Summary
This page describes the curriculum architecture of Education for Professionals (OvP) implemented from September 2020.

From academic year 2020-2021, Education for Professionals (OvP) is renewed and expanded. The study programme will then offer the same profiles as the full-time programme for both Associate degree and propaedeutic phase of the Bachelor, but only within one didactics and only in Dutch. From semester 3, the Bachelor's degree programme becomes an open study programme within the HBO-i competence matrix. There is also a flexible intake route to allow students with extensive work experience to enter the post-propaedeutic programme after thorough preparation.

The architecture, excluding the flexible admission route, is shown in Figure 1:

Figure 1 Schematic representation of the study programme structure Education for Professionals-time (OvP).

Comments: The students who enter in semester 5 from the AD study programme receive extra attention and guidance on the professional skills of the bachelor. By passing semester 5, these formerAD students demonstrate that they master the professional skills of the bachelor's degree at the appropriate level.

All units of study have a size of 30EC and are assessed integrally on a scale of USGO (Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory, Good and Outstanding).

Within Education for Professionals (OvP) the following study options are offered:

• ICT & Business (AD and propaedeutic phase BSc)
• ICT & Infrastructure (AD and propaedeutic phase BSc)
• ICT & Media Design (AD and propaedeutic phase BSc)
• ICT & Software Engineering (AD and propaedeutic phase BSc)
• ICT & Technology (AD and propaedeutic phase BSc)
• ICT & Personalised Programme (BSc, after obtaining a propaedeutic phase from one of the profiles)

OvP is a part-time study programme with fewer contact hours than the full-time programme. Each week there are two evenings of classes: One class night is provided for two hours online and one class night is four hours face-2-face. Between the evenings there is a minimum of one evening free of class, so that the student can process the feedback obtained. It is advisable for a student at OvP to have a relevant workplace to gain the necessary work experience and to put into practice the learned material. In addition, he is expected to devote 20 hours per week explicitly to his studies.

During the first year, the bachelor education is a blended implementation of the demand-based didactics. From the third semester onwards, a blended form of open education is applied. Bachelor students are then allowed to create their own learning outcomes.

The Associate Degree study programme is entirely implemented in the blended demand based didactics.

The first semester has a number of functions within OvP:

• Get students who are working used to the difficult combination of work/family/study;
• Orientation to the different profiles offered;
• Orientation to the exit levels of Associate Degree and Bachelor.

Within the first semester the students choose three of the five offered profiles to orient themselves on. After the orientation phase, they choose the profile in which they are going to follow the second semester and study it in depth in preparation. Throughout the semester, assignments typical of Associate Degree and Bachelor students are completed so that they can make a sound choice of the study path that suits them.

Semester two lays down a solid foundation of knowledge and skills for the student in the chosen profile, but a distinction is also made for the first time between the Associate Degree student and the Bachelor student. Bachelor students develop the beginning of the necessary research skills while performing tasks, while Associate Degree students learn to work in a more task-oriented manner. After passing the second semester, the Bachelor students receive their propaedeutic phase (the Associate Degree study programme has no propaedeutic phase).

In semester 3, for undergraduate students, the study programme changes to the open teaching method. This means that in addition to their learning path, they may also define their learning outcomes themselves.

Associate Degree students will have a collaborative, multidisciplinary semester offered Demand Based in semester 3. Every student here works on his own learning outcomes of the chosen profile, but in joint projects in a joint class. In semester 4 they specialise further in the chosen job profile and do their final assignment.

Students with a completed (Fontys ICT) Associate Degree study programme are admitted tot the fifth semester of the bachelor study programme. They can then complete a bachelor's degree programme in nominally 2.5 years after obtaining their Associate Degree. Within the fifth semester, they catch up on research skills that are the biggest distinguishing difference between the Associate degree and the bachelor's degree programme. In this semester students are given the Open Learning teaching method and are allowed to define their own technical learning outcomes.

There is a Flexible Admission Route for newcomers with a lot of prior knowledge and/or work experience. This route allows students to complete multiple semesters at once within a semester (minimum semester 1 and 2). In addition, the student must have mapped out a clear and studyable programme in order to be able to obtain his diploma within a maximum of 3 years after the admission route. It is not possible to enter in semester 2 or to graduate via an accelerated route.

The professional who is able to draw up a portfolio based on his work experience will be guided in this during a semester. It uses the set of learning outcomes defined for the different directions/architecture layers. Based on this defined learning outcome, it is decided in which semester the professional can enter. In addition, together with the professional, a learning pathway is mapped out which makes it clear what the further course of the study could look like. In addition to preparing the portfolio, the student can also do projects during this semester to demonstrate any missing learning outcomes.