WO vs HBO

You will find the terms WO and HBO quite often as we have two different types of universities in the international sense. 

WO stands for wetenschappelijk onderwijs (scientific education), while HBO stands for hoger beroepsonderwijs (higher vocational education) also known as a university of applied sciences. Both can offer Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. 

Outside the Netherlands, both degrees are seen as the same with a few exceptions as other countries like Germany have a similar system. Inside, the two degrees exist for different reasons. Generally, after the completion of a HBO course you are expected to enter the workforce, while after a WO BSc, you are expected to continue for a masters degree, as that is seen as a “complete” education. Some (WO) masters programs cannot be directly entered from a HBO bachelors, and require a “pre-master”, which could either be half a year, or one year. (Depending on a lot of factors) It is sometimes possible to complete this pre-master as your minor to avoid study delays.

Some programs are only available on the WO level while others are only available at the HBO level. So don’t be discouraged from applying for HBO. 

Which should I choose?

Consider the following: 

• The admission criteria often differ between HBO and WO. Your high school diploma may allow you to get into HBO if you are not eligible for WO. 
• Choose a program and city that speaks to you, and make sure to check their respective curriculums.
  • When going abroad (or back home), the diplomas are generally seen as the same.
• A finished 3 or 4 year HBO Bachelor’s is seen as a completed education in NL, while a full WO education is only achieved after a 3 years Bachelor’s and 1-2 year Master’s.
  • Consider whether or not you want to do a Master’s and in which country. 
  • If you want to do a WO Master’s with a HBO Bachelor’s, you will usually need to enroll in a so-called “pre-master” or “bridging” program. This lasts anywhere between 6-12 months (Usually 12 for STEM) and is advised to be done after the HBO BSc. In some cases, it is possible to do it as a Minor, but it might not be fully complete (AKA you will still need to do 6 months after your BSc), or prove to be too difficult. Completion of the bridging program most of the times allows direct admission to the Master’s program.
• HBO is generally more applied than WO and is usually seen as “easier” in a positive way, allowing for more potential freetime.
• After graduation, HBO BSc holders tend to get jobs quicker and at the same salary with WO BSc, but those with a WO MSc usually get a better package. This again proves that the completed education is either HBO BSc, or WO BSc + MSc
  
  You can read more about the difference between the two here: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/education/study-programme-orientation/preparing-for-a-bachelor/whats-the-difference-between-hbo-and-wo