Three strands

The modules are structured within three strands:

• The content strand involves theological, philosophical and historical sources for Christian education, with reference to current debates in education.
• The innovation/research strand is about developing innovations within your own context based on practice-oriented research.
• The personal development strand is a tutorship aimed to guide you in your current role in your institution with regard to educational innovation and integrating knowledge and practice.

Professional profile

The objective of this Master is becoming a Teacher leader. Teacher leaders are teachers with a vision of good quality education who develop and implement new practices. Teacher leaders work together with colleagues to introduce innovations and they can share their innovations with others. Teacher leaders innovate because they believe in doing good, justice and shalom.

1. Teacher leaders are teachers with a vision of good quality education
   Teacher leaders are professional leaders with a mind set to learning in their own teaching/educational practice. They have a well-founded view on good quality education, based on knowledge of (cultural) historical and philosophical sources, academic literature, specialist literature and practice oriented research in their own practice.  
2. Teacher leaders develop and implement new practices
   Teacher leaders develop new practices (innovations) that contribute to good education. They first do this on a small scale in their own teaching/educational practice and then by involving others in their innovations.  
3. Teacher leaders work together with colleagues to innovate
   Teacher leaders work together with colleagues to implement innovations and research these by means of practice-oriented research. Teacher leaders actively contribute to their organization’s policy. To do this, teacher leaders use innovation expertise.  
4. Teacher leaders can share their innovations
   Teacher leaders demonstrate and share their innovations and the practical knowledge they have gathered, systemized and, through research, critically reflected on for the use of others.

Staff

Courses will be taught by an international team of professors from around the world, including Professor David Smith (United States), Professor Trevor Cooling (United Kingdom), Professor John Choi (South Korea), Professor Dana Hanesová (Slovakia) and Professor Bram de Muynck (the Netherlands). Also several excellent lecturers from Driestar Christian University are involved.

Four modules

The Master’s content is defined by four major themes which are discussed from historical, phi­losophical-theological, social, concrete-practical and a teacher’s personal perspective. These themes come up in theoretical modules in the content strands and are connected to a tutoring strand and a research strand.
Each module consists of 10 weeks of online distance learning, followed by campus seminar. These non-distance classes will be taught in Gouda, the Netherlands. During your three to four week stay in the Netherlands you will be part of a learning community of students and professors and you will have the opportunity to visit schools and gain teaching practice in Dutch schools.
You can study flexibly by choosing how many modules you follow per year. You can follow all four modules in one year, or one, two or three modules per year.

 

Single module

If you follow one module, you prepare through blended learning in the months leading up to the campus seminar. You only need to be in the Netherlands to attend the two weeks of lectures.

You will get a certificate. If you are willing to, you can collect more certificates to complete the whole masterprogram. 

Multiple modules in one semester

From September 2019, you can choose to follow more than one module by attending the lectures for both modules in one semester in the Netherlands. This can be an advantage for anyone with a visa valid for three months, for instance.

Completing the Master in one year

From September 2019 you can complete the Master in the Netherlands in one year. You will follow modules 1 and 3 in the Fall semester of 2019 and modules 2 and 4 in Spring 2020. Between the modules, additional support will be provided. In addition, you can have an opportunity to gain practical experience between the weeks of lectures. You will also need a lot of time for independent study.

2018 - 2019 

Module 1

21 Sept - 2 Nov		26 nov - 7 dec 2018	14 Dec - 11 Jan
Four online lectures		Two weeks on campus	Two online lectures

Module 2

8 February - 8 March		1 - 12 april 2019	17 May - 14 June
Online lectures		Two weeks on campus	Online lectures

Note: If you want to start this year, it is only possible to follow two modules.

2019 - 2020

Fall semester
Module 1 

20 Sept - 18 Okt		25 Nov -  6 Dec	13 Dec - 10 Jan
Online lectures		Two weeks on campus	Online lectures

Module 3

13 Sept - 11 Okt		1 Nov - 22 Nov		13 - 24 January
Online lectures		Online lectures		Two weeks on campus

Spring semester
Module 2

7 February - 6 March		23 March - 3 April	8 May - 29 June
Online lectures		Two weeks on campus	Online lectures

Module 4

14 February - 13 March		17 April - 15 May		8 - 19 June
Online lectures		Online lectures		Two weeks on campus

Note: from the academic year 2019-2020 it is possible to complete the Master in one year by following multiple modules in one semester.

Tuition Fee

These fees are for the course only and exclude any living and accommodation costs.
 

		Fee	Potential grants
Single module:		€ 1.975,- per module	Erasmus+
Multiple modules:
I come from the EU and have no Master's degree in education	Tuition fee per year regardless of number of modules	€ 1.990,- per year 2018/2019	Lerarenbeurs (for Dutch teachers) Erasmus+
I come from the EU and have a Master's degree in education	Institutional tuition fee per year, regardless of number of modules	€7.900,- per year (provisional forecast 2019/2020)	Erasmus+
I come from outside the EU	Institutional tuition fee per year	€7.900,- per year (provisional forecast 2019/2020)	Holland Scholarship (maximum amount  €2.500)
	Completed within two years 30 credits per year	€3.950,- per year	Holland Scholarship (maximum amount €2.500,-)
	Completed within four years 15 credits per year (equal to one module)	€1.975,- per year (equal to one module)	Holland Scholarship (maximum amount €2.500,-)

You can read more about the living costs for international students on this website (provisional forecast).

Funding your study
At some point, most students in the Netherlands encounter the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, commonly known as DUO. This organisation is mostly known for providing students with student finance and the student travel product. Depending on residency status, course registration and age, international students can also get funding from DUO. You can find all information about the requirements and the amounts on DUO’s website for international students.
 

Study abroad

Driestar Christian University is located in Gouda, a typically Dutch town located between Rotterdam and Utrecht. 

You can find more information about Visa and study in the Netherlands on this page. 

Accommodation

During your stay in the Netherlands you have the option of being provided with accommodation and food. Information on the cost of this can be found on the accommodation tab. Making use of this accommodation is optional.
 

Admission requirements

You require a bachelor’s degree in the field of Education to be admitted to the master’s course .

If you have obtained a Bachelor's degree in a different field, you can still apply for this Master’s track if you work in education. For students not meeting the admission requirements, it is currently not possible to take a pre-master’s or catch-up course. If you do not hold a bachelor’s degree in Education but would like to enrol in the Master’s course, please send an email to our International Office.

A basic principle is that students must follow all the modules and exemptions are only possible for complete modules by evidence of competences obtained elsewhere.Since an innovation in the student’s own environment is an important part of the programme, students need to guarantee the support of their institution to attend the course and the potential to carry out an innovation in their class, department and/or institution.

English language requirements

As the course will be taught in English, passing an online language test is required before the start of the course. All students must prove that they have good writing and conversation skills in English.

If English is not your native language, you must provide a result from an internationally recognized test of English/certificate.

An official English language test result is not required if: 

• you have completed your secondary education in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA.
• you have an International Baccalaureate diploma. 

The minimum test scores required are (test results should be no more than two years old.)

• TOEFL: 80 (internet-based) and 550 (paper-based).
• IELTS Academic: 6.0
• Cambridge CAE (Certificate of Advanced English): Grade C scale 180- 184
• Cambridge CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English)

Information on test dates, scheduling, and costs can be obtained at the respective websites of TOEFL, IELTS, or Cambridge English.

Application

Application deadlines:

• Module 1 2018: application is already closed. Pleas send an e-mail to: internationaloffice@driestar-educatief.nl
• Module 2 2019: 24 october 2018

Application procedure

1. Application 

• Apply for one module, with no intention to follow the whole master’s course: fill in this application form.
• Apply (with the intention to) follow the entire master’s degree: go to the Studielink application.

In this application process you will need your Curriculum Vitae, a motivation letter and a recommendation letter written by someone working in the context where your research and innovation will take place.

2. Only for foreign student: After receiving your application, we will have an informal Skype conversation.

3. After receiving your application, we will send you information about an English test (IELTS; minimum score required is 6.0). For foreign students it is legally obliged to do this test and the costs shall be borne by Driestar Christian University. Dutch students may apply for this test as well, but have to pay the costs of the test (approximately €250,-) themselves.

4. After passing this test, you will receive a format to write a position paper. A position paper implies a description of your current work situation, with a possible innovation or research subject.

5. You will have an admission interview in Gouda (for foreign students this will be a Skype conversation) with two senior lecturers by referring to all the things mentioned above.