About the faculty
Established in 1988, the Faculty of Law (FdR) was the first faculty to offer its services at the University of Aruba. Since its establishment, more than 200 students have obtained their Master’s Degree in Aruban Law. A great number of these graduates have found employment in Aruba, while others have pursued further specialization in the Netherlands.
The Faculty of Law of the University of Aruba aims to provide Aruba with well-trained and highly qualified professionals in the area of Aruban law.
Mission and Vision
Mission
The UA Faculty of Law wants foremost to provide Aruban residents and Arubans abroad the opportunity to study in Aruba. The faculty has great potential to act as a “window to the world” for these students. It, therefore, aims to be an attractive choice for students with an Aruban background. The Faculty of Law also recognizes the need to pay attention to globalizing trends. Aruba is literally an island with its own legal system, but in a figurative sense, it cannot remain an island in a strongly globalizing world. It is therefore important that the Faculty of Law “brings the world in” by offering foreign students, teachers, and researchers an attractive choice to study in Aruba.
To this end, the Faculty of Law must continue to guarantee that it offers high-quality education, stimulates high-quality research, is visible and socially involved, and above all has the ambition to continuously improve. The Faculty of Law must furthermore draw its strength from and make optimum use of its specific context, in particular its small-scale, multi-ethnicity, multilingualism, and geographical location, with which it can build a bridge between Europe and the Americas. Her education and research must meet internationally recognized quality standards and be relevant for (inter) regional and (inter) national legal practice and the job market. It aims to offer its students optimal opportunities to become acquainted with (inter) regional and (inter) national legal practice and labor market, partly through encouraging students to study and intern abroad. Conversely, the faculty must also offer foreign students the opportunity to take non-Dutch courses and strive for a non-Dutch master’s degree. Strategic interregional and international partnerships with foreign legal faculties and research centers is essential to accomplishing this. In this way, the Faculty of Law wants to contribute to transforming the “brain drain” from Aruba into a “brain gain”.
Vision
The Faculty of Law of the University of Aruba focuses on high-quality education, research, and social services. In doing so, it makes use of the advantages that Aruba has to offer, namely its small-scale, multilingualism, geographical location, and history. The Faculty of Law highly values academic freedom and scientific integrity and promotes an education and research culture with a passion for science. Hereby she strives for the scientific and personal development of students and teachers. The Faculty of Law fulfills an indispensable function within Aruba as a knowledge institute in the field of law for the Aruban society. She is an important partner to the Aruban government, legal practice, and business. The faculty guarantees to be and to offer an independent platform for discussion about law and social issues in an atmosphere of social involvement. She considers herself an equal partner to foreign legal faculties and research centers that strive for high-quality legal scientific education and research.
Quality Assurance
Accreditation is a quality label that is granted formally by an independent authority to an academic and professional program that meets or exceeds required standards of educational quality. The UA invites the NVAO (Nederlands Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie) to evaluate its programs against international Bachelor and Master degree standards. The following study programs of the Faculty of Law have been awarded a positive evaluation. Click on the reports below to read the positive evaluations by NVAO (reports are in dutch).
NVAO Reports
NVAO positive institutional audit decision Bachelor’s degree in Aruban Law
NVAO positive institutional audit decision Master’s degree in Aruban Law
NVAO positive institutional audit decision Bachelor’s degree in Aruban Law – 2021
NVAO positive institutional audit decision Master’s degree in Aruban Law – 2021
NVAO positive institutional audit decision Civil Effect Bachelor’s and Master’s in Aruban Law – 2021
NVAO panel advisory report Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Aruban Law
Research
Upholding human rights in a pandemic – COVIDCAS Research into the social impact of Covid-19 in the Dutch Caribbean societies.
Read moreAcademic programs
About this study program
As the first area of concentration at the University, the law program at UA is incredibly diverse. The Faculty of Law offers a full-time program as well as a part-time program to accommodate those who are working themselves through school.
The Faculty of Law offers intensive, small-scale education, with room for optional courses, internships, and (funded) exchange opportunities with Dutch, European and American partner universities.
Study program structure
Study Resources and Downloads
For all downloads, including study guides, schedules, book lists and more, please use the button below.
Go to Study ResourcesInternational opportunities
Students can complete part of the bachelor’s degree or master’s by following courses abroad.
The Faculty of Law collaborates with a number of foreign universities to organize exchange programs based on the Erasmus+ mobility program and other non-Erasmus exchange.
If you don’t study in Aruba but wish to take courses at the UA Faculty of Law, you might be eligible to do an exchange program at our university.
Contact the Office of International Affairs for more information
Partner institutions
The Faculty of Law of the University of Aruba has exchange programs with a number of foreign universities on basis of the Erasmus+ program, such as Maribor University (Slovenia), University of Valladolid (Segovia, Spain) and KU Leuven (Belgium).
Explore our Partner InstitutionsFaculty dean and vice-dean
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” ~ Martin Luther King
Dean
Ruth Bonnevalle
Phone: (297) 526-2226
dean-of-law@ua.aw
Vice Dean
Carlos Bollen
Phone: (297) 526-2220
carlos.bollen@ua.aw
Faculty Staff
Faculty news and events
Most Recent Events
Latest News
ICMS 2025 Aruba – From islands to the global
Islands are more than just beautiful destinations; they are living laboratories where the most pressing marine challenges are met with innovation and resilience. At ICMS 2025,…
read more..Thesis Award Ceremony 2023-2024
This year’s Thesis Awards Ceremony honors six extraordinary alumni who have pushed the boundaries of knowledge and innovation. Their dedication, creativity, and perseverance have left…
read more..Fosterting Diversity & Inclusion at UA
The University of Aruba recognizes the importance of fostering an environment where all individuals feel safe, valued, and respected. Our Codes of Conduct for students…
read more..Extra-curricular activities
Informatie over het debatclub en Tienda di Ley volgt gauw.