List of post-nominal letters (Netherlands)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Post-nominal letters in the Netherlands are used only in a limited number of domains. Unlike countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands does not maintain a national system of post-nominals for state honours, civil precedence or public offices. Official post-nominals exist primarily for academic degrees, protected professional qualifications, and religious institutes.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands does not assign official post-nominal letters to recipients of national honours.[1] However, Knights of the Military William Order are often referred with the post-nominal letters R.M.W.O.; its use of the letters has historically evolved (following British tradition) and is widely recognized (although never been formally established).
| Post-nominal | Meaning | Legal basis / notes |
|---|---|---|
| RMWO | Ridder Militaire Willems-Orde (Knight of the Military William Order) | Socially established; not officially recognised |
University degrees and academic qualifications
Academic post-nominals in the Netherlands are regulated under the Higher Education and Research Act (Wet op het hoger onderwijs en wetenschappelijk onderzoek, WHW).[2]
Degree post-nominals
| Post-nominal | Degree type | Full degree name | Legal basis / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | WHW Article 7.10a |
| BSc | Bachelor | Bachelor of Science | WHW Article 7.10a |
| BBA | Bachelor | Bachelor of Business Administration | WHW Article 7.10a |
| LLB | Bachelor | Bachelor of Laws | WHW Article 7.10a |
| MA | Master | Master of Arts | WHW Article 7.10a |
| MSc | Master | Master of Science | WHW Article 7.10a |
| LLM | Master | Master of Laws | WHW Article 7.10a |
| MBA | Master | Master of Business Administration | WHW Article 7.10a |
| PhD | Doctoral degree | Doctor of Philosophy | WHW Article 7.22(3)[3] |
| PDEng | Professional doctorate | Professional Doctorate in Engineering | WHW-recognised; awarded by 4TU[4] |
Degrees not used in the Netherlands
- MD: not officially used in the Dutch medical system
- MPhil: not awarded in the Netherlands
Religious institutes
Members of Catholic religious orders in the Netherlands use the same post-nominals as their international counterparts.[5]
| Post-nominal | Institute |
|---|---|
| SJ | Society of Jesus |
| OFM | Order of Friars Minor |
| OP | Order of Preachers |
| OSB | Order of Saint Benedict |
| CR | Congregation of the Resurrection |