NHL University

NHL University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest of its kind in the north of the Netherlands. The NHL offers a wide spectrum of Bachelor’s degree programmes and a growing number of high-quality Master’s degree programmes and course units.

The NHL offers both traditional education and practice-oriented research and engages in contract activities for companies and institutions. The NHL is famous for its personal touch - our lecturers are passionate and enthusiastic and we help our students to make the most of their talents. Every student is unique, with his own history, specific interests, and career path. With approximately 12,000 students, the NHL is a medium-sized university of applied sciences, offering higher professional education programs which prepare you for particular professions.

The NHL offers demand-driven education and conducts research into the type of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that the professional market requires. This is the educational framework for individual student demands. Close relationships with the professional market offer NHL-students opportunities to gain useful and applicable experience. The NHL believes students bear the primary responsibility for their own learning process, guided and supervised by lecturers. Lecturers do not fill the traditional role of the teacher, but instead tutor the students, help them in the processes they go through, and monitor their progress. Much learning is done through working on projects, which serves to show the student how the different fields of knowledge, competences and skills integrate in real-life work situations. This way, students gain a good grasp of the professional qualities they are expected to have once they graduate.

NHL University of Applied Sciences has an active internationalisation policy and aims to integrate it in all its study programmes. Our students are trained to act as professionals in a globalising world. The NHL stimulates international contacts between study programmes, lecturers and students. These can be in the form of guest lectures, study visits, exchanges, foreign work placements or joint programmes and projects.

The common language at the NHL is Dutch, but all of our employees speak English. Consequently, we are able to cooperate with foreign partners and welcome them to our university. In addition, the NHL has a growing number of minors that have English as the language of instruction. This offers international students the opportunity to follow these courses. International students at the NHL can volunteer to help at the biggest annual event in Leeuwarden - the Leeuwarden Street Festival. During this three-day international event, students will be able to assist the organisers and be part of a complex multidisciplinary organisation. The students will work together with the international artists to support their performance and guide them through the festival.

The NHL main aim is innovation through application of technology across sectors. Cooperation between students and lectorates often yields innovative and surprising solutions. The NHL is a professional knowledge partner for the business sector, but it can also compete with commercial research agencies.

The NHL increasingly cooperates with, or on behalf of, other knowledge institutes, authorities and the business sector. The NHL is a committed and reliable partner that performs custom-made paid assignments for organisations through circulation of knowledge and applied research. This is done both regionally and internationally. The various knowledge centres at the NHL combine all the knowledge that is available in a certain field of study: experts, lecturers, and students work together to solve business issues. All lecturers at the NHL are professionals in their respective fields.