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Hbo degree programmes have a professional orientation. Wo degree programmes have an academic orientation. Hbo Bachelor's programmes take four years (240 ECTS). Wo Bachelor's programmes take three years (180 ECTS).
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.
Higher professional education (HBO): Concrete, practical. 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.
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.
HBO or Hogeschool institutes are focused on applied higher education and usually offer 4-year Bachelor programs geared more towards the practical labor market. The academic universities (WO) are the highest possible level of education in the Netherlands.
In higher professional education (hbo), a bachelor’s degree lasts four years, in research university education (wo) three years. The master’s phase comes after the bachelor ‘s phase and lasts at least one year in both HBO and WO.
Applied sciences (hbo) or research university (wo), what are the similarities and differences? In the Netherlands there are two types of Bachelor’s degrees: hbo (higher vocational education) and wo (research university).
