University College Maastricht

'''University College Maastricht''' (abbreviated as, and informally '''UCM''') is an [[English language]], internationally oriented, [[liberal arts college|liberal arts and sciences college]] housed in the 15th century ''Nieuwenhof'' [[monastery]] in [[Maastricht]], [[the Netherlands]]. Founded in 2002, it is the second of its kind in the Netherlands. The college is part of [[Maastricht University]] ({{lang-nl|Universiteit Maastricht}}) and offers an honours programme with a high workload for motivated students. ==History== Maastricht University, of which UCM is part, was founded in [[1976]], making it one of the youngest universities in the Netherlands, and currently has about 12,000 students and more than 3,000 employees. University College Maastricht itself opened in September 2002, before moving to a new location in [[2006]], and currently has over 600 students. ==Academics== Education at University College Maastricht, providing [[Bachelor of Arts]] and [[Bachelor of Science]] [[academic degree|degrees]], is fully taught in [[English language|English]]. The College is a [[liberal arts college]] which is defined by ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica|Encyclopædia Britannica Concise]]'' as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general intellectual capacities, in contrast to a professional, [[vocational education|vocational]], or technical curriculum." Classes are small, with an emphasis on independent learning via a group process structured through the [[Problem-based learning]] (PBL) method. The courses of the UCM programme are contained within three ''concentrations'' namely the [[humanities]], [[natural sciences|sciences]] and [[social sciences]]. Of these students are required to choose one, although a combination of two is possible, in addition to a mandatory [[core curriculum]] and self-assembled [[general education]], the latter picked from courses in a different concentration than the individual student's chosen concentration. ===''Concentrations''=== The '''''Humanities''''' concentration includes the [[List of academic disciplines|academic disciplines]] of [[arts]] and [[media studies]], [[cultural studies]], [[European studies]], [[history]], [[literature]], [[philosophy]] and science and technology studies. The '''''Sciences''''' concentration, previously known as Life Sciences, includes [[biology]], [[chemistry]], [[computer science]], [[mathematics]], [[physics]] and [[sustainable development]]. Finally, the '''''Social Sciences''''' concentration includes [[business administration]], [[economics]], [[international law]], [[international relations]], [[political science]], [[psychology]], [[public administration]] and [[sociology]]. Courses are additionally structured in a 100 to 300-level grid, indicating an increasing level of complexity and necessary previous knowledge. In addition to courses, students are required to choose '''''skills trainings''''' including, but not limited to, [[argumentation]], [[ethnography]], [[languages]] and [[research methods]]. Thirdly, students are required to take one '''''project''''', e.g. [[debate|academic debating]], per semester. ===Curriculum structure=== [[Image:University college maastricht hansbeijerplein.jpg|300px|left|thumb|University College Maastricht Courtyard]] An individual student's curriculum consists of the previously mentioned courses, skills trainings and projects. With UCM using the [[European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System]] (ECTS) a BA or BSc at UCM will comprise a total of 180 ECTS. Students subsequently enrol in a maximum of 30 ECTS per semester, or 60 ECTS for a full year, with students receiving 5 ECTS for courses and projects and 2.5 ECTS for skills trainings. Students create their own curriculum, with help of academic advisors, by choosing courses located within their respective concentration in addition to a requirement to complete a core curriculum, consisting of four courses, and a general education requirement, consisting of two courses per concentration the student did not choose. The aim of this curriculum is to provide students with the opportunity to develop their own academic preferences and talents and acquire all the expertise and skills to enter a high-quality [[Master's degree|Master programme]]. ===International partnerships=== Since its inception the college has established a number of international partnerships, allowing its students to participate in exchange programmes with subsequent study points counting towards their UCM degrees. Institutions partaking in this include amongst others the [[Universidad de Sevilla]], [[Singapore Management University]], [[Chinese University of Hong Kong]], [[University of Adelaide]], [[University of California]], [[George Washington University]], [[University of Richmond]], [[University of Toronto]], [[Korea University]] and [[University of Sydney]]. ==Location and Building== Atfer major renovations, UCM moved into the former ''Nieuwenhof'' convent in 2006. Located in the [[Jekerkwartier]] neighbourhood in central Maastricht, the building dates back to [[1485]] immediately adjacent to Maastricht's city fortifications. The 2000s renovation of the former convent included the creation of a [[common room]], IT facilities and a [[reading room]] providing specific literature related to courses taught at the college. UCM's Jekerkwartier location makes it part of the larger city centre campus of Maastricht University including its inner city library, School of Business, Law faculty and [[Maastricht Graduate School of Governance|Graduate School of Governance]]. ==Admissions and Student Population== {{Expand section|date=August 2009}} New students at UCM enrol twice per academic year, in September and February. They are selected based on a [[Cover letter|letter of motivation]] and an [[interview]]. The UCM student population includes about 40 different nationalities with over 50% originating outside of [[the Netherlands]]. Students of UCM have gone on to study at other universities in Europe and the US including: [[Columbia University]], [[Imperial College Business School]], [[Georgetown University]], [[University College London]], [[Oxford University]], [[University College Dublin]], the [[University of Paris-Sorbonne]], and the [[London School of Economics]]. ==Extracurricular activities== {{main|UCMSA Universalis}} '''Universalis''' is a multicultural and multidisciplinary student society directly affiliated with UCM. It is run by UCM students for UCM students. Universalis contributes to both academic and social life at UCM. The association is involved in the organization of debates, poetry readings, parties, charity fundraisers, excursions and many other events. ==External links== * [http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/Schools/UCM.htm ''University College Maastricht'' homepage] * [http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/web/Schools/UCM/TargetGroup/ProspectiveStudents1/CourseDescriptions.htm Course Guide] * [http://ucm-universalis.com Universalis, UCM student society] {{coord missing|Netherlands}} {{Liberal arts colleges in the Netherlands}} {{Maastricht}}