Bachelor’s Programme 2011/2012
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Table of Contents
Why Liberal Arts and Sciences
Why Liberal Arts and Sciences
03
Whatever your ambitions, a BA Liberal Arts and Sciences from Tilburg
Programme
04
University will prepare you to meet them unlike any other Bachelor’s
Exchange Opportunities
05
qualification.
Career Perspectives
06
Admission & Application
07
That’s because a BA Liberal Arts and Sciences is very different to your average Bachelor’s degree. Designed for ambitious, globally-minded
Miene Tiemoerie (Afghan-Dutch)
students from all around the world, it offers the unique opportunity to attain a specialised qualification in one of four Majors, combined with a broad and interdisciplinary liberal arts education.
My interests are very broad; Liberal Arts and Sciences enables me What’s a liberal arts education? It’s a framework for understanding
to combine a large part of these interests.
global society; a set of powerful and transferable intellectual and practical skills. It’s preparation for making your mark, in whichever Claudia Egher
career you choose.
(Romanian)
• A qualification that is sought-after. Your ability to take an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving is highly valued by employers facing the Experience:
Every time I meet someone new and we reach that point in the conversation when inquiries are made about my studies, the question pops up: “What is Liberal Arts and Sciences? What are you actually studying?” It makes me smile, whenever I hear it, I even wait for it
challenge of complex global issues.
• Global classmates. No less than 50% of your classmates come from countries as contrasting as Peru, China and Canada – an environment that promises eye-opening debates.
• Four diverse Majors. You have the choice of four outstanding Majors: Business & Management, Law in Europe, the Social Sciences, or the Humanities: European History and Culture.
• A unique approach to learning. All compulsory courses deploy
• Exchange. An international exchange semester at a top university
now, and it always reminds me of the mixture of uncertainty and
Tilburg’s team-teaching approach – you study one subject under two
abroad offers you a once-in-a-life time opportunity to expand your
enthusiasm that I felt two years ago when I saw on the site of
academics from different disciplines. With classes small and highly
understanding of the world.
Tilburg University that they were starting a new international programme with this name. It reminds me of how it all started…
interactive, your attention will never waver. • Teaching by accomplished international scholars. The BA LAS is the joint initiative of four leading faculties from Tilburg University – the
• Academic skills. Developing professional and academic skills is an essential part of learning, from your ability to apply critical thinking and logic, to effectively communicating your ideas.
Read about Claudia’s experience, along with the experiences
School of Economics and Management, the Tilburg Law School, the
of numerous other BA Liberal Arts and Sciences students at:
Tilburg School of Humanities, and the Tilburg School of Social and
establishing a coherent curriculum and career trajectory, including
www.tilburguniversity.nl/liberalarts/studentstories
Behavioural Sciences. All faculty can lay claim to outstanding expertise
preparation for a Master’s.
• Personal support from an academic advisor. We support you in
in their fields.
02
www.tilburguniversity.nl/liberalarts
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Programme
Exchange Opportunities
Whereabouts: La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
The BA Liberal Arts and Sciences is a three-year programme that takes as
PROGRAMME COMPONENTS
Imagine spending a whole semester of your degree studying at a top
its basis Europe and its place within a globalising society. Both historical
Compulsory courses
university in the United States, Italy, Japan or Australia – experiencing a
Motivation:
and current issues are examined, applying perspectives from the disciplines
These courses are designed to lay the groundwork for the development of
whole new culture, language and way of life; even the different ways
Why Australia? Well, I wanted to experience something completely
within the Social Sciences and Humanities at Tilburg University.
strong academic skills. All compulsory courses are taught using the
other cultures approach learning at university level.
new. The Liberal Arts and Science programme offers a great
The Social Sciences comprise law, business and management,
team teaching method.
perspective on Europe, but since I grew up in China, I wanted to At Tilburg University, we have international exchange partnerships with
go far away again. I think the country has a lot to offer and I am
Elective courses
respected universities in Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia
looking forward to discovering more about Aussie life. La Trobe
At three different points throughout the programme, you have the
and Japan.
University is very large and in comparison to Tilburg University,
psychology and sociology; while the Humanities encompass culture, history, literature, philosophy and religion.
CURRICULUM STRUCTURE
E M
Mi
opportunity to select your own electives – a chance to enrich your curriculum with interdisciplinary knowledge of your choice.
Bachelor Thesis
Mi Mi Mi Mi
M
M
M
M
M
C
E
M
M
M
C
C
C
C
C
M
E
C
You can spend a semester studying at any one of these institutions as part of your BA Liberal Arts and Sciences degree. As our students can
Blog:
Major courses
attest, it’s guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience – and one
http://jasmininaustralia.blogspot.com
Your Major involves in-depth study within one academic discipline,
highly valued by prospective employers.
You can Major in one of four areas: • Business & Management
• Social Sciences
• Law in Europe
• Humanities: European History and Culture
Minor courses
Your Minor can be in a field different to that of your Major, giving you the opportunity to broaden your expertise. You can also pursue your Minor in the same field as your Major, further expanding your knowledge in
Your second year
C
almost a little city.
qualifying you for a variety of careers or a Master’s degree in that area.
Your third year
Z Liberal Arts & Sciences marzenia nie konczą się w Europie.
With Liberal Arts and Sciences the dreams do not stop within Europe.
that specific area.
M
E
C
Lernen kennt keine Grenzen.
E
Jesse Vreeken (Canadian)
Your first year
C = Compulsory (48 ECTS), E = Elective (24 ECTS), M = Major (60 ECTS),
I am really happy that the Liberal Arts and Sciences programme
Mi = Minor (30 ECTS), Bachelor Thesis (18 ECTS)
allows me to use my Minor to take the classes I need to get the
Courses taught using the team teaching method 04
Jasmin Jurtan (German)
Master I want.
Learning knows no boundaries.
www.tilburguniversity.nl/liberalarts
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Career Perspectives
Jeffrey Dorrestijn (Dutch) Alumni MSc Strategic Management (2006)
At Tilburg University, your future after graduation is given almost as
Current position:
Our admissions requirements ensure you get to learn alongside some
APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCEDURE
much consideration as what you learn during the programme.
Project Manager within Global Adver-
of the most interesting, ambitious and globally-minded students
All applicants must go through an application and selection procedure
An academic advisor guides you through all your course choices,
tiser Operations–Google AdWords
around. And you might just be one of them.
before joining the programme. This procedure ensures all students’
ensuring you follow a logical curriculum that will set a clear course for a satisfying future career.
backgrounds, profiles and ambitions meet our requirements.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
On conclusion of the programme, you can choose between either
Tasks & responsibilities:
pursuing further studies or immediately joining the workforce.
It is my responsibility to drive change within the global organisation,
or a foreign equivalent, such as the International Baccalaureate
Whichever you choose, you will be amazed at how many doors your
further improve the service that Google provides its customers,
diploma or the German Abitur. To find out whether your non-Dutch
liberal background opens.
and improve our efficiency as an organisation by aligning and
diploma meets our requirements, please visit our website.
OPTING FOR A MASTER’S
rolling out new internal processes.
• A Dutch high school diploma at VWO level (all four profiles are eligible),
minimum scores. In addition to these requirements, we seek candidates for the BA Liberal
at Tilburg University or any other top research university in the
Arts and Sciences who display:
The vast majority of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduates within the Alumni MSc
around 40% choose to study abroad. Currently, the most popular study
Organisation Studies (2009)
destination is the UK.
With your area of expertise, as well as broad contextual knowledge, you
• Motivation and a broad range of interests.
Stage 3
You will conduct an interview with two Liberal Arts and Science staff members.
At the end of the interview we will give you either a positive or negative advice. Within 2-3 weeks a confirmation of your admission will be sent to your home address.
Dutch students only: You need to register via www.studielink.nl once you have received a confirmation of your admission to your home address.
The Admissions Officer will provide Dutch students with further instructions regarding official enrolment from the beginning of July onwards. International students will receive further instructions during the Arrival Days in August.
development. • An international mindset, and the ability to embrace a truly multicultural classroom.
Current position: Internal Communications Advisor & Jr. Recruiter
are well-equipped to pursue an international career as a specialist, or in
Within 1 week the Admissions Officer will check your application for completeness and report back to you. Within 4 weeks the Admissions Officer will determine whether you are both admissible and suited for the programme. If you are, you will be invited for an interview.
• Ambition and the desire for intellectual challenge and personal
Netherlands (85%) apply for a Master’s programme. Of these students,
YOUR JOB PROSPECTS
You send us your complete application package.
Stage 2
University, you are eligible to apply for a Master’s or PhD programme Alina Rosu (Romanian)
Stage 1
• Proficiency in English. Please visit our website for the required
With an internationally-recognised Bachelor’s degree from Tilburg
Netherlands or abroad.
• A high level of self-motivation and self-discipline.
Stage 4
• An interest in participating in small-scale, interactive classes as well as lectures. • A passion for discussion and debate.
a position that requires the application of cross-disciplinary insights.
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Admission & Application
• An interest in honing the ability to think critically and analytically.
You might become a policy officer for the United Nations; a consultant
Tasks & responsibilities:
APPLICATION DEADLINES
or policy advisor for the European Parliament or UNESCO; a strategic
As an Internal Communications Advisor my focus is on internal
Our deadlines for entry into the BA Liberal Arts and Sciences commencing
advisor in a multinational company; a lawyer, diplomat, manager,
employee communication - advising the HR management team,
September 2011 are:
journalist, or researcher. The choice is yours.
and translating their strategies and policies into coherent and
Non-EU/EEA applicants requiring a visa:
easy-to-understand messages that can be communicated to the rest
1 April 2011
The first alumni of the BA Liberal Arts and Sciences will graduate in
of the organisation. In my role as a Jr. Recruiter, I am also responsible
EU/EEA applicants & non-EU/EEA applicants not requiring a visa:
2011. We are confident in their ability to pursue successful careers in all
for positioning ING’s technology and operations department as
1 July 2011
areas of business, government, non-profit and academia – just like the
an employer of choice within the job market, while offering advice
rest of Tilburg University’s illustrious alumni community.
on communication strategies for attracting new talent.
www.tilburguniversity.nl/liberalarts
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Tilburg
Tilburg University Address
PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
Telephone
+31 13 466 21 40
Fax
+31 13 466 28 92
liberalarts@uvt.nl
www.tilburguniversity.nl/liberalarts