HBO-students may use new titles
Minister Plasterk does not take the critics about his new titles for graduated Higher professional education (HBO)-students seriously. They can call themselves ‘bachelor of applied arts’ or ‘bachelor of applied sciences’ from now on, is what the Dutch Lower House says.
International titles
Plasterk bases the titles on the international nomenclature for Colleges of advanced education and Universities. The new titles – abbreviated BAA and BASc – must increase the recognisability of HBO-diplomas in foreign countries. Yet, the studies deliver the titles like this; a student of Physiotherapy receives a B Health, and a bachelor of Commercial Economy receives a BBA.
BBA and BASc
The proliferation of titles does not show as many problems as it was thought it would, says an advisory committee. Many grades in bachelor-diplomas in business administration as well as in Engineering, are indeed usable and recognisable abroad.
New titles
The committee is not that enthusiastic about the new titles of Plasterk. The titles do fit with the international nomenclature for universities, but are not very common in Europe. Only in Canada, Australia and New-Zealand they do have a certain connection. The committee mentions that this problem counts for all proposals; A uniform international indication for the titles to tune to does simply not exist.
Choose
Plasterk thinks his new titles have added value for graduated students with a grade which isn’t common in foreign countries. All hbo-graduated students therefore get the choice: using the grade which is mentioned on their diploma, or they put their new titles on their front piece. The bachelor- and master titles ‘of applied sciences’ are reserved for the students who graduated in agriculture, technology and economics.
Confusing?
The universities were first that enthusiastic about the new titles for HBO. They wanted to avoid confusion between University-diplomas and HBO-diplomas, but eventually could find themselves in Plasterk’s proposal.
