Joris Kemperman

Ever since I enrolled in secondary education, I knew I wanted to become an architect. Architecture is, however, a ‘protected’ job, so one must get an university’s master’s degree. As for me, it didn’t really feel like choosing a particular study path, but more like an obligation in order to chase my dreams. I got my bachelor’s degree after graduating from Fontys Tilburg, where I took hbo Bouwkunde. I gained a lot of theoretical knowledge, but also did internships in which I was able to apply theories into practice. My graduation profile was obviously focused on architecture. After that, I applied for a pre-master at TU/e. During the pre-master’s track, the skills of all incoming hbo students are tested and equalized with the level of university students. It’s some sort of examination of what you’ve already learned, thus for architectural courses it was doable. The TU/e, however, also offers courses that I didn’t take at hbo, like calculus and statistics. These courses require more attention, but they are relatively easy to pass (if you are motivated though).

The ultimate benefit of a pre-master’s is that it gives you the opportunity to get used to academic education. Dutch hbo is comparable to high school: there’s a lot of guidance and less independency. In my opinion, it’s truly valuable to have six months to get accustomed with the new (academic) environment and the different way of teaching.

To everyone who’s considering taking a master’s degree, I’d say that it’s very fun to study at university, but it also asks for devotion and motivation. If you are really sure that you want to do this, just like me, then it’s merely positive. A fun difference, in my opinion, between Dutch hbo and university is that students’ life at hbo is pretty moderate. The university offers a lot of opportunities not only to expand your knowledge but also to extend your social network. It’s a really fun time! Conclusion: it takes a lot of time and motivation, but it’s also extremely valuable!