AUC NEXT
AUC's strategic plan from 2022 - 2026
AUC NEXT strategic plan
AUC NEXT is the outcome of an extensive process of deliberation. We are grateful for all of the input that we received from AUC students and staff, the executive boards of the UvA and VU, the AUC Council of Deans, the 2022 mid-term accreditation review panel, and AUC’s International Advisory Board. Following the completion of the formal consultation process, AUC NEXT was adopted by the AUC Board on 31 October 2022.
You can view the full strategic document here:
The next step in the process will be the implementation of the many elements of AUC NEXT. More information about the implementation process and the possibilities to get involved and provide further advice and input will be provided throughout the academic year.
Key academic changes starting in September 2023
While AUC's curriculum is updated every year through the approval cycle of the Academic Standards and Procedures, the changes that will go into effect starting in September 2023 are more significant than normal. For most students, these changes will present more freedom in course selection and will form the basis for increasing interdisciplinary relationships between subjects that are ever more relevant in society. The most major changes are as follows:
Theme courses to be discontinued & no longer required to graduate
Students will no longer be required to complete theme courses as part of their degree. All 100- and 300-level theme courses will be discontinued. Some of the former theme courses will be redeveloped into interdisciplinary courses within the major.
Amount of credits in your major
With the discontinuation of the theme courses, all students will be required to complete 66 EC (instead of the current 60 EC) in their major, with at least 24 EC (instead of the current 18 EC) at the 300 level. This contributes to depth of learning while allowing you more choice in selecting courses.
Language requirement discontinued
Languages at AUC will no longer be mandatory. Instead, all language courses will become electives and the language curriculum will be further developed to focus on intercultural skills and strengthening the cultural aspects of language learning. AUC will continue to offer Chinese, Arabic, Dutch, French, Spanish and German with an emphasis on the beginner and intermediate levels.
More courses offered during the intensive periods
Students will have more courses to choose from during the intensive periods. Besides languages, students can take a lab course, complete a CPI, or opt to take one of several new courses being developed especially for the intensives. These will include accessible interdisciplinary courses such as Literature off the Page, Challenges of Food and Nutrition Security, and Health, Resilience, and Human Flourishing, among others.
CPIs to be pass/fail, have a 30 EC option & open to first-years
There will be some significant changes to the CPI programme to allow for more extensive opportunities for experience and community-based learning. CPI projects will now be graded with a "pass/fail" designation and no longer count toward the GPA. This will allow students to better focus on learning from the project instead of worrying about grading. In addition, there will be a new option to take a 30 EC internship for students who wish to engage in extensive research (instead of studying abroad or taking multiple off-campus electives, for example). Finally, future first-year students will be able to complete a CPI project instead of waiting until their second or third year.
Two courses in each of the majors required
Students will now be required to complete two courses in each of the majors other than their own (instead of the current one course in each of the majors). For example, a Science major will need to take two courses in the Humanities and two courses in the Social Sciences as part of their degree requirements. Please note that this new rule will only apply to students who start at AUC in September 2023. Current students need only complete one course in each of the majors outside of their own.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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In the 2023-24 academic year, I will be a second or third-year student. Do I have to take two courses in each major other than my own?
No, for your graduation it will suffice to take one course in each major other than your own. The 2023-24 AS&P will contain a special rule that ensures this new requirement does not apply to students who started at AUC before 1 September 2023.
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I completed a theme course in my first year and had already planned on taking a theme course in my third year. What can I do now?
The theme course you already completed can count as 6 EC within your major. You can thus use these credits as part of the graduation requirements for your major. If the theme course you completed is cross-listed, it is also possible to use its 6 EC to meet the requirement of taking a course in a major other than your own. The 300-level theme courses will no longer be on offer from 1 September 2023. Instead, you can choose another 300-level course within your major.
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Why do I need to take 66 EC in my major, of which 24 EC at 300-level, when this was not previously the case?
In the past, students would fulfil 60 EC in their major, of which 18 EC at 300-level. In addition, they completed two theme courses within the major, including a 300-level theme course. Now that the theme courses will be discontinued, AUC has added part of their credits to the credits you must obtain in your major. The reason behind this is that it will ensure sufficient depth of learning within the major.
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I already took one or two language courses at AUC. What happens to these courses now that the language requirement disappears?
The EC you obtained by completing language courses can still contribute to the total of 180 EC you must complete in order to graduate. Instead of counting for the language requirement, language courses will become electives. The course name(s) and the grade(s) you obtained will still be listed on your diploma supplement and grade transcript.
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I would like to continue learning my language of choice. Is that still possible?
AUC will continue to offer beginner and intermediate levels of Dutch, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish. If your language proficiency exceeds the levels on offer, you can opt to study a language as an off-campus course. From 1 September 2023, Arabic, Chinese and Spanish will change titles and work with target levels. Instead of taking Spanish A2, you would be enrolling in Contextualizing Spanish: Language and Society 2 – which focuses on A2-level activities and learning. This change allows more focus on and room for cultural aspects of language learning and for teaching intercultural skills.
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Will I still need to take a language level predictor test to enroll in a language course?
If you have previously taken a language course and would like to continue learning the same language, you will not need a language level predictor test. Instead, the course you have completed forms the prerequisite to the subsequent level. However, if you have not previously taken a language course at AUC, you will have to request a language level predictor test from the Digital AUC Service Desk. The test must be requested at least 3 weeks before the start of course registration.
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Can all students now freely choose their intensive courses, including first years?
Up until now, the intensive courses of first-year students consisted of Global Identity Experience and a language of choice. In their second and third year, students had the opportunity to choose whichever intensive course they preferred, provided that they met the language and lab requirements. From 1 September 2023 onwards, first-year students will take Global Identity Experience in the January or June intensive. In the intensive that remains, they can freely choose from available courses, provided they meet the prerequisite(s). Second and third-year students no longer have to meet the language requirement, but the lab course requirement remains in place.
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Can the 30 EC internship be counted as a disciplinary course within a major, or can it be counted as a major requirement?
No, community project and internship opportunities are not listed as AUC major courses in the course catalogue, and they are not part of any major. You can opt to use your elective space for the 30 EC internship.
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I am interested in taking a 30 EC internship but have already completed a 6 EC community project or a 6 EC internship. Is it possible to combine these?
No, you cannot combine the different community project & internship options as part of the degree requirements. To graduate, you must have obtained 180 EC. As part of the 180 EC, you can choose to do a 30 EC internship. However, the 180 EC cannot include both the 30 EC internship and a 6 or 12 EC internship. Equally, it is not possible to do a 30 EC internship and a 6 EC community project within the 180 EC you require to graduate. What you can do, is decide to do a 30 EC internship and, for instance, a 6 EC community project and complete the credits for the community project on top of the 180 EC you require to graduate. This means the community project credits do not count towards your degree (in this example, you would graduate after completing 186 EC), and the grade you obtained does not count towards your GPA, but the community project will be listed on your diploma supplement and grade transcript.
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I am interested in doing an internship worth 24 EC. Can I opt for a project of this size?
No, at AUC, you can choose to do one internship project worth 6 EC, two separate internships each worth 6 EC, one double internship worth 12 EC, or an internship worth 30 EC. Variations are not permitted.
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What kind of project can I do as part of a 30 EC internship, and when could I plan such a project?
In 2023-2024, the 30 EC internship represents a research internship only. It should encompass research conducted at the VU, the UvA, or the UMC and supervised by a researcher from one of these institutions. In the future, after the 2023-24 academic year, AUC intends to also develop professional internship opportunities worth 30 EC. More information about CPI projects can be found in the CPI guidelines. You are advised to discuss the planning of a 30 EC internship with your tutor. Such a long internship could naturally take the place of a study abroad semester, for example.
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Will I receive a grade for the 30 EC internship?
No, all community projects and internships will be assessed as pass/fail, starting from September 2023. The pass/fail grade will not be included in the calculation of your GPA. The completed internship, once passed, will be listed on your diploma supplement and grade transcript.