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Hbo Bachelor's programmes take four years (240 ECTS). Wo Bachelor's programmes take three years (180 ECTS). The minimum admissions requirement for an hbo Bachelor's programme is a diploma at Dutch mbo level 4 (senior secondary vocational education) or Dutch havo (higher general secondary education).
There's also the difference in mission: WO universities are primarily research institutes, where research staff teaches - they have a very explicit, more-or-less-equal dual mission based on Humboldt's model (although you might not always say so by current student numbers).
Deadlines for applications are nearing, so in order for you to make the right choice in relation to what type of university you'll choose, I'd like to explain exactly what the difference between HBO and WO institutions is.
Research university (WO): The emphasis is on learning to look analytically and critically at the way a certain field can be approached. Higher professional education (HBO): Higher professional education trains for a specific profession. You apply your knowledge and work in a solution-oriented way.
The overview below sets out the most important differences between studying at a research university and at a university of applied sciences. Research University (WO) University of Applied Sciences (HBO) ‘Why’. Abstract, analytical skills, theoretical, asking questions.
WO is research university, HBO is applied sciences. The first one has a higher entry requirement, focuses more on research and concepts. The second one more on applying existing concepts into the real world.
In this dual system, higher professional education (HBO) is offered by universities of applied sciences (hogescholen), while research-oriented education is traditionally offered by research universities, such as Radboud University.
