Contract courses
If you are not enrolled at a Dutch higher education institution or you are a PhD-student, you can take contract courses (individual courses for a fee) at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.
Are you an alumnus/a of the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience?
Have you graduated from the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN)? As an alumnus/a, you have the opportunity to expand your expertise even further as a contract student! Read more here.
Course Offerings
FPN offers a range of courses for contract students. Detailed information about each course, including learning objectives and prerequisites, is available in the Maastricht University course catalogue.
Admission Requirements
- Have experience with Problem-Based Learning (PBL). To help you prepare, you can access the bachelor Psychology introductory newsletter and our Canvas platform. An online PBL module is available on Canvas, offering a flexible and digital way to get ready for PBL.
- Students must meet the admission requirements of the bachelor's or master's programme in which they wish to enrol in a course. Modules may be subject to additional admission criteria. In exceptional cases, students may be allowed to take a course without meeting these requirements, provided they can demonstrate that they have acquired sufficient prior knowledge in their own programme to participate successfully.
- Admission is based on the students' eligibility for the requested modules based on, prior education, relevant work experience and availability of the modules.
- Final admission is determined by the FPN non-regular coordinator.
- Regular bachelor and master students, as well as pre-master students at FPN, are given priority for courses with a limited number of participants.
Registration Procedure
- Registration is allowed once per academic year.
- You may register for up to four courses (24 ECTS) per programme.
- Once approved, you are automatically registered for both the initial exam and resit.
- Apply using the contract registration form and follow the application manual contract students. Applications will only be processed once all required documents have been received.
- Required documents:
- Completed contract registration form
- Proof of experience with Problem-Based Learning (PBL), if available
- Certified transcripts of study results obtained during previous education
- Certified documents of relevant professional experience
- Passport/ID copy and portrait photo
- Valid Dutch visa (for non-EU students)
Fees
The cost of a course depends on its size and type. The standard fee is €144 per EC (28 hours of study), plus an administration fee of €25. Fees may be indexed annually.
PhD candidates from Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at Maastricht University who follow a research master's course as a contract student have a separate arrangement for course fees.
Application deadlines 2025-2026
Your application must be submitted and completed at least six weeks before the start of the requested module.
| Education period | Registration period end at midnight CET |
| Education period 5 | 22 February 2026 |
| Education period 6 | 19 April 2026 |
Rights and responsibilities
- Registration allows you to participate in the course and its two scheduled exams. After exams and review sessions, your rights and obligations as a contract student end. No additional exam opportunities are available.
- Once registered, contract students will have access to the Student Portal, a temporary UM email account, and a UM card, and will be able to submit assignments and take exams, just like UM students.
- As a contract student, you are not entitled to receive a diploma from the programme in which you take an elective course.
- Please note that contract courses do not qualify for Dutch government study financing.
Cancellation
Courses cannot be cancelled after the registration deadline. Written cancellations via fpn-nonregular@maastrichtuniversity.nl may be refunded, excluding administration fees. If the university cancels a course, all fees are fully refunded. No refund is given for personal non-attendance.
Certified transcript
After passing the exam, you can request a certified transcript from the Board of Examiners, showing your results and earned ECTS credits.