More about the Certificate Programme

The Studium Generale Certificate programme is open to all students of Wageningen University & Research who are keen to develop themselves beyond their niche expertise. It can be of special interest to you if you wish to broaden your knowledge, demonstrate active interest in the world around you, and are motivated to practice critical thinking and reflection.

When I reflect on the entire certificate trajectory, I can only be positive. I have gained a lot of insight into various subjects and my general knowledge has expanded considerably. I have thought about subjects that I would never normally think about, and I often took them home. This often led to great conversations with friends, family and housemates.

By participating in the Certificate Programme, you expand your horizon and develop your competences in the fields of listening, reflection, reasoning, summarising, and writing. In your reflection activities, you synthesise the key ideas featured in the activity – usually a lecture – and distinguish between opinion and defended arguments presented by any given speaker. In addition, you reflect on the activity. You establish links between your own frames of reference, experiences, norms, values and the information or insights presented. You practice reflecting on science, society and yourself while you develop a deeper understanding of your own thinking.

The certificate will be awarded if you:

  • Attend about 10 Studium Generale activities;
  • Reflect on each one of these by either writing a reflection report (700-1000 words) or participating in an oral reflection session. In total you complete 10 reflection activities. It is possible to both write a reflection report and participate in an oral reflection session about the same SG-activity. To be able to participate in an oral reflection session about a SG-series you have to have attended at least two-thirds of the series;
  • Carry out one deepening assignment, based on one of your written reflections. It depends on your reflection reports if you get such an assignment. This counts as one written reflection;
  • Complete a personalised reflection assignment at the end of the trajectory;
  • Write a personal retrospect (700-1000 words) on the Certificate Programme, in which you reflect on how you experienced your trajectory and how it affected you;
  • Complete the programme within one year and in line with the guidelines in the Certificate Programme Student Guide;
  • During the trajectory you get the chance to participate in the periodic Certificate Programme Workshops regularly organised for certificate students. Participation in a workshop can substitute for a reflection activity, with a maximum of 2. Note that the total number of written reflection reports always has to be 7 or more.

Would you like to develop yourself in the Certificate Programme and earn a certificate? If so, send an e-mail to Studium Generale, in which you make clear what motivates you to participate in the programme. In response, we will invite you for an interview. Together, the e-mail and interview must show:

  • Your interests and (study) background;
  • Why you are eager to participate in the Certificate Programme;
  • Why you think yourself are capable of sustaining the effort this programme requires.

You can start the Certificate Programme at any time. In consultation, your
participation in the trajectory can be suspended for a certain period, for
example in case of an internship or thesis research outside of Wageningen. If you have any questions about the Certificate Programme, do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail.