Application degree certificate

General

When all course units of your approved list of courses have been completed and all course units have been registered in Progress, you will receive an email from the Board of Examiners explaining how to obtain your degree certificate. If you wish to add or drop courses from your list still, you have two weeks to inform the Board of Examiners of this. Without any response, the Board of Examiners will automatically issue your degree certificate.

Application

Students can apply for their degree certificate themselves beforehand by filling in the application form which is available in step 5 of the graduation process. If students want to participate in the annual graduation ceremonies, these application forms should be submitted before 1 July.

Application form LLB degree certificate
Application form LLM degree certificate

To speed up the process

The degree administration is allowed to start the degree production process after you have:

1. Forwarded the email sent by the Board of Examiners to LLB rug.nl or LLM rug.nl and have indicated in that forwarded message that you agree with the graduation date and judicium that was granted to you;
2. Not responded to said email and two weeks have lapsed.

Last update: 21-6-2024

General

The production of degree certificates usually takes about 2-3 weeks.

Graduation ceremony

Students can still participate in the annual graduation ceremonies if their grades are available on 10 August for both the LLB graduation ceremony and the LLM graduation ceremony. Both ceremonies will take place in August each year.

Statement of graduation

All students who have graduated will automatically receive a statement of graduation.

Graduation date

In principle the date of graduation is the date at which the final course unit of your approved list of courses has been successfully completed. If this final course unit is:

• an examination: the date of the examination;
• a thesis or internship: the date mentioned on the result slip of this module.

The Board of Examiners determines this date of graduation provided you hold the correct registration and your list of courses was approved timely (at least two months before the date of obtaining your last result). If your list of courses is not approved by the time you complete your final course unit, the date of approval of your list of courses will become your graduation date.

Exception: if you decide to change your list of courses after having received a notification from the Board of Examiners, the Board of Examiners can decide to change your date of graduation. This is only possible if you have responded to the email from the Board of Examiners within two weeks after it was sent.

Last update: 21-6-2024

Graduation ceremony

The International Office arranges for a graduation ceremony for the LLB programme and for the LLM programmes in August of each year. This will be the first opportunity for students to receive their degree certificate. Students who do not attend this graduation ceremony can arrange for their degree certificates to be picked up at the International Office after the graduation ceremony dates.

Diploma pick-up

You will receive a message on your university email account as soon as your degree certificate is available.

Authorising pick-up

It is only possible to have your degree certificate picked up by someone else if this person carries an authorisation to this extent, which holds your signature. In addition, you need to provide that person with a copy of your identity papers. The authorised person should also bring his/her own identity papers.

Title/degree

Bachelor: if you have fulfilled all requirements of the bachelor examination, you will be awarded the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

Master: if you have fulfilled all requirements of the master examination, you will be awarded the degree of Master of Laws (LLM).

Last update: 21-6-2024

General

The distinction cum laude or summa cum laude can be registered on the degree certificate if students demonstrate exceptional competence in the examination.

Conditions

The Board of Examiners assesses if a bachelor or master degree certificate can be awarded the distinction cum laude or summa cum laude. This assessment is based on the conditions as arranged for in article 19a of the Examination Regulation.

Main conditions:

All conditions for (summa) cum laude can be found in the Examination Regulation.

No (summa) cum laude is awarded when:

• an examination has been taken more than once or
• you have score lower than a 7 for one or more coursesor
• you have committed fraud as arranged for in Article 15 Examination Regulations during your programme.

The Board of Examiners can deviate from these conditions in extraordinary cases. If you are of the opinion that a deviation of these rules with regard to the distinction (summa) cum laude, you can request this to the Board of Examiners, according to art. 19a.8 Examination Regulation.

Which courses are used to calculate (summa) cum laude?

The average grade is calculated about the curricular (optional) courses, excluding the thesis.

Any courses listed in the category ‘extra-curricular courses’ will not be calculated for (summa) cum laude.

Please be aware: if you are participating in two specialisations within one master programme, but you place the courses of one of the specialisations in the category ‘extra-curricular courses’, this specialisation will not be registered on your degree certificate.

Last update 29-7-2024

General

Our LLB programme International and European Law programme does not grant access to the bar or judiciary. It is possible however to gain access to the bar of judiciary in some cases; it differs per country how this can be done however. The Faculty is only aware of a few options available, but will continue to add to the list.

The Netherlands

In order to gain access to the bar or judiciary in the Netherlands, students need to have acquired the so-called 'effectus civilis' ('civiel effect'). This 'effectus civilis' can be obtained by participating in several Dutch law courses dealing with all main fields of law. The University of Groningen offers a shortened Bachelor of Laws programme (taught in Dutch) for students who would be interested in getting this 'effectus civilis' and who are currently enrolled in the LLB International and European Law.
Please be aware that the Technology Law track students can only join the shortened bachelor Rechtsgeleerdheid after taking 25 ECTS worth of courses from the regular track on top of their Technology Law track.

Other Dutch Law faculties in the Netherlands might have different requirements.
More information about the specific requirements for access to the Dutch bar can be found at the site of the Dutch Bar Association(the 'Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten'). Please keep in mind that all courses that will lead to the 'effectus civilis' will be offered in Dutch and thus your level of Dutch language proficiency needs to be a minimum of C1 (CEFR).

United Kingdom

Currently all students who want to convert their degree to be eligible to access the UK bar, have to participate in a conversion degree called the Graduate Diploma of Law(GDL). It is also possible to go through an MA Law or a Legal Practice Course (LPC).

Recently the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced their decision to reform the solicitor qualification in England and Wales by introducing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). All foreign lawyers will have to take 2 tests and gain 2 years of legal experience in England or Wales to qualify as a solicitor. This legal experience can be gained before taking the test. The test is meant to come into effect in 2021. More information about the SQE can be found here.

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe students have to participate in a conversion degree for 1 year. It entails 14 exams, but possibly students can get exemptions. More information is available at the Zimbabwean Law Society or their page on Facebook.

Last update: 21-6-2024