the diploma for admission to VET schools or for work in the Netherlands.