Teachers' Guide | Graduate School of Life Sciences

Training

On this page, you will find all information about qualifications, courses and (further) training for teachers.

Teaching qualifications

University Teaching Qualification/BKO

The University Teaching Qualification (UTQ, in Dutch BKO) is obligatory for university lecturers. 

Teachers interested in obtaining the qualification will have to display their teaching experience, discuss their experiences with a tutor, and compile a teaching portfolio to be submitted to an assessment committee.

For more information visit the (Senior) University Teaching Qualification website.

Senior Teaching Qualification/SKO

After the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ, in Dutch BKO), academic teachers can develop themselves further by obtaining a Senior Teaching Qualification (STQ, in Dutch SKO). Having a senior position means that, in addition to teaching responsibilities, one has a leading role in the development of the education provided.

In order to obtain the STQ or SKO, lecturers will have to have obtained the UTQ first.

For more information visit the (Senior) University Teaching Qualification website.

Training for teachers

Multiple courses are designed for teachers to improve the variety of teaching aspects they have to deal with. Below you can find more information about the courses, divided by the different organisations.

Organised by GSLS

The GSLS organises courses about teaching in the international classroom, supervision of Master’s students, and teaching principles of the GSLS. For more information use this page on course descriptions and information about the application.

Teachers with questions about their education can contact the Assessment Support Panel (ASP) of the GSLS. The ASP can help you with questions about the quality of an exam, new forms of testing, how to stimulate students to attend the lectures, how to efficiently use your teaching time, etc.

Organised by Utrecht University

Utrecht University (UU) offers courses about teaching qualification, internationalisation, how-to-teach, and the supervision of research. For more information use this page about the courses offered by UU.

Teachers with questions about their education can ask for a professional consultation at the Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning of the UU. They can help you with questions about the quality of an exam, new forms of testing, how to stimulate students to attend the lectures, how to efficiently use your teaching time, etc. The Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning also offers a knowledge database that contains information about several education-related topics, and workshops and webinars to improve your teaching skills and learn more about these topics.

Organised by the UMC Utrecht

The Center for Research and Development of Education offers various teacher training courses for teachers to improve their skills in the following areas: testing, motivating students, providing feedback, digital developments, etc. For more information go to this page about the courses offered by UMC Utrecht.

Training for supervisors

Many researchers are involved in the supervision of a research project for GSLS Master’s students. Good supervision is an important, but not an easy job. How can you do this the right way? The GSLS offers two courses that focus on mastering the skills of guiding Master’s students during their research project: ‘Supervising MSc Students: Starter Kit and Supervising Research of MSc students’.   

The abovementioned courses are primarily aimed at PhD candidates, although other researchers are also welcome to join. It is important that you are supervising or going to supervise a GSLS Master’s student.

More information and course dates can be found on the website of the PhD Course Centre.

Helpful links

Visit the UU Intranet for university-wide teaching information.

Newsletters

  • Docentennieuwsbrief BMW is a newsletter (in Dutch) intended for teachers of the Bachelor’s and Master’s programme Biomedical Sciences. Interested? Email secretariaatBMW@umcutrecht.nl.
  • Master for Life Magazine is a magazine written by GSLS Master’s students that followed the course Communicating Life Sciences.
  • PhD Course Centre Update gives an overview of upcoming courses for PhD candidates as well as need-to-know and nice-to-know facts about PhD education. Interested? Email pcc@uu.nl.