SBE

International Relations Office

The International Relations Office (IRO) has an open office, every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday day from 10.00 to 11.00 hrs at the Information Desk in the entrance hall of the SBE building at Tongersestraat 53. 

Contact information
 iro-incoming-sbe@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Academic calendar

SBE’s academic year consists of two semesters, a fall semester and a spring semester. Course periods 1, 2 and 3 compose the fall semester; 4, 5 and 6 the spring semester.

Each semester starts with a two-day compulsory introduction and consists of:

• two course periods of eight weeks, of which the last week is the exam period;
• one course period of two weeks, in which you’ll complete a specific (programme-related) skills training. This course period is not compulsory for exchange students.

The academic calendar 2022-2023 provides an outline of:

• education weeks
• exam weeks
• deadlines registration education + evening availablity
• (de-)registration exams periods
• publication of education and exam timetables
• holidays

Course information

Study load
Exchange students can only register for a maximum of 2 courses per period (13 ECTS) with a minimum of 1 course per period (5/6,5 ECTS), and only 1 skills training per period (4 ECTS).  Skills trainings are not compulsory for exchange students. At SBE we consider a fulltime study load per semester to be 4 courses and 1 skills training.

• Period 1: maximum two courses (max. 13 ECTS credits), minimum one course (5/6.5 ECTS credits)
• Period 2: maximum two courses (max. 13 ECTS credits), minimum one course (5/6.5 ECTS credits)
• Period 3: maximum one skills training (max. 4 ECTS credits)
• Period 4: maximum two courses (max. 13 ECTS credits), minimum one course (5/6.5 ECTS credits)
• Period 5: maximum two courses (max. 13 ECTS credits), minimum one course (5/6.5 ECTS credits)
• Period 6: maximum one skills training (max. 4 ECTS credits)

Important note:
Most SBE courses (except for the skills trainings) are worth 6,5 ECTS. In some study programmes, however, the number of ECTS per course is different. One ECTS equals 28 hours of study. So one regular course at SBE equals 182 hours of study, of which 42 hours need to be considered as contact hours.

Information on courses
All courses are taught in English.
In the online exchange course database you can find all the information you need about SBE’s bachelor’s and master’s courses, such as the course coordinator(s), learning outcomes and competences, number of ECTS, literature and prerequisites.

Courses code explanation
EBC1...: 1^st year’s bachelor’s course
EBC2...: 2^nd and 3^rd year bachelor’s course
EBC4...: master’s course
EBS2...: Skills training bachelor’s level
EBS4...: Skills training master’s level 

Course level
All 2^nd and 3^rd year bachelor’s courses are either at introductory, intermediate or advanced level:

• introductory
  This course gives an introduction to the subject.
• intermediate
  You can only choose this course if you have prior knowledge about the subject via a course offered at SBE, or a comparable course at your home university.
• advanced
  Very high level; you can only choose this course if you have extensive prior knowledge about the subject via a course offered at SBE, or a comparable course at your home university.

Course selection
When you select your courses, you should note that some will assume knowledge of topics covered in other courses (“pre-requisites”). If you do not meet these requirements, you will not be allowed to register for the course. You are responsible for making sure you have the requisite knowledge to follow courses that state certain pre-requisites.   

As an exchange student you are expected to take second and third year courses. However, a selection of first year courses at SBE is also open to exchange students. If you want to select a second or third year course and combine it with a first year course in the same course period, you do have to keep in mind that some of your tutorials might take place at the same day and the same time. This could also happen with the exam schedule. Unfortunately, SBE will not be able to alter the course and exam schedule for you. Nor will  the tutor, the course coordinator, or the School be held responsible if you end up with a study delay as a result.

For master's students only
If you want to register for a mix of master's level and bachelor's level courses in the same study period you do have to keep in mind that some of your tutorials might take place at the same day and the same time. This could also happen with the exam schedule. Unfortunately, SBE will not be able to alter the course and exam schedule for you. Nor will the tutor, the course coordinator, or the School be held responsible if you end up with a study delay as a result.

Skills training
Focusing on the acquisition of knowledge is not sufficient if you are a student of Business and Economics. You have to be able to work in all kinds of organisations, which implies that you need to possess several social an communication skills. SBE offers you the opportunity to obtain these skills. SBE also pays attention to quantitive skills like accounting, financial arithmetic, operations research, statistics and mathematics. Computer proficiency and basic knowledge of information science are also regarded as essential elements of the curriculum.

For master’s level students, there are no skills trainings available in period 6. Master’s level students may register for bachelor’s level skills trainings when they have the approval of their home university.

Course (de)registration period and deadlines
You can only (de)register via Student Portal for courses during the (de)registration periods. As long as you register for courses before the course registration deadline, participation is guaranteed. For course (de)registration periods and deadlines please consult the Student Portal.

Course changes
Please be aware that all deadlines at SBE are extremely strict. Once the course (de)registration deadline has passed, the system closes automatically and you can no longer register or deregister for courses. Up until the deadlines, you can register/deregister and switch at will.

Maastricht University uses the Problem Based Learning Method, where the average group size is 15 students. We, therefore, need to do a lot of planning to find enough rooms and teachers/tutors, and to make sure there are about the same number of students in each tutorial group. Therefore, students are not allowed to switch courses after the course (de)registration deadline. 

Important note:
If you have to get advice on, or pre-approval for, your SBE courses, make sure to take care of this before the course registration deadline.

Course schedule
About two weeks before the beginning of each course period, your timetable will be published via Student Portal.

Course manual
About two weeks before the beginning of each course period course manuals will become available via Student Portal, but there have been occasions where they were posted only a day before the class started or handed out when class started.

The course manual includes a description of the course, an overview of the objectives, the literature used, clarification of assessment criteria used and an explanation of the way the final grade will be calculated.

Course attendance and participation
You have to attend your tutorial groups and are expected to participate actively. In fact, this will have an impact on your grade for that course. The majority of SBE courses have a 100% attendance requirement which means that you cannot miss one single lecture or tutorial. If you do not fulfil these requirements, you face the consequences. One of the consequences could be that you will no longer be able to pass the course successfully and thus will not receive any credits for the course even if you ace the exam.

Nomination and application

Eligibility
As exchange student, you must officially be nominated by your home university. You do not have to pay a tuition fee at SBE but you will continue to pay tuition fee to your home university.

We can only accept you if you major in Economics or Business (or related). If you are a bachelor's student, you have to have completed at least two semesters (one academic year) of relevant study before you start your exchange programme at SBE. If you want to take master’s level courses while at SBE, you have to have a valid and relevant bachelor’s degree/diploma when you start your exchange here.

English language requirement
Since the working language at our School is English and all courses are taught in English, all exchange students are required to have an advanced level of the English language - comparable to the level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference - to be able to successfully complete their courses. SBE does not require any proof of an English language test score, but do make sure your English is up to par when you start your exchange.

Our educational system - Problem Based Learning (PBL) - requires you to actively take part in the tutorial meetings. The PBL method is explicitly student-centred rather than teacher-centred, and the students are expected to take the initiative. Speaking up and actively taking part in discussions is a crucial part of the system and this will also influence your final grades. Therefore, it is extremely important that you have an excellent knowledge of both written and spoken English.

Nomination and application deadlines

• The nomination deadline for the fall semester is 15 April.
• The application deadline for the fall semester is 01 May.
   
• The nomination deadline for the spring semester is 15 September.
• The application deadline for the spring semester is 01 October.

Online registration and application
After the nominations have been submitted by our partner universities, we will provide them with instructions on online registration and application.

Required documents
Along with your application, you will need to upload a variety of documents.

To finish your application keep the following required documents at hand:

• Digital copy of valid passport or European ID card.
  EU: valid for the entire duration of the exchange semester plus one month.
  Non-EU: valid for the entire duration of the exchange semester plus three months.
• Digital copy of an official portrait picture
  (the kind you get taken and use for a passport, not a digital copy of the picture on the passport).
• Digital copy of the academic transcript of all semester from your current study. The transcript should be in English and certified as true copy by home university. Furthermore, it should clearly mention the name of the courses taken, the grade obtained for each course and the credits obtained per course.
• Digital copy of relevant bachelor’s degree/diploma in English and certified as true copy by university (only for master’s level exchange students).

Visa, residence permit and Nuffic Certificate (Chinese students)

Visa and residence permit
Depending on your nationality you may have to apply for a special entry visa and/or a residence permit. Once you have completed the online exchange application the IRO will check this and, if applicable, will forward your details to Maastricht University’s Visa Office, who will get back to you via email. As soon as you hear from them, you should take action immediately and provide them with the necessary documents as soon as possible.

If you are a student needing a special entry visa it is especially vital to respond quickly to the Visa Office, since you will otherwise seriously delay your visa application.  If your visa is not ready in time for the introduction days and the start of the semester do not travel to the Netherlands, and never apply for a short-stay or tourist visa. If you do so anyway, Dutch Immigration Laws will force us to deregister you as SBE student, which means you will not be allowed to follow courses.

For more information regarding immigration requirements and procedures click here or contact the Maastricht University's Visa Office (please mention your name, student ID number, nationality  and home university).

If the Visa Office has not contacted you 3 months before the start of your exchange semester at SBE please contact IRO (please mention your name, student ID number, nationality  and home university).

Nuffic Certificate: only applicable to Students with the Chinese nationality
If you are a Chinese national (even if you are currently living outside China) you have to get a Nuffic Certificate to be eligible for a Dutch entry visa. This does not apply to Hong Kong (SAR), Macau (SAR) and Taiwan (ROC) nationals.
If you have the Chinese nationality (excluding British National Overseas) you are required to submit a Nuffic Certificate when you register as SBE exchange student. This is a document issued by Nuffic (Netherlands organization for international cooperation in higher education) that provides an assessment of your English language proficiency and of the validity of your diplomas and degrees. All Chinese students who wish to enrol in an English-taught programme at a Dutch higher education institution (= SBE) are required to apply for a Nuffic Certificate.  We strongly urge you to apply for the Nuffic Certificate at least 4 months before you intend to come to the Netherlands.

Exemption language test
If you have the Chinese nationality but study at one of our partner institutions in Hong Kong (SAR), Macau (SAR), Taiwan (ROC) or any English-speaking country (e.g. Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, Singapore) where education is completely in English, you are exempted from the English language proficiency test. When you apply for the Nuffic Certificate you must provide a motivation that you request an exemption for the English language test (because you are currently studying at a university located in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau or in an English speaking country). The IRO at SBE will provide the Nuffic organization with a list of the names of the students who are eligible for the exemption. Do note that the exemption is only given for the English language test score. You will always need a Nuffic Certificate as validity of your diplomas and degrees  in order to be eligible for a visa for The Netherlands.

If you are Chinese and study at a mainland Chinese university, you will have to take the English language proficiency test. When in doubt, contact the IRO (please mention your name, Student ID number, nationality and home university).
The application for a Nuffic Certificate is part of the application for the visa, and does not replace the application as exchange student at SBE.

For the entire application procedure for the Nuffic Certificate please visit the website of Study in Holland.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

PBL was adopted by Maastricht University in 1976. PBL tries to overcome the weaknesses of traditional education by giving the students a very active role. Students do not spend hours listening to lectures – although there are some, usually at the start of the study period - but instead, per course, attend two-hour tutorial group meetings twice a week. These meetings form the core part of the study programme and are the driving force for learning. Within the tutorial groups, problems are presented as cases and researched. The international classroom underlines the benefits in the learning process of students when they work in small tutorial groups with people from different cultural backgrounds. By approaching problems from a variety of perspectives students are acquainted with different ways of seeing things and that enhances the quality of discussions. In this way, the international classroom prepares students for the rapidly globalising labour market.

A tutorial group is composed of 8 to 15 students plus a tutor: a staff member who guides the group process but who does not automatically give answers to the problems. It is up to the students to discover where their knowledge falls short and to fill in the gaps. To do so, students will have to spend a lot of time between tutorial meetings to read articles and books, and to do research in the university library.

More in-depth information about the Problem Based Learning can be found here.

Introduction activities

SBE compulsory introduction days
Each semester starts with a two-day compulsory introduction for incoming exchange students, which takes place in the main building of SBE (Tongersestraat 53, Maastricht).

• Spring semester 2023: Thursday 2 February and Friday 3 February 2023

First introduction day
The programme of the first introduction day starts with a registration session, followed by a plenary session, lunch, and social programme. During the first introduction day, you will get acquainted with our school, the city, the student life as well as with your fellow students.

Second introduction day
During the second introduction day, you will receive theoretical information about the problem based learning system (PBL) and take part in a practice session in which the different steps, roles, and expectations are explained and played out. Afterwards, you should have a good idea of what to expect when classes start. After the PBL session we will end the introduction days with a welcome drink.

INKOM
The INKOM is the general introduction week for all new students of Maastricht University and Zuyd Hogeschool. The INKOM only takes place once a year, two weeks before the fall semester starts.

During the INKOM you will meet many new people and you will learn all of the aspects of Maastricht. You will meet all cultural, sports, study, and student associations of Maastricht. There is also attention for music, dance, cabaret, the city, and many other aspects that are relevant for students. There are of course enough parties and other activities.

More information on the programme and registration can be found on the official website of  INKOM Maastricht.

ESN Maastricht Arrival Week
ESN Maastricht is a non-profit international student organization whose mission is to represent international students, under the motto of “Students helping Students.” It is part of a much bigger organization called ESN (Erasmus Student Network), which is a network recognised all over Europe, with hundreds of sections in different countries. ESN organises an abundance of events.

The Arrival Week is, a fun, week-long experience of what it is like to be a part of ESN Maastricht. You will meet with active members, along with other exchangers and international students. The Arrival Week takes place twice a year, one week before the semester starts. More information on ESN Maastricht, Arrival Week and registration can be found on the website of ESN Maastricht.

Please bear in mind that the INKOM and ESN's Arrival Week are not the same nor replace the SBE compulsory introduction days for incoming exchange students.

Student Portal, intranet and webmail

Student Portal
The Student Portal is your one-stop location for accessing and managing your personal university information. It has been designed to work on all devices, so that you can access the information you need, whenever you need it, be it on your laptop, tablet or smartphone. Use the Student Portal to sign up for courses, access your course material, answer your email, check your calendar, latest announcements, upcoming deadlines, grades, deregister for exams.

To access the portal go to Student Portal and login with your student ID number (i6******) and password.

Intranet
Use intranet to find academic related information, information about procedures, rules and regulations (e.g. academic calendar, information on registration for education and exams, information concerning exams, examinations and results. To access the intranet first login to Student Portal.

Webmail
After registration you will receive an email containing your Student ID number and your password, which you need to login to your Maastricht University email.
The IRO will only send emails to this address after the start of the semester. Before that time we will use the email address you provided in your online application form.

Check your Maastricht University email via Student Portal.

Access remains possible until 60 days after your registration as exchange student has ended.

Exams and resits

Exams
Once you have registered for a course/skills training, you are automatically registered for the first corresponding exam.

The assessment method differs widely per course. In most cases, you have to pass a written or oral examination at the end of the course. This will be mentioned in the online exchange course database as well as in the course manual. 

Resits
If you fail the course you will always get the opportunity to take a second exam, a so-called resit. NB:

• if you fail the first exam, you are automatically registered for the resit.
• if you decide not to take the resit, you must actively deregister via the Student Portal. 
• when you have not taken the first exam or you obtained none grade, you must actively register for the resit via the Student Portal.

You are not allowed to do a resit for a course you got a pass for, or a grade 5.5 or higher.

Important note:
If you want to take a resit you have to be present in Maastricht to take part. If you have already returned to your home country the resit will not be faxed, sent or e-mailed to your home institution.

Important note for all fall students:
If you decide to come back to Maastricht to take a resit for a course taken in period 2, you have to inform the IRO to keep access to the Student Portal.

(De)registration period and deadlines course examination
You can only (de)register via Student Portal for exams during the (de)registration periods.
For exam (de)registration periods and deadlines please consult the Student Portal.

Course examination schedule
The examination schedule is published via Student Portal about two weeks before the beginning of each course period. The schedule for resits is published via Student Portal in the week after the (de)registration period for course examination.

Keep in mind that the examination schedule is always subject to change at late notice. Although the exam week dates are given, the individual exam schedules are not, so when you pre-book your return flight take this into account.

Rules of Procedure for Examinations
As exchange student you are subject to the same Rules of Procedure for Examinations as the other students. Check them carefully via Student Portal.

Tips:

• check the week before for any changes in the exam day in the Student Portal.
• check the day before for any changes in the exam venue or time in the Student Portal.
• be on time. The doors close at the starting time of the examination – no matter how bad the weather conditions, traffic-jams or train delay might be. After the starting time of the examination you are not permitted to enter any more.
• bring your UM Student Card (or if you do not have one a passport or identity card with undamaged portrait picture to the venue. Students who cannot identify themselves are not allowed to take part in the examination.
• don’t bring your cell phone, smartphone, PDA or other electronic devices. Leave them – before the start of the exam – completely switched off and put them in your bag under your exam table, not on your desk or in your pocket.
• it is not permitted to wear a watch during the exam. Leave it (in your bag) under your exam table before the exam starts.
• for examinations that allow the use of a calculator, in general only the following types are permitted: Casio FX82 or Casio FX85. All other types are forbidden.

Results
Every course has its own requirements students need to meet in order to pass the course. These requirements are mentioned in the course manual.

All official examination results are published via Student Portal within 15 working days after the examination date.
The coordinator will announce the date you can inspect your assessed work in the 'Course Details'  on the Student Portal and/or the front page of the examination.

Do note that for Multiple Choice examinations you can request a copy of your answer sheet via SurfYourSelf, you can then assess the work with the published answer key yourself.

Transcript, grades, credits

Transcript
Please keep in mind that once you have registered for a course it will always show up on your transcript at the end of your exchange, unless you deregister for the course before the course (de)registration deadline. 

If you take a language course during your exchange at SBE this will not be mentioned on your transcript, as these courses are not part of SBE’s curriculum but are taught at UM’s Language Centre, who will provide you with a separate Proof of Participation after you have completed the course. Before you enroll in a language course please contact your home university to find out whether or not they acknowledge the grade/credits earned for a language course.

When will I get my transcript?
Once all results have been processed in the system, the transcript can be created. Do note that this is time consuming. We kindly ask for your patience.

If you need to receive your transcript of records urgently, please inform the IRO once you have received all your grades. We will try to send your transcript as soon as possible.

If you failed a course and do not want to take part in the resit, make sure to deregister yourself for the resit via Student Portal to avoid a delay in processing your transcript.

How will I get my transcript?
An electronic version of your grade transcript will be sent directly to both you and your home university. 

SBE’s grading system
Every course has its own requirements students need to meet in order to pass the course. These requirements are mentioned in the course manual.

All courses are assessed with a whole or half grade on a scale from 0.0 to 10.0 or a no grade. It should be noted that a 10.0 is very rarely scored (fewer than 1% of students). A grade of 5.5 is considered a pass. The grading scale applied by SBE, is to be interpreted as:

10.0                Exceptional
9.0-9.5            Excellent
8.0-8.5            Very Good
7.0-7.5            Good
6.0-6.5            Satisfactory
5.5                  Sufficient
≤ 5.0               Insufficient
Pass               Sufficient to exceptional, performance at least meets the minimum criteria
Fail                 Insufficient, performance below the minimum criteria
NG                 No Grade; due to unjustified absence

Important note:
Most skills trainings are assessed with pass or fail and not a grade. Only the pass or fail result will be shown on the grade transcript.

Credits
SBE uses the ECTS system. The grade transcripts will contain the names of the course you took, plus the Dutch grade and the number of ECTS credits. We do not use ECTS grades.

What is the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)?
ECTS, the European Credit Transfer System, was developed by the Commission of the European Communities in order to provide common procedures to guarantee academic recognition throughout the European Community and, as from the academic year 1992/93, between an EC Member State and any country belonging to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). ECTS provides a way of measuring and comparing learning achievements, and transferring them from one institution to another.

Suggested ECTS conversion table:

Dutch Grade             ECTS Grade              Explanation

8.5 – 10.0                   = A                              = Excellent
7.5 – 8.4                     = B                              = Very Good
7.0 – 7.4                     = C                              = Good
6.5 – 6.9                     = D                              = Satisfactory
5.5 – 6.4                     = E                              = Sufficient
1.0 – 5.4                     = F/FX                        = Insufficient

Erasmus+ and other documents

The Erasmus+ learning agreement and statement of stay are provided by your home university.

To get your Erasmus+ learning agreement or statement of stay signed you can send it to the  IRO or visit the open office hours of the IRO, every working day from 10.00 to 11.00 hrs at the Information Desk in the entrance hall of SBE.

Information regarding the receiving institution:

The learning agreement (Table A in the learning agreement) includes all the educational components (course code + title + number of ECTS) to be carried out by the student at the receiving institution.

The date of arrival or start date of the study abroad period is the first day the student has to be present at SBE (first introduction day). The date of departure or end date of the study abroad period is the last day the student has to be present at SBE. The last day could be the last day of the exam week, skills weeks or resit week. Please consult the academic calendar for the concerning dates.