Summary
This page describes Fontys ICT's broad Associate degree (AD) study programme as set out in the full-time education and Education for Professionals (OvP) programme. For details on OvP, see Section 4. The instructions and guidelines in this text (adopted on behalf of the policy chamber on 13 July 2022) replace all previous provisions laid down in addition to the Teaching and Examination Regulations (TER).

Text responsible: Nick Welman, Programme Manager (CE) AD.

1.1. Nature and offer
The Associate degree (AD) is a two-year higher professional education (hbo) programme offered by Fontys ICT in the Demand Based learning format for the five profiles ICT & Business, ICT & Infrastructure, ICT & Media Design, ICT & Software Engineering and ICT & Technology. The language of instruction in the AD is Dutch. Whereas the Bachelor study programme focuses on broad employability according to the Dublin descriptors, the AD focuses on selected job profiles. Whereas the Bachelor focuses on applied research skills, the AD focuses on practice-oriented problem-solving skills. There are no specialisations in the AD study programme.

In academic year 2019-2020 the AD study programme started in Tilburg full-time, in 2020-2021 in Eindhoven for both full-time and Education for Professionals (OvP). For students, the AD study programme is described on the Fontys ICT Study Navigator. Until spring 2024, AD was offered exclusively in Dutch in both Tilburg and Eindhoven. From September 2024, AD will be available in English in Eindhoven.

1.2. Level
In the European Qualifications Framework EQF, the hbo-AD is level 5. (hbo-bachelor is level 6.) The AD degree is included in the Higher Education Act (WHW). The study load is 120 ECTS-credits.¹⁾

The exit level according to the domain description Higher Education ICT Training (HBO-i) is the same in semesters 1, 2 and 3 for AD and Bachelors in all architecture layers user interaction, organisational processes, infrastructure, software and hardware interfacing. For this, see the page Curriculum architecture (paragraph 5).

The exit level of professional development (PO) determined by Fontys ICT is different for AD and bachelor. For the criteria AD's PO, see this page.

1.3. Learning Outcomes
It follows from paragraph 1.2 that the learning outcomes linked directly to the HBO-i domain description are the same for AD and Bachelor. Deviations may arise from the professional context. If the learning outcomes deviate significantly, an explanation should be given.

The learning outcomes linked to professional development are distinctly different. See 1.6.

1.4. Job profiles
The AD trains for the following functions per professional profile.

ICT & Business
Assistant Information Manager
Co-worker Business Intelligence

ICT & Infrastructure
Junior Cloud Engineer
Support Engineer

ICT & Media Design
Front End Developer
UX-Designer

ICT & Software
Software Developer
Software Tester

ICT & Technology
Field Support Engineer
Junior Embedded Software Engineer

The AD students choose their professional profile after the first semester and their job profile after semester 2. Graduation in semester 4 takes place in the chosen job profile. The job profiles are further detailed and explained in the Canvas courses.

In semester 2, there is a professional orientation assignment to deepen the mentioned functions. See 2.4.

1.5. Curriculum content
As the level and learning outcomes of AD and bachelor are both similar and different, AD and bachelor students follow an equivalent curriculum with identifiable variations. The Canvas course and the MS Teams learning environment can be shared between bachelor and AD. If the curriculum of bachelor and AD is the same across the board, the distinctive differences should be mentioned. If the curriculum differs in content across the board, the similarities should be stated.

1.6. Curriculum database (CDB)
In the CDB, AD full-time and AD-OvP have their own educational units. Similarities and differences as referred to in 1.2, 1.3. and 1.5. are named and explained in the CDB.

1.7. Graduation level
Graduates demonstrate the ability to repeat the exit level achieved in an educational context in a professional setting. The HBO-i graduation level of AD is therefore comparable to that of semester 3 of the bachelor's programme, with the exception of their own learning outcomes for professional development.

2.1. General overview of study programme structure

First semester: same as first semester bachelor.
Semester 2: thematic semester in the chosen professional profile; professional orientation assignment.
Semester 3: Thematic semester in the chosen professional profile and job profile; graduation preparation.
Semester 4: Graduation semester in the chosen job profile.

The AD does not have a propaedeutic phase. Students receive a congratulatory letter after successfully completing the first year of study, semesters 1 and 2.

2.2. First semester
Full-time students enrolled in AD-ICT or Bachelor-ICT follow the same first semester. At the end of the first semester, a student chooses to continue with the original enrolment or to switch. See 3.2. and 3.3.

2.3. Classification
From semester 2 up to and including semester 4, AD students are assigned to classes (groups) other than the bachelor with their own code, starting with (O-)A-Xsemnr-volgnr(T). Education can take place together with the corresponding bachelor semester.

2.4. Professional orientation assignment
The Programme Manager (CE) owns the professional orientation assignment semester 2. The Project Leaders Programme Development (PLOU)s of semester 2 ensure that the assignment is included in their regular AD-Canvas course. The (mandatory) professional orientation assignment is in preparation for students to choose their job profile for semesters 3 and 4.

The PLOU may assign the assessment of the professional orientation assignment to semester coaches or other lecturers.

For all switchers, PLOUs give students access to the professional orientation assignment (A-OE3-DB-SW-AD). The CE owns the corresponding master course.

The PLOUs can make arrangements with the Student Desk for support with the above responsibilities around the professional orientation assignment.

2.5. Graduation preparation
The graduation coordinator AD (PLOU S4) provides graduation information in semester 3.

In semester 3, students acquire a graduation internship confirmed by the company and submit an interview form to the graduation coordinator for approval. In accordance with the procedure for bachelor internships, the graduation coordinator may maintain that these conditions must be fulfilled by the end of week 15 at the latest. If the starting time is week 11 of the semester, the end of week 5 is the latest date. See paragraph 2.6.

2.6. Graduation Semester
The graduation semester has a theoretical and a practical component. The theoretical component prepares the student for the work in the chosen job profile. The student carries out a practical assignment in the job profile at the graduating company. This practical assignment is concluded with a portfolio and a graduation session in which the student presents and defends the performed practical assignment. The assessment model for the graduation session can be found in the CDB.

The graduation semester has four starting times per year: week 1 and week 11 of each semester.

The student can only start the graduation semester with a place for the graduation internship confirmed by the graduating company and an interview form approved by the graduation coordinator in accordance with the deadlines mentioned in section 2.5.

2.7. Assessment
The AD follows the assessment policy of Fontys ICT and has its own Teaching and Examination Regulations (TER).

3.1. General
Since Semesters 1, 2 and 3 of the bachelor and the AD programme have a corresponding exit level according to the domain description HBO-i, transfer from the bachelor to the AD is possible under the conditions mentioned below.

3.2. Semester 1
In semester 1, switching between bachelor and AD is part of the regular educational set-up of the first semester Demand Based: in that semester, a student chooses either bachelor or AD. This is regardless of what the student originally enrolled for. The semester coach guides this process. The student is responsible for ensuring correct registration in Studielink before the start of semester 2.

3.3. Semester 2
Transfer from bachelor to AD during semester 2: as long as the student has not taken an assessment semester 2, a student can transfer. To this end, the student has a conversation with the semester coach. The student submits a request to the examination chamber for an exemption from semester 1 AD based on having completed semester 1 bachelor. The student changes the registration in Studielink. The semester coach informs the PLOU and the Student Desk. The Student Desk archives the permission in Content Manager CM.

During the assessment, the assessors check whether the professional orientation assignment AD has been fulfilled. This is part of the normal procedure anyway.

It is required that the student is enrolled in the right programme at the moment that the assessment semester 2 is taken.

3.4. Semester 3
Transfer from bachelor to AD during semester 3: once the propaedeutic phase of the bachelor has been completed, a transfer from bachelor to AD always takes place via a substantiated request to the examination chamber. Background: from the perspective of both the student and the study programme, the propaedeutic phase is aimed at the completion of a four-year bachelor programme. Moreover, the study results of the bachelor must be recognised for the AD.

Procedure: the student first has an interview with the semester coach. After approval by the examination chamber, the student changes the registration in Studielink. The examination chamber informs the semester coach, the PLOU and the Student Desk. The exemption granted by the examination chamber for semester 1 and 2 is registered by the Student Desk in Progress and archived in Content Manager CM.

The student has to catch up the professional orientation assignment from semester 2. The PLOU appoints an assessor for this purpose; during the assessment, the assessors verify whether the assignment has been fulfilled.

It is required that the student is enrolled in the right programme at the time when the assessment semester 3 is taken.

N.B. Since semester 4 can only start with a confirmed internship, a late switch during semester 3 can lead to a study delay. See 2.5.

3.5. After semester 3
Transfer from the bachelor to the AD programme from semester 4 and up: once semester 3 of the bachelor programme has been completed, transfer from bachelor to AD always takes place via a request to the examination chamber. After approval by the examination chamber, the student has to fulfil three additional requirements to start the graduation semester.

1. The student must catch up the professional orientation assignment from semester 2. The graduation coordinator appoints an assessor for this purpose.
2. There is an internship confirmed by the graduating company.
3. There is an interview form approved by the graduation coordinator. For items 2] and 3] the deadlines mentioned under 2.5 apply.

Procedure: the student first has an interview with the semester coach. After permission from the examination room, the student changes the registration in Studielink. The examination chamber informs the graduation coordinator and the Student Desk. The exemption granted by the examination chamber for semester 1, 2 and 3 is registered by the Student Desk in Progress and archived in Content Manager CM.

3.6. From AD to Bachelor
Transfer from AD to bachelor is possible as long as the student has not taken an assessment semester 2. The procedure for this is in accordance with 3.4, with the exception of the professional orientation assignment.

After taking the AD assessment in semester 2, transfer to the bachelor is not possible in subsequent semesters. In order to continue studies in the bachelor, a propaedeutic certificate must be obtained.

3.7. After graduation
Continuation of the bachelor programme after obtaining AD: in spring 2023, Fontys ICT signed up to the agreements of the Landelijk Overleg AD study programmes which say that after obtaining the Associate degree, graduation in the bachelor's degree should be possible within two years. For full-time students, their follow-up path consists of semesters 4, 6, 7 and 8 of the bachelor's degree. The Associate degree then gives exemption from semesters 1, 2 and 3 of the bachelor and from semester 5, the internship semester, as the student has already completed an AD graduation internship. For Education for Professionals (OvP) students, where there is no internship in semester 5, the follow-up route is simply semesters 5 to 8. Exemptions for the relevant bachelor's semesters are regulated in the TER..

In Education for Professionals (OvP), the student broadens his knowledge in the first semester by orienting himself on three of the five professional profiles. Under the guidance of a semester coach, the student makes a choice for the follow-up trajectory. In this, the student continues with one chosen professional profile. Semesters 2, 3 and 4 have the same structure as full-time education.

The AD Education for Professionals (OvP) is offered in Blended learning. In this approach, a study time of 20 hours per week is expected, complemented with at least 20 hours per week of work experience in the ICT work field.

This study time is distributed per week as follows.

- 4 hours of face-to-face meetings (fixed evening per week);
- 2 hours online meetings (evening sessions);
- 12 hours homework, portfolio, professional development;
- 2 hours study organisation and other.

The student can use daily practical experience and issues from their own working environment to demonstrate the learning outcomes.