For Parents

At University College Roosevelt (UCR), professors encourage students to speak up in class, think for themselves without losing sight of the greater good, and engage with their own research projects. Students will debate and deliberate with their fellow students from early morning until late at night, and learn how to express themselves convincingly in writing, public speaking, debate and visual presentations.

UCR offers a three-year Bachelor degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS). LAS is an educational philosophy that allows students to try different academic fields before ultimately choosing a direction. It allows students with an interest in both Philosophy and Medicine to combine those courses in one degree program. LAS works best in a small-scale environment. For that reason, UCR has roughly 600 students and an average of 22 students in one class.

Each year, UCR offers close to 200 courses in Arts & Humanities, Engineering, Science and Social Science. Students choose their own combination of those courses, up to a total of 24 courses over their three years in Middelburg. In their first year, students take two mandatory skill courses. Those courses (Academic Writing and Statistics) are relevant no matter the academic content a student chooses to pursue. This leaves a student with six courses. They are encouraged to explore several different interests by spreading those courses over the different departments.

At the end of the first year they will have a decision to make: their Major. Students can major in Arts & Humanities, Engineering, Science, Social Science, or opt for an interdepartmental major. By choosing a major, students indicate which fields they are going to focus on. By the time students graduate, roughly half of their courses need to be in their major. Similarly they need to reach the most advanced level within their chosen disciplines a number of times. Once in their second year, we expect students to have a clearer idea of what it is they want to do. They will be taking the more advanced courses that are on offer. Moreover, they think about whether they might want to do a minor, internship, or go on exchange.

In the final year, the focus will be on wrapping up the program. Important questions to answer are whether students meet our graduation requirements, yet also whether they have the courses needed to apply to the Master program of their choice. In the third year, students will also be working on their Senior Project. The project is a substantial piece of individual research, which aims to prepare students for their future careers.

When graduating, students receive a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree from UCR (and Utrecht University). Whether it is a B.A. or B.Sc. depends on their major. UCR graduates enroll in Master programs at top universities around the world.

UCR believes that learning does not only take place inside a classroom. Rather, a lot can be learned from day to day interactions with other people. Therefore, living on our inner-city campus is mandatory. This means that housing at UCR is guaranteed for the duration of the program.

The UCR campus is located in the center of Middelburg, with the academic building (the former town hall) at its center. Students live in one of four locations, all within walking distance from UCR. For those who prefer the authentic Dutch student experience, Bagijnhof offers shared student houses. In these houses, students have their own bedroom, but share kitchen and bathrooms with others. In our other locations, students live in studio apartments. Housing on campus is not owned by UCR, but overseen by our housing agency: Gapph Student Housing.

Housing on campus costs between 375 and 500 euros per month, depending on, among others, the size of the room. In some cases, students may qualify for a rent allowance from the Dutch government. This means that, on average, living on campus costs 400 euros a month. Rent includes utilities such as internet, but does not include food.

Living on campus, in proximity of other students, provides a great opportunity for a vibrant student life. Think about shared meals, movie nights, playing games and homework session. On top of that, there are many more options. All students automatically become a member of the Roosevelt All Students’  Association (RASA). RASA is the umbrella organization overseeing all student clubs and societies. There is something for everyone: sports, music, theater, photography, debate, first aid, etc. etc.

UCR is situated in Middelburg, a small town (48,000 inhabitants) in the southwest of the Netherlands (Zeeland). Zeeland has beautiful beaches, as well as the most sun hours in the country. As such, it is a popular tourist destination. With the tourists come lots of things to do, from beach runs to theater -and film festivals. Middelburg itself is small, but offers everything students may need. From shops to pubs and from gyms to a library. Middelburg is a 25-minute bike ride from the beach and the cinema. Similarly, from Middelburg, it is easy to explore the rest of the Netherlands (and Europe) by train. Middelburg is a picturesque Dutch town, which offers a small, safe study destination without too many distractions.

At UCR, all students will be assigned a Tutor. A Tutor is a senior member of staff who will act as the first contact person for students. Students meet with their tutor every semester to speak about their academic progress and wishes for future semesters. At the same time, students can approach their tutor with any questions they might have. Tutors may then refer students to the appropriate office or external institution. Beyond the tutor, UCR has a Writing Center, a Student Office, a student counselor and several student bodies students can reach out to with questions and concerns.

When it comes to accommodations for (learning) disabilities, UCR is able to provide solutions on a case to case basis. We ask that students are open about their needs during the application procedure, so that we can offer the best possible solution to their needs, when possible and within our means.

Fee status is determined by a student’s passport. In case students need financial support, there is some available at UCR. Detailed information can be found here.

On top of their tuition fees, students need to pay for their housing on campus, which comes down to about €400 a month (€4,800 a year). They will also need to account for other expenses, such as food, books, insurance, some travel and extracurricular activity. We estimate students need about €500 a month (€6,000 a year).

It is possible for students to find a job on campus or in Middelburg, though we recommend students take time in their first semester/year to adjust to university life. European citizens can work without a permit, but need to take out Dutch health insurance. Non-European citizens will need to obtain a work permit and can work up to 16 hours a week. Jobs available on campus will never be more than 8 hours a week, to reflect that we are a teaching institution and education comes first.

The procedure for application to UCR is rather straightforward. Students register in Studielink and will be taken to the UCR application system (Osiris) from there. This is where they upload all their documents (transcript, letter of motivation, passport/ID, if applicable diploma statement), provide details for a referee and submit their final application. The application opens on October 1 (for Fall entry) and runs until April 1 or May 1 (for Fall entry).

Once an application is received we immediately start processing it. That process has four steps:

1. First, we determine whether a student is academically eligible to study at UCR. This means that we will determine whether a student has a diploma similar to a Dutch student who has gone through pre-university education (VWO). To find out more about diploma equivalency see here.
2. Then, once equivalency has been determined, we take a look at whether a student is a good fit for our institution. This is where the letter of motivation and the recommendation letter come in to play.
3. If an applicant makes it through this initial review successfully, they will be invited for an interview. This is a 30-60 minute (online) conversation with one of our Faculty members. The interview is a chance for us to get to know the applicant, but also a chance for our applicants to get to know us a little better. It is their chance to ask any questions they may have.
4. In the weeks after the interview we will be communicating our admissions decision with the applicant.

All in all, we aim to complete the entire process within 6-8 weeks upon receiving the complete application.