University Teaching Qualification (UTQ)

The University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) is evidence of the didactic competence of teachers in academic education. The UTQ is recognised by all 14 Dutch universities. By following a UTQ track, you develop your didactic skills in developing, providing, evaluating and assessing high-quality education. The UTQ is the starting point of your ongoing development as a teacher.

For teachers with a permanent contract and a teaching load of > 0,2FTE at Radboud University, obtaining a UTQ is mandatory. It is advised to obtain the UTQ within two years. You follow the UTQ track at your own faculty.

The UTQ competency domains

The UTQ track focuses on six competency domains: Teaching practice, Supervising students, Course design, Course evaluation, Assessment and Continuous self-development. These competency domains are in line with the Educational vision of the Radboud University.

UTQ Competency domains and Learning objectives_v3.0.pdf

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The UTQ partial certificates

To obtain your UTQ, you will first need to obtain four partial certificates: Teaching practice, Student Supervision, Course design and Evaluation* and Assessment. The partial certificates Teaching Practice and Student Supervision are part of a nationwide pilot for partial certificates and are recognized by all universities in the Netherlands.

The partial certificates mentioned above can be obtained independently of each other and in any preferred order within the UTQ track. You will continue to work on the competency domain Continuous self-development throughout your UTQ track. For teachers who follow a regular or an adapted UTQ track (see Variations of the UTQ track below), a development-focused assessment is held to conclude the UTQ track. The development-focused assessment takes place after you have obtained all four partial certificates. The competency domain Continuous self-development is central in this assessment.

*The UTQ partial certificate covers two competency domains: Course design and Course evaluation.

Overview of required teaching tasks

To work on the competency domains within the UTQ track, you need sufficient teaching experience and tasks. In the table below you can read which these are.

Competency domain/Partial certificate	Required (current) teaching tasks
Teaching practice	>0,2 fte teaching practice (lectures/turotials or other forms of education, such as practicals)
Student supervision	Supervision of 3 students in a thesis or internship program (Ba or Ma level)
Course design and Evaluation	Involvement in a course in which you (re-)design (a large part of) the course (if you are not the course coordinator of the course, then consult with the course coordinator about the possibilities for redesign).
Assessment	Involvement in a course in which you (re-)design (a large part of) the assessment (if you are not the course coordinator of this course, then consult the course coordinator about the possibilities for redesign).

Variations of the UTQ track

Regular route

The regular UTQ track is intended for novice lecturers and educational PhD with a teaching task of > 0,2 FTE and (with the prospect of) a permanent contract or teachers with a temporary contract for 3 years or more. Note that PhD candidates with a 4-year contract cannot follow the regular track (see for this: Separate partial certificates). In the regular UTQ track, you will be supervised by a UTQ coach. During an intake with your UTQ coach, we will discuss which track is most suitable for you. This can also be a combination of the regular and the adapted UTQ track.

Adapted route

The adapted UTQ track is for teachers with extensive teaching experience and/or a partial certificate for one or more of the UTQ competency domains. In addition, there is a requirement of a teaching task of > 0,2 FTE and (the prospect of) a permanent contract, or a temporary contract of more than 3 years. During an intake with your UTQ coach, we will discuss which track is most suitable for you. This can also be a combination of the adapted and regular UTQ track.

Separate partial certificates

For PhD candidates with a 4-year contract, it is possible to obtain separate partial certificates for the competency domains Teaching practice and Student supervision, if your teaching tasks meet the requirements for this (see the table with Required teaching tasks). These partial certificates are part of a national pilot for partial certificates and are recognised by all 14 universities in the Netherlands. PhD candidates cannot follow the entire UTQ track because of their limited teaching load (with the exception of educational PhD candidates). This policy is in line with national agreements.

EVC track

For very experienced teachers (more than 10 years of teaching experience in all competency domains) or for teachers who have already acquired a didactic qualification (e.g., from abroad), the EVC track (Previously Acquired Competences) could be suitable. The faculty will have to nominate teachers for the EVC track. Based on the available experience and qualifications, we will discuss what track is most suitable for you. For more information, please contact the UTQ contact person at your faculty.

Regular UTQ track

Target audience

The regular UTQ track is intended for novice lecturers and educational PhD with a teaching task of > 0,2 FTE and (with the prospect of) a permanent contract or teachers with a temporary contract for 3 years or more. Note that PhD candidates with a 4-year contract cannot follow the regular track (see for this: Separate partial certificates). During an intake interview with your UTQ coach, we will discuss which track (or combination of trajectories) is most suitable for you.

Requirements

Implementation

During the regular UTQ track, you will participate in four courses. During these courses you will work on the UTQ assignments for the UTQ competency domains. To obtain the partial certificates for the competency domains, you will participate in the following courses:

The UTQ assignments are focused on your own teaching practice. You will also collect feedback from the faculty on your UTQ-assignments. The competency Continuous self-development is continuous and concerns your development as a teacher in all competency domains. This competency runs like a ‘red thread’ through all courses.

Supervision

You will be supervised by the trainers of the courses. You will also collaborate with teachers from other faculties during the courses and exchange experiences. You will receive feedback from a UTQ mentor from the faculty on the various UTQ-assignments in your own teaching practice. During the intake, your UTQ coach will provide more information about (the role of) the mentor at the faculty.

You conclude the competency domain with the trainer in the course, the trainer advises the faculty on awarding the partial certificate.

Partial certificates

Each course leads – in the event of active attendance and successful completion of the UTQ assignments and course – to an advice for awarding the partial certificate.

Development-focused UTQ assessment

Once you have obtained four partial certificates, a development-focused UTQ assessment will take place with your UTQ coach and a supervisor form your faculty. The competency domain Continuous self-development forms the basis for this conversation. During the development focused assessment, we will discuss how you have developed within your UTQ track and we look ahead to your future plans in education.

If you have successfully completed the track, your faculty will award you the UTQ certificate. The UTQ certificate is evidence of your competence in implementing, supervising, designing, evaluating and assessing university education.

Time investment

The regular UTQ track takes an average of 2 years (1 course every six months) with an investment of approximately 160 hours.

Registration

You need the approval of your supervisor before you can register for the UTQ track via this website. After you have registered, you will be informed by your faculty whether you have been admitted.
If you are admitted, an intake will take place with your UTQ coach. During consultation with your UTQ coach, you decide when you will take which course. You will need to register for the course yourself and indicate in the course registration form that you are participating in the UTQ track.

Adapted UTQ track

Target audience

The adapted UTQ track is intended for teachers with extensive teaching experience in one or more of the UTQ competency domains, and a teaching task of > 0,2 FTE and (the prospect of) a permanent contract, or for teachers with a temporary contract of 3 years or more. Note that PhD candidates with a 4-year contract cannot follow the adapted track (see for this: Separate partial certificates). You will not participate in any courses in the adapted UTQ track. You therefore receive less support in carrying out the UTQ assignments for the competency domains in this track. During an intake with your UTQ coach, we will discuss which track (or combination of trajectories) is most suitable for you.

Requirements

In order to guarantee maximum development within the UTQ track, it is important that you can work on the competency domains within your own teaching practice. It is therefore necessary that you have appropriate teaching tasks during the time that you participate in a UTQ track. If you do not have these tasks, consult your supervisor. During the intake, you can discuss with your UTQ coach whether any previously acquired educational certificates at other institutions are sufficient to obtain exemptions for certain partial certificates.

Implementation

During the adapted UTQ track, you have the opportunity to work independently (i.e. without participation in courses) on the UTQ assignments for the competency domains in which you have a lot of experience. The UTQ assignments are focused on your own teaching practice. You will also collect feedback from the faculty on your UTQ assignments. The competency Continuous self-development is continuous and concerns your development as a teacher in all competency domains. This competency runs like a ‘red thread’ through all competency domains.

Supervision

If you have any questions about the UTQ assignments, you can contact your UTQ coach. You will also receive feedback from a UTQ mentor from your faculty. During the intake, your UTQ coach will provide more information about (the role of) the mentor at the faculty. You will conclude each competency domain with a meeting with the UTQ coach. The coach will advise the faculty on awarding the partial certificate.

Partial certificates

For each competency domain, the successful completion of the UTQ assignments and a positive concluding meeting with your UTQ coach will lead to an advice for awarding the partial certificate.

Development-focused UTQ assessment

Once you have obtained four partial certificates, a development-focused assessment will take place with your UTQ coach and a supervisor form your faculty. The competency domain Continuous self-development forms the basis for this conversation. During the development focused assessment, we will discuss how you have developed within your UTQ track and we look ahead to your future plans in education.

Time investment

The duration of the adapted track depends on your previous experience and the number of competency domains that you can complete independently. It will take a maximum of 2 years; based on your experience and possibilities, the track can be completed at an faster pace.

Registration

You need the approval of your supervisor before you can register for the UTQ track via this website. After you have registered, you will be informed by your faculty whether you have been admitted.
If you are admitted, an intake will take place with your UTQ coach. In consultation with your UTQ coach, you determine which competency domain you will obtain independently and for which competencies you will follow a course. You will need to register for the course yourself and indicate in the course registration form that you are participating in the UTQ track.

Obtaining partial certificates

Target audience

Are you a PhD candidate with a small teaching load or a lecturer with a contract for < 3 years and do you want to start your UTQ track? In that case you can participate in two courses to obtain a partial certificate for the competency domains Teaching practice and Student supervision. These partial certificates are part of a national pilot for partial certificates and are recognised by all universities in the Netherlands.

As a PhD candidate you will have a limited teaching load and a temporary contract, because of this performing all required teaching tasks for a full UTQ track does not fit your job profile. As a PhD candidate, you can therefore not obtain a UTQ certificate. This policy is in line with national agreements. If you are an educational PhD candidate, you can participate in the regular UTQ track.

Are you a part of this target audience and have you taken part in the course Education in a Nutshell and/or Thesis and Internship supervision during the period of 2022 to 2024? Please consult the webpage for planned training courses for Teaching practice and/or Student supervision, respectively.

If you are an educational PhD candidate, you can participate in the regular UTQ track.

Requirements

In order to guarantee maximum development within the UTQ track, it is important that you can work on the competency domains within your own teaching practice. It is therefore necessary that you have appropriate teaching tasks for the competency domains Teaching practice and Student supervision if you participate in these courses. If you do not have these tasks, consult your supervisor. Make sure that you have permission of your daily supervisor to participate in the courses.

Implementation

You will work on the competency domains Teaching practice and Student supervision by active participation and by doing the UTQ assignments in the courses Teaching practice and Student supervision.

Partial certificates

For each competency domain, active attendance and successful completion of the UTQ assignments leads to a Certificate of Participation. After handing in the UTQ assignment, you will receive written advice from the trainer about awarding the partial certificate. The written advice of the trainer – together with the Certificate of Participation – can be converted by the faculty into a partial certificate for the relevant competence domain.

Supervision

You will be supervised by the trainers of the courses. You will also work together with teachers from other faculties and exchange experiences during the courses. You will receive feedback on your UTQ assignments from your faculty members. At the end of the course, you will receive written feedback from your trainer on the UTQ assignment, with advice to the faculty about awarding the partial certificate.

Time investment

Participating in two competency domains, takes an average of 1 year (one competency domain every six months) with an investment of approximately 40 hours per competency domain. We recommend that PhD candidates take one course per year in the second and third year of their appointment. This makes it easier to combine participation with conducting research.

Registration

You can register directly for the courses Teaching practice and Student supervision. This means that you do not have to register for the UTQ track and that there will be no intake with a UTQ coach. When registering for the course, indicate that you are a PhD candidate and that you want to obtain a partial certificate. After registering for the course, you will receive a confirmation of receipt of your registration.

Please note! Your registration for the course does not necessarily mean that you can participate in the course. Prior to the start of the course, a selection will be made for participation to this course. As a result of this selection, you will receive a confirmation of participation or a rejection for this edition. In case of a rejection, we advise you to register for a next edition. Lecturers in the UTQ track, teacher 1-4 and PhD candidates whom have started their PhD before September 2023 will take precedence during the selection process.

EVC track

Target audience

The EVC track is for highly experienced teachers who already have a comparable didactic qualification (e.g. from abroad) and/or have more than ten years of teaching experience on all competency domains.

Intake

During the intake with the EVC coach, the teaching experience is discussed and personal development goals are determined. Based on the experience and didactic certificates an advice is written by the EVC coach. The advice needs to be formally approved by the faculty.

Execution

In the EVC track, you demonstrate your teaching skills in the competency domains of Teaching practice, Student supervision, Course desing and Course evaluating, Assessment and Continuous self-development by providing a tailor-made dossier.

Supervision

The EVC coach is your contact person during this process.

EVC assessment

Based on the submitted dossier, an EVC assessment will take place with your EVC coach and a second assessor from your faculty. This EVC assessment leads to an advice for further development in certain competency domains or to awarding the UTQ certificate. The faculty needs to approve the advice and before the UTQ certificate can be awarded. The UTQ certificate is evidence of your competence in implementing, supervising, designing, evaluating and assessing university education.

Time investment

On average, the EVC process takes six months. Individual differences in the time investment can occur.

Method of registration

Please note: You must be nominated by your faculty in order to be eligible for the EVC track. You cannot sign up for the EVC-track yourself. For more information, please contact the UTQ contact person of your faculty.

Registration for UTQ programme

The first step for the regular and adapted UTQ track is to register for the UTQ track via the web form below. Enrolment is not a guarantee for short-term participation due to waiting lists at a number of faculties. For each faculty, it is determined whether and when registrations for the UTQ track will be opened based on the number of available places.

Please note:

To participate in an EVC track , your faculty must nominate you. Please contact the UTQ contact person at your faculty.
To obtain partial certificates in Teaching practice and Student supervision, PhD candidates can register directly for participation in the courses Teaching practice and Student supervision (teaching PhD candidates follow a regular UTQ track).

After registering for the UTQ track, you will receive a confirmation of receipt of your registration. If there are enough available places in your faculty's UTQ track, we will invite you for an intake with a UTQ coach. During the intake, you and your UTQ coach will determine which UTQ track (regular, adapted or a combination thereof) best suits your personal situation.

Downloads

Overview of supervisors per faculty.pdf
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Contact

If you have any questions about the UTQ track, please contact the UTQ coordination team via utqcoordination [at] ru.nl (utqcoordination[at]ru[dot]nl).