NVAO

Accreditation Organisation of
the Netherlands and Flanders

 

Parkstraat 28
2514 JK The Hague
P.O. Box 85498
2508 CD The Hague
The Netherlands

T +31 (0) 70 312 2300
F +31 (0) 70 312 2301
contact us - travel guide

 

-scan for contact details-


Recognition of institutions in Flanders

In Flanders, only registered higher education institutions are allowed to organise bachelor's and master's programmes. There are two types of registered institutions, the statutory registered higher education institutions and the registered institutions.

 

 

The statutory registered higher education institutions are the traditional higher education institutions and were already recognised by the Flemish education authority before the introduction of the European (Bologna) reforms in higher education in 2003.

But the Flemish higher education system is open to all types of institutions. An institution that considers itself a higher education institution can ask to be recognised as such. Once they receive recognition they are deemed registered higher education institutions.

To be recognised, the institution’s programmes need to go through a two-step procedure:

  1. The institution needs to request NVAO for initial accreditation of one or more of its programmes. This procedure is explained on the initial accrediation page. Once one or more programmes have received a positive advice from NVAO the next step can start.
  2. The institution needs to request registration to the ministry of education. 

In this second step of the procedure the institution needs to demonstrate that:
  • it has an adequate organisational governance structure which will allow enrolled students to complete their education;
  • It has a financial structure that enables students enrolled to complete their education;
  • It has a sufficiently appropriate infrastructure for providing higher education.


All institutions need to provide an agreement with another (foreign) recognised institution which can offer the relevant programme(s). This agreement concerns the manner in which enrolled students can complete their education.

 

Foreign institutions that want to go through the registration procedure need to demonstrate that they need to be recognised as a higher education institution in the country of origin.

The Flemish government takes a decision within 30 days of receiving NVAO's initial accreditation report. Once the registration decision by the Flemish government is published the institution and the initially accredited programmes are included in the Higher Education Register. Registration will lapse (become void) if an institution fails to offer (initially) accredited programmes for a period of two years.