Obtaining Civiel Effect

"After getting my PPLE degree I decided to do a premaster or ‘schakeljaar’ in Dutch law. The premaster makes me eligible to do a Masters in Dutch law. The combination of a law masters, the premaster and my PPLE degree awards ‘civiel effect’.  Civiel effect is a requirement if you want to practice law in the Netherlands. I knew that after 3 years of PPLE I wanted to continue my academic career and focus my scope. Being Dutch and having done my major in law, the premaster seemed like a perfect opportunity."

Arranging Practical Matters

"There are no specific requirements to enter the pre-masters for Dutch masters, other than that you need to have a PPLE degree and a working proficiency of Dutch. Enrolment is easy and PPLE explains in great detail how to apply. When it comes to housing, I have been living at the same place in Amsterdam for about 3 years and will continue living there. I found my room through Facebook. The key is to be persistent when looking for a place in Amsterdam."

Further Advice

"I think the premaster civiel effect is a great opportunity for PPLE students who are interested in pursuing a legal career in the Netherlands. If you are hesitating about doing the premaster, I like to think about it in this way. It is a nice short-cut to receiving civiel effect. I view the pre-masters to doing a three-year bachelor in one year. The premaster consists of 8 courses in Dutch law amounting up to 57 credits. We probably have to work until we are 80, so what does an extra year of studying matter, if you gain so much with it? And an extra year of studying is also an extra year of fun in Amsterdam, and who doesn’t love Amsterdam?"