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Binding Study Advice

At the end of the academic year, each first year Radboud student receives a Binding Study Advice (BSA), in line with Radboud Policy, on the continuation of his/her study.

Provisional study advice

You will receive a provisional BSA at the end of the first semester (at the end of February). This provisional study advice is primarily intended as a warning for students who, to date, have shown insufficient academic progress.

Positive BSA

Within the Psychology programme you must earn 42-60 ECs during the first year in order to qualify for a positive BSA. Please note: the only ECs which count are those earned during the first year of the programme (B1 year). If you have been given an exemption for first-year courses, then these will not be taken into account for the BSA.

Negative BSA

If you do not meet the minimum standard requirement of 42 ECs, you will receive a negative binding study advice. This means you will be banned from registering again for the Bachelor of Psychology programme at Radboud University for the next three academic years.

Dropouts who leave the programme before 1 March

The BSA does not apply to students who officially withdraw from the first year of the study programme before 1 March. These students will not receive a BSA in that academic year. 
Any dropouts who wish to join the same study programme in the following academic year, must complete the total amount of 60 ECs required for the first year of the programme in order to qualify for a positive BSA at the end of their second year of study.

Procedure for issuing the final BSA

  • Students will receive their BSA at the end of the second semester. The results of the resits taken in July will also be taken into account.
  • If you have earned the required 42-60 ECs, you will receive a positive BSA by letter at the end of July.
  • If you have only managed to earn 0-41 ECs, you will then receive a letter stating the first intention to issue negative study advice.
  • If you believe that you have mistakenly received an intention to issue a negative BSA, you can clarify this during a hearing held at the end of August by the Committee for Binding Study Advice for First-Year Students. You will be informed of the Committee's decision as soon as possible. This may either result in a definite negative BSA or in a postponed study advice.
  • If you do not wish to make use of this opportunity, then the intention to issue negative study advice will automatically be converted to a definite negative BSA.

Postponed study advice

In the event of exceptional circumstances that clearly influenced the course of study, the Committee may postpone the decision regarding the BSA and even postpone the study advice for a year. In addition to exceptional circumstances, the Committee will also take your behaviour into account and look, for example, at whether you tried to resolve the circumstances or handle the situation differently and whether you made a substantial effort to focus on your studies in spite of the circumstances. 
If you receive postponed study advice, then a BSA will still be issued at the end of the second year. In order to qualify for a positive BSA, you should have at least successfully passed all the first-year courses of the Psychology programme.

How to ask for and to prepare for a hearing?

Do you feel the Committee did not/could not take into consideration all extenuating circumstances that influenced the course of your study? Do you have additional information that could justify a postponement? If so, you can ask the Committee to be invited for a hearing.

  • The Committee's letter stating their first intention to issue negative study advice, will also mention the date of the hearing and the procedure and deadline for sending in your request.
  • Please contact the student advisor in order to discuss your additional information, and - if desired - to get advice on your letter of request to the Committee.
  • Write your letter to the Committee to clarify why you think a postponement of the binding study advice is applicable.

Timetable 2022-2023

The exact dates will be made available mid-April 2023.

Student sends in letter to ask for hearing to bsapsai@ru.nl

Deadline: August 12

Student receives invitation for hearing via (student.ru) email

August 15

The hearings take place

August 24, 25

If there are any special circumstances that are impeding your academic progress during your studies, please contact the student advisor directly to discuss this! Do not wait until the BSA is issued.

This information has been compiled with the utmost care and should be free from errors. Nevertheless, no rights may be derived from its content.