How to request approval for electives? (with validate button)

Your electives or minor need(s) to be approved by your study advisor and the examining board. After you have planned the electives or the minor you want to follow, you have to request permission to follow these courses to your study advisor and the examining board. This approval gives you a guarantee you can graduate with the courses you chose. If your plans change later on, you can re-submit previously approved electives. How to re-submit your electives can be found in the manual How to re-submit previously approved electives?

In order to request approval, you first need to enrol for a specialisation (if this is part of your study program). You can find how to do this in the manual 'How to enrol in a specialisation?'.

In order to request approval for electives or a minor, you first need to plan electives or a minor. You can find how do this, in the manual ‘How to plan a minor in the plan app?’. 

BE AWARE that you can only request approval for electives when you planned at least 180 credits for a bachelor programme or 120 credits for a master programme.

Do note that if you are following two study programmes, you need to request approval for both study programs as if you would do as when you would follow just one study program. In the electives you should only select the courses that count for the specific program you are requesting approval for and for both study programs. The courses that you don't select will be placed under 'Others' which means that these courses won't be counted for this program. If you face any problems regarding requesting approval when following two study programs, please contact [email protected]

This manual describes how to request approval for electives or a minor via the PlanApp.

1. Click on SAVE in the menu bar to save your last updated planning

Note: It is not a problem if a course is in the wrong period in the PlanApp. As long as the course is in the PlanApp.

2. Click on VALIDATE PLAN in the menu bar to validate your last updated planning

BE AWARE For frequently occurring warnings/announcements and how to solve them, see the manual Frequently occurring warnings/ announcements in the PlanApp and how to solve them.

3. Click on OPTIONS in the menu bar

4. Click on Submit proposal Electives for approval

NOTE: If you want to add a year to or delete a year from your planning, see the manual How to add a year to/ delete a year from my planning?.

NOTE: If you want to check your previous requests for approval, see the manual How to check my previous requests for approval?.

5. The following screen will appear. Check all boxes in front of the courses you want to request permission for

BE AWARE: If you do not select a course, the course will be placed under "Other" in your study progress overview and it will not be added to your diploma supplement. This also means that these courses will not be included in the calculation of your average grade.

6. Click on NEXT

7. You have to give an explanation for your choices in the Explanation box. You may also mention the name of the study advisor that normally advises you here

NOTE: When you are following 2 specializations or 2 study programs, also add this to your explanation.

8. Click on SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL to confirm your choices for electives

NOTE: Check with your programme whether you need to upload a required motivation form which you can add via the ATTACH FILE button. You can add the Electives Motivation Form here. More information about the approval of electives can be found on the SSC website (https://www.wur.nl/en/Education-Programmes/Student-Service-Centre/Show-SSC/Study-Programme-Approval-1.htm).

NOTE: To know if your program is approved or not, see the manual How to know if my programme is approved or not?.