Why this programme
Do you want to help improve people's health and make the world more sustainable? Do you want to find answers to societal challenges by combining knowledge and insights from different scientific and technical disciplines. Do you get excited by developing and applying your creative and problem-solving skills? Does working in (inter)national teams sound cool and are you hardly able to wait to collaborate and connect with our network of partners in business and government
At UCV, we teach you how to achieve this. You explore practical challenges and questions, such as:
- Does consuming locally farmed produce reduce your carbon footprint?
- Why do we like or dislike alternatives to meat?
- How do you cultivate climate-resilient food crops?
- Can you use social media to promote a sustainable diet?
Choose your own focus
University College Venlo allows you to explore your interests and tailor your studies. You can concentrate on one or more of UCV’s strengths, including nutrition, sustainability, climate change, biodiversity, health, psychology, and entrepreneurship. You create your own interdisciplinary programme from approximately 100 courses. Which direction do you prefer? There are two specialisations available: social sciences (psychology, sociology, economics, health management, public health, and law) and life sciences (biology, chemistry, computer science, and physiology).
Alternatively, you can make your courses even more multidisciplinary by selecting from both disciplines. You can also focus on sustainability through a variety of courses, including Sustainable Development, Sustainable Food Production, Sustainability and Social Justice, as well as Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship. Our emphasis on entrepreneurship is evident in all aspects of the programme, so if you wish to start your own business later, you have come to the right spot.
You work with your personal academic adviser to design your bachelor's programme so that it is precisely suited to the master's programme or job you want.
Multi-Inter-Trans
- Because society requires scientists who can think outside the box, UCV focuses on collaboration in all areas:
- Multidisciplinary research entails bringing together researchers from several fields
- Interdisciplinary research takes it a step further by requiring researchers to be knowledgeable and comprehend each other's fields
- Transdisciplinary research involves people other than researchers in the conception and execution of the research
UCV in short
- Design your own curriculum
- Small-scale, personalised education
- All courses are taught in English
- International academic community
- Close cooperation with industry
- On-campus student housing
Modern facilities
During your education, you can work in UCV's modern labs at Villa Flora, located in Venlo. Working with cutting-edge innovations and methods like TIM, which simulates the digestion in the stomach, small, and large intestine, can be part of your education. You can get hands-on experience and familiarise yourself with the world of science. Throughout your project periods, you will have ample time to conduct your own experiments. Villa Flora is the heart of Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo. The campus has additional research facilities, including an ultra-modern sustainable greenhouse for studies pertaining to the future of horticulture and agriculture.
Research institutes and groups that cooperate with UCV:
- System Earth Sciences
- Brightlands Future Farming Institute
- Centre for Healthy Eating & Food Innovation
- Brightlands NovaBite
- Food Claims Centre Venlo
If you have a general interest in the subjects that UCV offers, I would always recommend UCV because the programme allows you to experiment with your courses until you find the topics that most interest you.
Sura El Gazzar, UCV alumnaLiberal Arts and Sciences college
Are you trying to find a bachelor's programme that offers more possibilities than just studying? UCV is a liberal arts and sciences college. It is a small-scale community where you can live, work, and study alongside students from many backgrounds and interests. This melting pot allows you to develop your talents and learn more about the world and yourself. The close-knit student communities found in American Liberal Arts and Sciences programmes, as well as colleges like the English Oxford University, served as inspiration for University College Venlo. Maastricht University offers two more colleges in addition to UCV: the general University College Maastricht and the Maastricht Science Programme, which focuses on the natural sciences.
Choosing your courses
The freedom to create your curriculum is exciting and motivating. It can also be a challenge. At the start of your studies, you get an academic advisor, who will help you to make choices that fit your interests, talents and ambitions. Your advisor helps you with questions like:
What are my talents and interests and how can I translate these into a successful career?
- Which courses will help me reach my goals?
- Should I pursue other academic options, like an internship?
- How should I prepare for a master’s programme? Or the labor market?
I greatly benefit from being able to collaborate, which I learned during the problem-based learning groups, as well as skills like logical reasoning and argumentation.
Ilse Knoops, UCV alumnaProblem-Based Learning
Maastricht University is unique in its approach to education. During your studies, you will use problem-based learning; you will attend fewer lectures than at other universities, instead, you will work in small tutorial groups and do practicals. You will do so together with twelve to fifteen other students, and guided by a tutor, in order to delve into a practical scientific issue. This active learning style will help you to remember your new knowledge and to learn skills that are important for your career, such as critical and problem-solving thinking or speaking and presenting in front of a group.
At UCV, we also use research-based learning. Through research projects, you will learn about research processes, research methods, and publishing your results. You share your experiences with the other 5–12 students in your project group. You discuss the progress and challenges of the research and give and receive feedback on proposals, concepts, and presentations. Researchers guide and support you and your group in choosing a topic and setting up and implementing the project.
Advantages of Problem-Based Learning
- helps you retain information better
- teaches you to think about problems independently
- develops your interpersonal skills
- encourages you to be an active participant in class
- gives you space to develop your own ideas
- ensures that you receive personal attention from tutors
I chose Venlo also because I appreciate the problem-based learning approach Maastricht University offers. Your professors here do not tell you how many grammes of protein a human needs to consume on a daily basis; instead, they ask you why your body requires that amount of protein. This forces you to think about the subject.
Alexia Georis, UCV studentGoing abroad
UCV student association
ISA BEET is UCV's student-run study association and organises various different events outside of the UCV curriculum. Consisting of a variety of committees and clubs, ISA BEET provides UCV students with a broad spectrum of activities for relaxation, socialisation, and academics.
On-Campus housing facilities
Campus Venlo offers on-campus student studios within walking distance of the market square, restaurants, and cafes, and opposite the city cinema. All studios are furnished and have their own kitchen, bathroom, combined living and bedroom. Download the PDF with further information.
Student rooms in Venlo
Planning to live in Venlo? Learn more about student rooms and how to find them!