• Programme information
• Course descriptions
• More information
• Student profile
• After the bachelor's
• Admissions and application
  • Fixed quota
  • How to apply
  • Colloquium doctum
  • Credit transfer

Fixed quota

Fixed quota on bachelor’s programme in Biomedical Sciences
Maastricht University, academic year 2012/13

As of the academic year 2012/13, the bachelor’s programme in Biomedical Sciences has established a fixed quota. This implies that oncoming students have to participate in a selection procedure that involves drawing lots. Maastricht University follows suit of other Biomedical Science bachelor’s programmes in the Netherlands who have already established a fixed quota in previous years.

Maastricht University has decided to establish a fixed quota in order to guarantee the quality of its small-scale, student-oriented education (Problem-Based Learning) and its laboratories in Maastricht. In the academic year 2012/13, a maximum of 300 students can start the bachelor’s programme in Biomedical Sciences. The fixed quota of 300 is considerably higher than the expected number of first year students. This thus implies that the odds of being placed are quite high if you enroll for Biomedical Sciences as your first choice.

Application and selection
The available places are allocated by means of a lottery procedure. This procedure is issued by the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) in Groningen. More information can be found on the website of DUO.

The final term to apply ends May 15. You will have to apply via Studielink.

In case the number of applications is less than the amount of available places, you will automatically be placed, under the condition that you fulfill the necessary admission requirements. In case the number of applications exceeds the amount of available places, DUO will issue the lottery procedure.

The lottery procedure is a weighted system. The higher your average final exam results (Dutch VWO-diploma or European Baccalaureate with Dutch as your first or second language), the higher the chance of getting a place. On the basis of your preliminary education and/or your average final exam results, you are placed in one of the five specific lottery categories:

A Higher or equal to 8
B Low than 8, but higher than or equal to 7,5
C Lower than 7,5, but higher than or equal to 7
D Lower than 7, but higher than or equal to 6,5  
E Lower than 6,5

Students in category A are automatically placed for the programme and institute of their first choice. Please note that if you have a non-Dutch diploma, the results of your final exam are not taken into account; you will always be placed in category C.

Results lottery procedure
If you have sent in all the required documents in due time, the results of the lottery procedure will be sent to you around mid-July. If you have been admitted to the bachelor’s programme Biomedical Sciences, you can only enroll at Maastricht University if DUO has sent you a 'Bewijs van toelating' (Statement of admission) stating your name. With this 'Bewijs van Toelating', you must enroll at Maastricht University within four weeks of the date given on the 'Bewijs'. Only when you have completed this enrolment and the according conditions (e.g. payment of tuition fees) your application is final.  

If you apply for another programme with a fixed quota as your first choice (e.g. Medicine), you can still enroll for Biomedical Sciences if you have not drawn a place (Mid July 2012). DUO will communicate via their website which other programmes with a fixed quota still have available places. You can then apply within 14 days for the bachelor’s programme in Biomedical Sciences.  In that case, we advise you to participate in our information session for “students who have not drawn a place for Medicine” and/or contact the study advisor to place your expectations about this programme into the right perspective.

More information about the procedure can be found on the website of DUO.
You can also contact us by e-mail: study@maastrichtuniversity.nl