Stand out with your minor!
What is a minor?
A minor is a compulsory part of your degree, but you choose the actual subject or subjects you study. Lasting six months and worth a total of 30 ECTS, it’s a chance for you to gain new insights and give your degree a unique twist. You could opt to dive deeper into your degree subject and follow a minor within in your own academy. Or you could decide to expand your breadth of knowledge and opt for a minor offered further afield. Your choice of minor reflects your interests, enables you to push yourself and helps you stand out in the crowd.
You can follow a minor at NHL Stenden, at another university of applied sciences in the Netherlands or abroad. Why not discover exotic destinations such as Bali, Thailand or South Africa during a Grand Tour, or go on an Exchange to one of our partner universities.
At NHL Stenden, you can opt to do:
A single minor at NHL Stenden worth 30 ECTS
Two minors at NHL Stenden each worth 15 ECTS
A Grand Tour, taking a minor at one of our worldwide Grand Tour partner locations
An Exchange, following a minor or modules at a partner location abroad
Kies op Maat, following a minor at another university of applied sciences in the Netherlands
If you’re studying at another university of applied sciences in the Netherlands and would like to follow a minor offered by NHL Stenden, then click here to see our full range of courses offered through Kies Op Maat.
When do I take my minor?
You take your minor in the third or fourth year of your study, and it always starts at the beginning of a semester. Most minors last six months and start in semester 1 (September) or Semester 2 (February).
At NHL Stenden you can opt to take a single minor worth 30 ECTS or two minors each worth 15 ECTS. You can see in the information on the minor just how many ECTS it carries. If the minor you want to follow has any particular admission requirements, you’ll need to be able to prove you meet these conditions when you apply.
Useful links
How does it work?
We’re here to help you choose your minor subject. Call in at the Minor Market for information on various minors and check out the frequently asked questions to find the answer you’re looking for.
NHL Stenden organises two information sessions, one in the spring and one in the autumn. They are great opportunities to find out more about the different minors our university of applied sciences offers. Students and lecturers are on hand to tell you all you need to know about the content of the minors – so you can decide which minor really is the right one for you.
The next physical Minor Market is on 14 October 2025. The information sessions are on-campus and online and there are also consultation hours you can join. Right before the Minor Market, we’ll publish an overview of all the minors represented at the Minor Market on this page. On 15 October is the Minor Market is online.
You can visit the Minor Market (online or on-campus) and find the full range of minors on the website.
If you’ve been to the Minor Market or explored the website with an overview of all our minors and you’ve got a rough idea of which minor you want to take, then talk to your study coach. You can check with them if the minor is a suitable and worthwhile choice for you.
If you’ve got in-depth questions about a particular NHL Stenden minor, then get in touch with the contact person for that minor. Simply click on the information button you see on the minor’s website.
If you’d like to follow your minor at another university of applied sciences or university, then visit the kiesopmaat.nl website. You can then sign up for the minor through the website. You’ll also need to get permission from your study programme’s examination committee.
There are two opportunities in each academic year when NHL Stenden students can sign up for a minor at an NHL Stenden campus. These are:
March: for students wanting to follow a minor in semester 1 or 2 of the following academic year
October: for students wanting to follow a minor in semester 2 of the current academic year (providing the minor still has places available)
There are two opportunities in each academic year to sign up for a Study Abroad programme. These are:
November to March: for all students (both Grand Tour and Exchange) wanting to sign up for a Study Abroad programme in semester 1 or semester 2 of the following academic year
September/October: for Grand Tour and Exchange students wanting to follow a minor in semester 2 of the current academic year (providing the minor/partner still has places available)
If you study at NHL Stenden, then you can find more information including specific application dates, on the Study Abroad intranet page.
Applications to study minors in the academic year 2025-2026 need to be submitted using Progress between 14 March, 12 noon, and 4 April 2025. You need to follow these steps to apply.
You can choose your minor and apply through the minor’s website.
If you don’t study at NHL Stenden but would like to follow one of our minors, then you can apply through the Kies op Maat website.
Contact
Have you been through all the FAQs but still have questions about following a minor? Then check out the following.
For questions about the minor itself and its curriculum, please get in touch with the contact person for that minor subject. Simply click on the information button on the minor’s website to get in touch. You can find all the minors on the minors’ website.
For organisational questions (for instance regarding applying or cancelling your application), you can contact minoren@nhlstenden.com.