Erasmus University

Application and admission

Once you have decided on a study programme, you will need to start preparing for your studies abroad. The process starts with an application for admission. Procedures can vary per type of programme, please refer to the Erasmus University website and then choose your faculty (www.eur.nl).

Baggage lockers

A rate of € 0,50 applies for the baggage lockers rented on the Woudestein complex near the University library, and likewise, € 0,30 for the ones in the "winkelstraat". The rate is valid for one users period, with a maximum of one day within opening hours. When the lockers are not cleared by the user on time, it will consequently be emptied after 10.30 p.m. and all found items will deposited at the central reception desk in the C hall. Upon payment of the storage costs (€ 11,50 for the first two weeks and € 22,50 in case storage exceeds more than 2 weeks, till a maximum of four weeks), the items are returned to the rightful owner. One is referred to the regulations set up by the Board of Directors.

Banking facilities

Bank branches and Cash dispensers

ABN-AMRO Cash dispensers

There are three cash dispensers on the Woudestein campus where you can obtain cash using your bank card (outside the branch's business hours as well). Two cash dispensers are located in the corridor between the lecture rooms lobby and the restaurant on the ground floor of the high-rise building (HB-2), next to the entrance to the bank. At one of these dispensers it is also possible to deposit money (euro notes) using your bank card. The third dispenser is in the wall (next to the Postbank cash dispenser) on the south side of building L.
At Hoboken a cash dispenser is located next to the ABN-AMRO Bank in the FD corridor.

Postbank Cash dispenser
In the wall on the southside of building L on the Woudestein campus is a Postbank cash dispenser.

Bank branches

The ABN-AMRO Bank has a branch at Hoboken and at Woudestein. Both branches offer commercial as well as private customers a full package of financial services. As neither branch has cash facilities, you can't deposit, withdraw or change money there.

Hoboken

FD corridor, telephone 0900-0024 Hours of business:
Monday 13:00-17:00 hours
Tuesday-Friday 09:00-17:00 hours.

Woudestein

Room HB-2, telephone 0900-0024 Hours of business:
Monday through Tuesday 09:00-12:30 hours.

Bookstore Donner

The Donner EUR bookstore in Woudestein's shopping street is a branch of Donner on the Lijnbaan in the city centre. Donner EUR focuses mainly, but not exclusively, on the university community. It aims to be able to supply all prescribed literature from stock during the lecture period in which the literature in question is being used. Outside this period, prescribed literature can often only be obtained by order.

Donner Lijnbaan in principle supplies books for all study programmes, but focuses especially on medical students. Donner EUR supplies books to the students of the programmes given at Woudestein. In order to have the correct numbers of a title in house in good time, Donner sends all members of the teaching staff a form on which to list the prescribed compulsory reading ("adoptions") well before the start of a new lecture period. In view of the time needed for preparation, return of the form at least two months before the lecture in question is much appreciated. Besides the prescribed literature, Donner EUR also has much recent academic literature in stock. It is sometimes possible to order books 'for inspection'. The store also has a limited selection of general books.

Arrangement can be made for books in stock at the Lijnbaan branch of Donner to be picked up at the EUR branch. From mid-August 2003, the EUR catalogue of courses will be available from Donner EUR and Donner Lijnbaan.

Hours of business:
September-December and February-April: Monday-Thursday 09:00-19:00 hours; Friday 09:00-17:00 hours;

The rest of the year: Monday-Thursday 09:00-17:30 hours; Friday 09:00-17:00 hours. Donner Books: CT-30, Woudestein shopping street, telephone +31 10 408 1150, fax +31 10 452 8078, e-mail: eur@donner.nl

Career advisor

The university provides career advice. The career adviser provides information about job applications and the job market offers individual career guidance and provides career training. In this way the career adviser contributes to the successful careers of students.

Dutch educational system

All Dutch universities, including the Open University, offer bachelor programmes which take 3 years or 180 ECTS credits. It is possible that after the first year or 60 ECTS credits there is an separate examination: the propedeuse. All the bachelor programmes of the Open University have such propedeuses. Following each bachelor programme there is at least one master’s programme. Generally the master’s programmes are one year or 60 ECTS credits. All master programmes in science and technology are two years or 120 ECTS credits.

In general, a foregoing academic bachelor’s degree is needed for admission to a master’s programme. Under certain conditions, however, admission is possible with another degree, especially a bachelor’s degree of the professional education.

The programmes of the Hoger beroepsonderwijs are 4 years or 240 ECTS credits. The vocational and adult education is not a part of higher education in the Netherlands and is not further mentioned here.

Description of the national higher education awards structure

After passing a bachelor’s programme of a university a student receives the degree of bachelor of arts or of science. The discipline is also mentioned, e.g. in Mathematics.
After passing a master’s programme of a university a student receives the degree of master of arts or of science. Here the discipline is mentioned too. Persons with a master’s degree are also allowed to use the old academic title doctorandus (drs.) unless their field is engineering, in which case the title is ingenieur (ir.), or law, in which case the title is meester (mr.).
After passing the final examination of the professional education a student receives the degree of bachelor. Persons with a bachelor’s degree are also allowed to use the title of baccalaureus (bc.) unless their field is engineering, agriculture and natural environment, in which case the title is ingenieur (ing.).

Bologna declaration

The introduction of the Bachelor/Master system in the European Higher Education is the result of a joint declaration of the European Ministers of Education, also referred to as the Bologna declaration. Its aim is to construct a European Higher Education Area that will aid the overall development of the European continent by increasing mobility and employability of its citizens. The European Higher Education Area will consist of educational systems in the European member states that are comparable and internationally competitive.

Bachelor / Master at Erasmus University

In line with this European effort, Erasmus University Rotterdam has made changes to its system of education as well. EUR switched from the Dutch educational system to the Bachelor/Master system as used in many countries around the world. Under the new system, university students will first take a three-year Bachelor programme (the undergraduate), leading to a Bachelor degree. After the Bachelor, students can enter a Master programme (the graduate), leading to a Master degree.

The EUR Bachelor programmes started in September 2002. The main language of these programmes is Dutch, except for the Bachelor International Business Administration. Almost all programmes will adopt a major/minor system in their third year. Several minors will be taught in English. The new Master Programmes started in September 2003 and some in September 2004. Because Erasmus University Rotterdam aims to be an attractive university for foreign students, many Master programmes will be taught in English. A Master programme takes at least one year.

Examination

At the Erasmus University there are several ways of examination for the courses. The two examining forms which are used mostly are written examination and assessment through papers or theses. Oral presentations can also be part of the examination. Some courses also have several examination methods. In this case you will get a grade for both exams and the average of those two grades is your final score. Be sure to read the course manual/guide for the exact examining method used.

Dutch Assessment System

The assessment system in the Netherlands consists of marks from 1 (very bad) to 10 (outstanding). The marks 1 to 3, 9 and 10 are seldom given. A minimum score of 6 is required to pass a course. For marks with one decimal point, 5.5 is the minimum passing mark. For the programme as a whole, an average mark of 8.25 or higher entitles the student to a result with cum laude (with distinction).

Results on the list of marks acquired elsewhere that result in an exemption for a course in the examination programme are shown as VR (Dutch for exemption) or VD (course completed) to indicate that the requirements have been met without a mark having been given.

The Ten Golden Rules for Written Interim Examinations

During written interim examinations it is important to maintain order and quiet, wherever possible. There are several rules that are designed to achieve this. Below you will find a brief description of the most important ones, with reference to the web page where you can find additional information about the rules for maintaining order.

1. Report on time via Osiris Online. Proper enrolment will result in an automatic confirmation being sent by e-mail to your ERNA address.
2. Read the new rules of order for written interim examinations. For example, from now on only one lavatory visit will be permitted.
3. You should check the website www.monitor.eur.nl one day prior to or on the day of the interim examinations to see where the interim examinations will be administered.
4. Be sure to bring valid proof of identity.
5. Arrive in plenty of time and take your seat in the proper block.
6. Bring several pens, pencils, a eraser and a calculator, if allowed, along with a reserve calculator.
7. Be quiet in the interim examination halls. Do not wear shoes that squeak or make noise.
8. Turn off your mobile phone and other communication equipment and store them out of reach.
9. Follow the instructions of the invigilators and lecturers and communicate only with them during the interim examinations.
10. Hand in your answers to the interim examination questions, along with any appendices, on time and check to make sure that your name and student number is on all documents.

For more information, go to http://www.eur.nl/english/ea/

Language training

The department of Student Affairs offers a wide range of courses, workshops, groups and training sessions for students of the Erasmus University Rotterdam throughout the academic year. The courses are supportive and additional to the regular study programme.

Furthermore the Language and Training Centre offers courses, tests and individual feedback for employees to improve their English skills.

For more information, go to www.eur.nl/english/ltc.

Library

Address and location
University Library (Building B)
Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam
P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam

tel. +31 (0)10 408 1198 (information and circulation desk)
Virtual desk

tel. +31 (0)10 408 1208 (secretarial department)
fax +31 (0)10 408 9052
secretariaat@ubib.eur.nl

The University Library of EUR comprises the central University Library, the Medical Library and the faculty and institute libraries.

The central University Library is located in Building B on the Woudestein campus. You can reach the library via Building C. The collection contains around 800,000 volumes, some 5,400 current periodicals and licenses for more than 200 online databases and CD-ROMs in economics, law, management, social sciences, philosophy, art and history. Most of the stock is not on the open shelves. There are 450 study places.

The Medical Library is located in the Faculty of Medicine close to the Erasmus MC on the Hoboken campus: Dr. Molenwaterplein 50, room EE-2, tel. +31 (0)10 704 3783.

For more information, go to http://www.eur.nl/ub/english.

OPENING HOURS

Opening hours reading rooms

Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. *

* During summer months (July and August) from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Opening hours information and circulation desk

Monday - Thursday
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. *
Friday
9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

* Books requested at least fifteen minutes before closing time can still be collected that same day.

Pick up and return service

Monday - Thursday
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. *
* Books requested before 5:45 p.m. can be collected up till 9:00 p.m.

Sunday openings reading rooms

In 2009 the University Library reading rooms will be open on the following Sundays during examination periods from 11:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.:

June 21 and 28
July 5, 12, 19 and 26

On these Sundays, the Woudestein campus has limited access. Pedestrians should use the entrance near the official residences at the Burgemeester Oudlaan. Arriving by car, you may enter via parking lot P4, next to the HES. You can enter the University Library through the entrance near lecture hall A2.

Scheduled public holidays

In 2009 the University Library will be closed on the following days: Friday, December 25th until Thursday, December 31st : Christmas and New Year

Lost and found

Lost and found items that are deposited at the caretaker's offices or reception desks are collected once a week from the various buildings and are delivered for storage and identification to the reception desk in the C hall. For enquiries about your missing items, please consult the reception desk in the C hall on Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8.30 a.m. till 12.30 p.m.

Opening times Woudestein buildings

The buildings are open from 7:30 am. At 10:30 pm you will be requested to leave the buildings. NB: The grounds are open from 7 am till 11 pm. Please take this into account when parking! There are, moreover, different opening and closing times for Saturday. On that day the buildings are open from 8:30 am whereas at 12:30 pm you will be asked to leave the buildings. The university library closes at 5:00 pm. The grounds are open from 8 am till 5:15 pm.

Fire Check and Closing Rounds

Prior to locking all the buildings on Woudestein, the caretaker will undertake one final closing round and fire check. With this, open windows and doors are checked visually as much possible. At the same time other fire preventative aspects are looked at, such as flight passageways and the presence of small extinguishable agents.

General

It is the responsibility of the various departments to switch off electrical appliances such as computers, lighting, photocopiers and coffee machines. With respect to coffee machines, it is urgently advised to implement machines, which automatically disconnect. This is to decrease the threat of fire.

Parking

All visitors are subject to paid parking.

A parking pass that enables free parking (if there is enough space) is available for all personnel of the Woudestein campus. The same also applies for students (full-time and part-time) on the Woudestein campus (with the exception of the bicycle sheds). Every academic year the parking card/pass must be renewed. The number of parking cards is limited. The first come, first serve policy is upheld when issuing the parking cards.

When applying for a parking card, a valid student ID card (for students only), a valid driver's license and a vehicle registration certificate must be submitted. The vehicle must be registered in the name of the applicant. The deposit for a parking card is Euro 45,00. A certain number of other groups on the Woudestein campus are treated in an equal manner as students or personnel. Information is supplied by the Security Service. If the parking card is only used for access to the personnel bicycle shed or the secured areas, no deposit will be charged. The parking card is not transferable and may not be used by or for a third party.

In case of theft or loss of a parking card, or if a card proves to be unusable, Euro 45,00 will always be billed to re-issue a new card. Euro 11,50 administration costs for a new parking card will be charged if the applicant shows a police report of the offence drawn up at a regular Police Station.

Scholarships

EUR does not offer grants or scholarships for foreign students. However, there are several other possibilities for you to obtain a grant or scholarship:

• the Dutch government
• your home institution
• your local government
• international organisations (e.g. UN, World Bank etc).

Contact the relevant authority in your home country for financial support of your studies abroad. For more information, go to www.eur.nl/english/prospective/bachelor/howtoprepare/finances/scholarships.

Smoking

Smoking in the public areas of the Erasmus University Rotterdam is legally forbidden. Still want to smoke? If you do want to smoke, go to the sealed smoking areas.

Smoking Areas Woudestein Campus:

Building A
In front of the Auditorium

Building C
In the Central hal 1st floor C-ring near lecture room C6

Building E
T-floor near the elevator

Building G
In front of café de 'Smitse'

Building L
Ground floor: behind the elevators and near lecture room LB-110 First floor: on both sides of lecture rooms L1-110 and L1-114

Building M
First floor in the middle: near the elevators First floor westside: near lecture room M1-17 Second floor westside: near lecture room M2-13 Third floor: M3-06 ('Luxemburg')

Sportsbuilding
Near the bar

Building T
Third floor southside: near the elevators (T03-54)
Fourth floor southside: near the elevators (T04-51)
Fifth floor: near the elevators (T05-51)

Smoking Areas Hoboken Campus

Near the 'Bistro'
In front of the coffeebar, third floor
Low Building East, third floor, near the emergency staircase lecture room 5.
By constant violation of the rules, the result can be a penalty.

Sports at the EUR

Erasmus University Rotterdam has many sports facilities, including the sports complex at Woudestein, where the most popular sports can be practised. There are various sports clubs where you can keep in shape, together with other students.

The SSVR will help you to establish contact with the various sport associations.

Sportsbuilding Woudestein

EUR offers students the opportunity to practise sports at the Woudestein Sports Centre. Any kind of sport, from aikido to swimming, is offered at a special student rate.

Sports associations

As an Erasmus University student you can join a wide variety of sports associations, often run by fellow students. Whether your passion is fencing, volleyball, squash, fitness or diving, there is bound to be a club that will welcome you as a member. Erasmus University students are entitled to considerable reductions. A wide variety of sports courses are arranged every year.

Erasmus Topsport Centre

The Erasmus Topsport Centre offers athletes study and financial support. The Topsport Centre tries to assist students who pursue an education while working on a sports career. We currently support over 95 professional athletes.

For more information, go to www.eur.nl/english/essc/vademecum/associations_organisations/sport/ssvr or www.erasmussport.nl.

Student counsellors

The task of the student counsellor is to inform and provide advice, support and coaching to students in personal interviews. They also cater for workshops, written information and information sessions. In addition, the student counsellors handle complaints about the behaviour or actions of staff and organisational sections of the university towards students (ombudsman function). One of the student counsellors is the confidential counsellor for students with regard to sexual intimidation, aggression and violence. If it appears that other functionaries or institutions could be of more help, the student counsellors will refer the student to them.

University psychologists

The university psychologists help student resolve issues that prevent them from studying properly.

The aim of the initial, exploratory interview with one of the psychologists is to clarify any complaints or problems. The student and the psychologist analyse the link between the problems and the study. This initial interview is sometimes enough to help people on their way, but further guidance is usually required. This can be done by participating in a group or through individual therapy.

Wireless plug-in and access

If the university psychologists are unable to provide the necessary help, they will refer the student to other care providers.

Facilities have been established at a large number of locations on the Woudestein Campus which make it possible to obtain access using portable computers (laptops, notebooks, PDA's, etc.) to the university network, EURnet. The locations at which these facilities are offered are called "HotspOts". Use of them is possible for all students and employees of the EUR. An ERNA userid and password is required to obtain access to the network. All students and employees of the EUR have these credentials.

The use of the HotspOt infrastructure is possible for all types of mobile devices if they comply with the technical requirements described in this document. In addition to Windows PCs, these include PDAs, Apple Macintosh notebooks, etc. Support is however limited to Windows XP SP2 and Windows2000 SP4 or higher.

For more information go to www.eur.nl/english/campus_facilities/at_the_campus/wireless_plug_in_access