Your rights and obligations

There are multiple regulations that are important to you as a student. For example, how much time teacher gets to grade your exam or how many courses you can take per semester. On this page you find descriptions of the most important regulations and where you can find more information about them.

Overview of regulations

Find a brief description below of which regulations there are. Almost all of these and other documents are derived from the Wet op het Hoger onderwijs en Wetenschappelijk onderzoek (Higher Education Act) and are written in legal terms. This means that it may not always be clear to you as a student where you can find what, and sometimes these documents are also not easy to read. Nevertheless, you should be aware of the rules. 

• Wet op het Hoger onderwijs en Wetenschappelijk onderzoek (WHW)External link (only available in Dutch): this Dutch law is the foundation of the rights and obligations of all students and educational institutions in the Netherlands.
• Students’ CharterExternal link: the Student's Charter sets out the rights and obligations of every student at the UvA, resulting from the WHW.
• UvA Code of ConductExternal link: in this code staat hoe we met elkaar omgaan en wat je kunt doen als er sprake is van ongewenst gedrag.The UvA has a code of conduct that applies to everyone who works and studies at the university. This sets out how we should treat each other and what to do when undesirable behaviour occurs.
• Enrolment provisionsExternal link: these contain procedural rules with regard to your enrolment at the UvA.
• Teaching and Examination Regulations (OER): in the OER you will find information about all the rights and obligations specific to your study programme.
• Rules and Regulations of the Examinations Board: these contains the rules and guidelines that the Examinations Board has formulated for exams, the assessment of exams and graduation.
• Fraud and Plagiarism RegulationsExternal link: Regulations that define what the UvA means by fraud and plagiarism and that describes what the consequences are if you commit fraude or plagiarism. Read more on Plagiarism and fraud. 
• Binding study advice (BSA): Binding Study Advice requirements per programme and the procedure, what to do when you experience study delay. 
• Course catalogueExternal link: substantive information about your courses, learning objectives, electives, thesis and attendance.
• Course manual/study guide: a manual with al information about the design and assessment of the course. This differs per subject and can normally be found on Canvas.
• Code of Conduct Governing LanguagesExternal link: this code lays down the conditions for teaching in a language other than Dutch.

Your main rights and obligations summarised

Based on the regulations, several web pages have been written to convey the information in a clear manner. To be clear: you can only derive rights from the official documents and not from this website.

• Courses: about course registration, entry requirements and deregistering.
• Examinations and resits: about rules during the exam, grading, review of your exam and lodging an appeal against examination results.
• Grades and assessments: about grading, plagiarism and fraud and the requirements for cum laude.
• Binding study advice (BSA): BSA requirements per programme and the procedure, what to do when you experience study delay.
• Curriculum and electives: rules about you programme, electives and minors, Honour's programme and how to apply for approval at the Examinations Board.
• Graduating and degree certificate: conditions for graduation and applying for your degree certificate.
• Special facilities: about (help with) studying with a disability or chronic condition and special facilities.
• Complaints, objections and appeals: highlights the possibilities to make known when you do not agree with an individual decision or when you are not satisfied with something that you encounter at the UvA.

Questions

Do you have any questions about the rules or your rights and obligations? Contact the Education Desk. 

Does a rule cause you a lot of problems? Do not hesitate to ask je study adviser for help and advice on possible exceptions and how to apply for them.