What does my child learn in secondary vocational education?.

A mbo program has different parts. What subjects does your child have? What is mandatory and what can your child choose? Below we show what your child learns and what choices there are.

Basic part – general subjects

The program starts with the basic part. The government sets the requirements for these subjects. The basic part includes the general subjects Dutch language, maths, career, and citizenship. Students at level 4 also follow English.

Basic part – job-specific subjects

Besides general subjects, the basic part also has job-specific subjects. These cover the general knowledge, skills and attitude the student must have. The basic part is about half of the program. These practical subjects are important to prepare your child for a future job.

Profile part

Besides the basic part, there is a profile part. Your child chooses a direction and specializes within the chosen field. The name of the profile is on the diploma (for example: ICT manager). The profile part is about one third of the program. Together with the basic part, it forms the student’s qualification. The basic and profile parts are fixed parts of the program.

Choice part

The last part of an mbo program is the choice part. In the choice part the student picks subjects to broaden or deepen knowledge. This can make moving within mbo or to hbo easier. Or improve chances on the job market. Mbo schools decide which choice parts they offer.