afstudeervlakrelated

Afstudeervlakrelated is a term used in Dutch higher education to denote topics, assignments, or activities that are closely connected to a student's graduation field (afstudeervlak). The construction combines afstudeer (to graduate) and vlak (field or domain) with the English word related, producing a neologism often encountered in guidelines, project descriptions, and advisory discussions to signal relevance to a student’s specialization.

In practice, an afstudeervlakrelated project is one that directly supports the learning outcomes and research questions of the student's program track. Examples include a master thesis in data science on a topic aligned with the program’s data analytics afstudeervlak, or an internship focused on climate-resilient infrastructure for civil engineering students. The concept helps ensure coherence between coursework and the graduation requirement, aiding supervision, assessment, and future career relevance.

The exact interpretation of what counts as afstudeervlakrelated can vary by institution, program, and supervisor. Some guidelines require explicit statements describing how the topic relates to the afstudeervlak, while others rely on the supervisor’s judgment. See also afstudeerscriptie, afstudeerrichting, vakgebied.