National Student Survey

UvA Job board

The UvA wants to create a better connection to the labour market for students by making the labour market more visible. That’s why there is a job board for starter vacancies and internships. For more information, visit the UvA Job BoardExternal link.

Career preparation tied into curriculum (German Language and Culture)

Because of NSE results the Bachelor’s programme in German Language and Culture has been working to connect students with the professional field and has included career preparation into its curriculum. This gives students better insight into how the themes they encounter in their studies are also relevant to their careers. During the ‘Proficient German’ course, alumni visit to talk about their jobs as, for example, journalists or publishers. In addition, students are required to actively take part in public debates.

Career weeks (Humanities)

In response to the results from the National Student Survey, the Faculty of Humanities organises the yearly Career Weeks. Bachelor’s and Master’s students of the faculty can orientate themselves with regard to various fields of work relating to their educational background. For example, they can participate in information sessions by alumni, attend a workshop on how to prepare a good resume, or tap into the Humanities Venture Lab for support in realising their idea for a business or startup.

Career matters (Communication Science)

Within the Communication Science programmes, various are organized to better prepare students for the job market (including guest lectures, practical skills workshops and alumni events). Promotional materials for these events all include the ‘Career matters’ logo to increase awareness around these career preparation events.

Study association as career link (Information Law)

Based on previous NSE results the Information Law Study Association (SVIR) now acts as a link between the study programme and the career field by organising activities such as office visits and recruitment events. This provides students with a more complete view of what business life can be like after graduation.

Students interviewing alumni (Artificial Intelligence)

In the ‘Academic skills’ course, Bachelor’s students interview alumni. This allows students to expand their network, helps them broaden their knowledge, stimulates self-reflection and provides a good idea of what students can expect from the job market.

Collaboration with the business world (Business Administration)

After implementing a Company Advisory Board, the Business Administration programme collaborated with Corporate Partners to develop a new track within the Master’s programme in Digital Business. Now the course has Business Labs, real-life case studies and internships to help students experience the business world during their education.

Real-life assignments (Tesla minor)

Tesla is a minor for Master’s students from science faculties (at the UvA and elsewhere). In this minor, students work on finding solutions to complex challenges for a company or civil society organisation. This allows them to put their academic and scientific knowledge into practice. The Tesla minor aims to push students out of their academic comfort zones and involve them with various real-life challenges. Students learn project management and communication skills, as well as the value of non-academic situations. 

UvA in Carré

The National Student Survey found that Economics and Business students rate engagement with professional practice as the lowest scoring aspect at the Faculty of Economics and Business. To fix this, students doing the MSc in Business Administration now start out their academic year with a programme titled 'UvA in Carré', comprising a series of master classes taught by prominent researchers, senior managers and entrepreneurs. Read more about UvA in CarréExternal link

Amsterdam Law Firm (Law)

All Bachelor’s students of the Amsterdam Law School take part in the Amsterdam Law Firm (ALF) during the first two years of their study programme. Working in small groups of 15 students, they put what they’ve learned in their courses to immediate use in realistic business cases that come straight from legal practice. They also strengthen their skills in analytical thinking, research, writing, and presenting. Through their work in the Amsterdam Law Firm, students experience what it’s like to work in the field of law and discover which role fits them best (such as law clinic employee, executive lawyer, civil servant, judge, public prosecutor, or lawyer). In this way, students work towards their future from day one.

IIS Round table

The Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies (IIS) invites all first-year students at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels for a round table discussion about their programme with the programme director or coordinator. It takes place in groups of up to 20 students. Throughout the year, each student will be given a turn to share his or her views. The programme will arrange lunch (or drinks and snacks, depending on the meeting time).

UvA Q reports

In the NSE, students indicated that they were not satisfied with the information that they were provided about teaching evaluations. Before, the UvA Q course evaluation results were sent to the lecturers, Boards of Studies, and the College and Graduate School directors. Because of the NSE results these reports are now also sent to students. The UvA Q reports summarise the opinions of students who have taken the course but also offer an opportunity for the course coordinator to add a response. Students can find these evaluation reports at Blackboard along with the course coordinator’s response and his or her plan of action. Read more about the Uva Q student reports.

Studying with a disability

The Committee on Disability, Chronic Illness and Occupational Disability (FCA) was set up in October 2016. The committee, which includes experts in this field, oversees the implementation of the policy plan ‘People with a disability or chronic illness’. The primary objective of this policy is to facilitate students and staff with a disability or chronic illness so that they are not impeded in their studies or work.