The assessment of the International Bachelor programme in Communication and Media of Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication of Erasmus University Rotterdam was organised by evaluation agency Certiked. Certiked convened the assessment panel. The assessment panel studied the self-assessment report and annexed documentation. The site visit was conducted by the assessment panel on 1 February 2019 at the Erasmus University Rotterdam campus.

The internationalisation goals of the programme have been clearly documented and are shared and supported by both internal and external stakeholders. The verifiable objectives are very concrete and thus allow the programme to assess the achievement of the internationalisation goals. The programme is very committed to promoting the quality of teaching and learning as part of the internationalisation goals. The programme surpasses the current, generic quality for this standard. The programme clearly goes beyond the acceptable level of attainment for this standard across the standard’s entire spectrum. The panel therefore assesses Standard 1. Intended internationalisation as good.

The intended international and intercultural learning outcomes of the programme are reflections of the programme internationalisation goals. The intended international and intercultural learning outcomes are part of the examinations and assessments in the courses. Examinations and assessments assess the students having achieved the intended international and intercultural learning outcomes. Also, the subsequent studies and careers show the programme graduates having achieved the intended international and intercultural learning outcomes. The panel regards all the underlying criteria of this standard to be met. The programme meets the current, generic quality for this standard. The panel therefore assesses Standard 2. International and intercultural learning as satisfactory.

The contents of courses clearly reflect international and intercultural contents and allow students to achieve the intended international and intercultural learning outcomes. In most courses, international and intercultural dimensions are included. The teaching methods adopted in the courses allow for pronounced international and intercultural teaching and learning. Learning methods, group projects, group composition and examination methods promote the intended international and intercultural learning outcomes. The programme surpasses the current, generic quality for this standard. The programme clearly goes beyond the acceptable level of attainment for this standard across the standard’s entire spectrum. The panel therefore assesses Standard 3. Teaching and Learning as good.

Staff members teaching in the programme, come from a very wide range of countries and often have ample international experience. The programme promotes international and intercultural diversity among staff members. Training on lecturing in the international classroom and language training is offered. Staff members know how to lecture and guide international and interculturally diverse student groups. If they come from abroad, staff members are assisted in completing administrative formalities in the Netherlands. Theprogramme surpasses the current, generic quality for this standard. The programme clearly goes beyond the acceptable level of attainment for this standard across the standard’s entire spectrum. The panel therefore assesses Standard 4. Staff as good.

The student population is very diverse, more than 60 nationalities being represented. Students are offered international and intercultural exchange possibilities. The staff members and support staff take care of the guidance of the students, being very diverse in international and intercultural terms. The programme provides the diploma supplement. The panel considers the achievements of the programme in this respect to surpass the current, generic quality for this standard. The programme clearly goes beyond the acceptable level of attainment for this standard across the standard’s entire spectrum. The panel therefore assesses Standard 5. Students as good.

The panel assessed the programme both on the basis of the Generic Assessment Framework of NVAO and on the basis of the Distinctive Quality Feature Internationalisation Framework. In each of these assessment procedures, the programme has been assessed in terms, appropriate to these frameworks. The panel has not compared these assessment procedures or outcomes. At the one hand, this was not the task of the assessment panel and, on the other hand, these assessment frameworks comprise different standards, focus on different aspects of programme quality and, in the panel’s perception, are based upon different principles. In the panel’s view, the assessments for the Distinctive Quality Feature Internationalisation being different from those for the generic assessment is the result of the programme’s strong focus on, and elaborate development of, internationalisation.

The panel advises the European Consortium for Accreditation (ECA) to award the International Bachelor programme in Communication and Media of Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication of Erasmus University Rotterdam the ECA Certificate for Quality in Programme Internationalisation, implying the NVAO Distinctive Quality Feature Internationalisation as well.