Binding study advice (BSA)

At the end of the first academic year, you will receive your binding study advice (BSA). This advice will be issued by your study programme and is based on the number of credits (ECTS) that you have obtained. If you have not obtained enough credits, you will receive negative binding study advice and you will therefore have to withdraw from your study programme. 

You can read more about the (binding) study advice in the Education and Examination Regulations (EER) from your study programme.

To the overview of Education and Examination Regulations (EER)

Provisional Interim Study Advice

In February of the first academic year, you will receive provisional interim study advice. This advice gives an indication of whether you will pass your first year. If you have doubts or a negative Provisional Study Advice, you will need to adjust your study approach or reconsider your choice of study. In this case, contact your study advisor.

Option to stop your studies

Based on the provisional study advice, you may decide to discontinue your studies. You have until 1 March to deregister early. You will then not receive a BSA in July. You may then start the same study again in September, but you will have to pass all 60 credits in the first year of your study

Number of credits

The number of required course credits for continuing a study programme varies per faculty: 

  • Faculty of Law: 45 
  • Faculty of Science: 39 
  • Faculty of Medical Sciences: 42  
  • Faculty of Arts: 45
  • Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies: 44
  • Faculty of Social Sciences: 42
  • Nijmegen School of Management: 42

A total of 60 course credits can be obtained per academic year.

Special personal circumstances

Exceptions may be made in the case of special circumstances. In such a case, you will need to contact the student advisor for your study programme to discuss your situation.