Programme accreditation
Degree programmes must be assessed and accredited once every six years to ensure they provide a high standard of education. You may be asked to speak to the assessment panel.
How are degree programmes accredited?
The degree programmes at Dutch universities of applied sciences and research universities are assigned to assessment groups. These are groups of programmes with a comparable curriculum that are assessed by one panel. Degree programmes are assessed once every six years, according to the review schedule of NVAO. If the judgement of the panel is positive, the accreditation term of the programme is extended for a period of six years.
Midterm review
The programme itself conducts a midterm review halfway through the accreditation term. This is done with the aid of external experts. The programme assessment results in an action plan. During the midterm review the programme looks at whether it is on the right track in tackling the problems that were identified during the programme assessment. The results of the midterm review are shared with the assessment panel.
What does this mean for you?
A number of preparations have to be made before a programme assessment. You may be asked to speak to the assessment panel, in which case your manager will inform you in good time. For information on preparing for programme assessments and accreditation, please contact the administration office at your faculty.
Once every six years, the accreditation of Dutch university programmes is renewed by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO). The NVAO bases its decision to renew a programme’s accreditation on the assessment carried out by an audit panel consisting of peers with expertise in both the relevant academic field as well as the professional field. The panel assesses whether the programme meets the required quality standards, based on written documentation provided by the programme on the one hand, and discussions with the programme board, lecturers, board of examiners and students during an audit visit on the other.
In 2025 33 bachelor and master programmes of the Faculty of Humanities have been assessed. All of the programme assessments had a positive outcome: for each programme the accreditation will be renewed for a period of six years.
For more information about the assessment criteria and the audit schedule, please see the infographic.
Roadmap for Programme AuditsIn 2027 six research master programmes will be assessed. The assessments are organised in four national clusters of research masters (RM):
1. RM History: ResMA History (site visit in Spring 2027)
2. RM Archeology, Classic and Ancient Studies and Area Studies: ResMA Classics and Ancient Civilizations, ResMA Asian Studies, ResMA Middle Eastern Studies (Spring 2027)
3. RM Language and Literary Studies: ResMA Linguistics (Spring 2027)
4. RM Humanities (general): ResMA Arts, Literature and Media (Fall 2027)
In 2028 the following clusters and clusters will be assessed:
1. WO History: BA Geschiedenis, MA History, MA International Relations (Spring 2028)
2. WO Arts: BA Kunstgeschiedenis, MA Arts & Culture (Spring 2028)
During the entire assessment procedure (preparation, site visit, follow-up) programmes will receive support the Education Advice & Quality Assurance team (Onderwijsadvies & Kwaliteitszorg – O&K). If you have any questions or comments about the audits, please contact the team via: onderwijsvisitatie@hum.leidenuniv.nl.