University College Maastricht, A Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor Programme

Are you highly motivated and looking for a programme that gives you the freedom to pursue your own interests? Do you want to be part of a diverse yet close-knit academic community that encourages discussion and debate? University College Maastricht is a Liberal Arts and Sciences Honours College that provides small-scale and individualised bachelor's education. At UCM, you will be part of a truly international community, working and socialising with students from more than 50 countries. With the support of our committed staff, you can choose from more than 150 different courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences to build an academic profile that helps you meet your goals.

Why this programme?

As an honors college, UCM is challenging and highly rewarding. By allowing you to compose an individual curriculum, the UCM programme ensures that you:

• develop a basic understanding of a wide variety of academic disciplines
• become an expert in a specific academic field
• learn to think academically
• become a self-directed learner
• work well in international teams

Choosing your courses Throughout your three years at UCM, you will construct your own curriculum by choosing from more than 150 different courses. Your Academic Advisor is there to help you define clear goals, explore your strengths and preferences, and choose the right courses. Your Academic Advisor Your Academic Advisor is an expert who teaches and conducts research in the fields you want to pursue. He or she provides guidance and feedback and helps you formulate concrete answers to questions such as:

• What courses do I find interesting?
• How do I combine my various interests into one meaningful curriculum?
• What kind of master’s programme would I like to pursue?
• What are my strengths?
• Where do I see the needs and opportunities for improvement?

Spend a semester abroad UCM has partner institutions all over the world, with universities in Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America, and also within Europe. Numerous students have gone on a semester abroad in their fourth or fifth semester and had the experience of a lifetime. They traveled the world, made lots of friends, developed an understanding of different cultures, and complemented their UCM curriculum by taking interesting courses.

Problem-Based Learning Courses at UCM are taught using Problem-Based Learning (PBL). PBL gives you an academic problem and challenges you to solve it. Using a combination of small-group work and individual research, you seek possible solutions to the problem and get feedback to help you refine your answers. You are in control of your own education, and the tutor is there to facilitate your learning. The PBL format helps you retain information better, teaches you to think about problems independently and develops your interpersonal skills. All teaching at UCM happens in small groups of approximately 12 students. This small-scale setting encourages you to be an active participant in class, gives you space to develop your own ideas and ensures that you receive personal attention from tutors. Academic community University College Maastricht is a close-knit academic community that fosters your desire to learn by creating an environment where it's easy to get to know your tutors and fellow students. UCM only enrolls 250-275 students per year, and the class size is approximately 12 students. The PBL format enables academic staff to really be there for students, both academically and socially. Discussions tend to spill over from the classroom into the common room, which is the social hub of the college. The common room is also the scene of many extracurricular events and activities, organised by Universalis, UCM’s dynamic student association. This entirely student-run organisation contributes to life at UCM by organising debates, open mic nights, events for charity and more.

Student involvement Being an academic community also means that everyone takes responsibility for the quality of the programme. Students are involved with the running of the college at every level. There are students on all the major boards and committees. They participate in evaluating and improving courses and advise on all matters that affect their experience at UCM. It's also easy to approach everyone involved in the administration, to discuss student concerns.

Dedicated staff The UCM staff consists of dedicated people who are involved in teaching, research and advising. They come from all over the world and are experts in a variety of academic fields including psychology, international relations, life sciences, philosophy, and history. We also work closely together with lecturers from all other UM faculties who are responsible for courses in law, economics, sustainable development, migration studies, etc.

Maastricht University (UM) is the most international university in the Netherlands and, with 21,000 students and 4,000 employees, is still growing. The university stands out for its innovative education model, international character and multidisciplinary approach to research and education.

Thanks to its high-quality research and study programmes as well as a strong focus on social engagement, UM has quickly built up a solid reputation. Today it is considered one of the best young universities in the world.

Ten reasons to choose Maastricht University

Personal approach with Problem-Based Learning Students at UM learn in small tutorial groups, which means you participate actively and acquire essential skills for your future. Tutors typically know you by first name and are always accessible and approachable. Unique programmes UM offers a number of study programmes that can be found nowhere else in the Netherlands. Examples include the Bachelor in European Public Health, the Master in Forensics, Criminology and Law and the Master in Global Health. Most international university in the Netherlands Most of our programmes are also on offer in English, and 55% of our students and nearly 45% of our staff come from abroad. This makes UM the most international university in the Netherlands. Research Our multidisciplinary research, from growing human tissue to exploring sustainability issues, provides a fertile breeding ground that feeds into our education. Academics are heavily involved in teaching, and interested students have a range of options for getting involved in research themselves. Amongst the best young universities worldwide UM is the fifth best young university worldwide, according to the 2017 edition of the Times Higher education ranking for young universities. In other rankings, too, UM consistently achieves good scores: in 2017, UM placed 15th in the QS ranking for universities younger than 50 years. Educational innovation We are continually working to improve our educational methodology in the UM Edlab, which also supports tutors and provides excellence programmes for students. The heart of Europe Maastricht lies at the southernmost tip of the Netherlands, in the very heart of Europe. In just a few hours’ time, you can be in Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris or London, and several airports are within an hour’s drive. The city of Maastricht From cinemas, theatres and hundreds of cafes, bars and restaurants to a brand new sports centre and state-of-the-art study facilities under construction at the Tapijn site – Maastricht is a living city with a historic centre. And every academic year kicks off with an unforgettable Inkom week. Honours programmes For students who like an extra challenge, we offer a suite of honours programmes: Premium, MaRBle and Honours+. Finding a job Research by the UM Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) shows that some 96% of graduates are working in a paid job within a few years of graduating (Maastricht University graduate surveys 2017).