Internships, research, fieldwork, summer schools and more
There are many other types of activity you can do abroad to enrich your studies and gain international experience. Find out about the options available to you.
Options related to your study programme
Depending on your study programme, there might be a range of international activities available to you. Some may be compulsory or optional parts of your programme. Others are extra-curricular activities that you can choose to follow to complement your studies. Activities might include:
- Internships
- Research and fieldwork
- Fieldtrips and excursions
- Subject-specific summer or winter schools
- Mandatory study abroad activities
- Clinical clerkships (co-schappen)
- Moot courts
- Study association trips
Approval and registration
Is your activity abroad part of, or associated with your Leiden University studies? In other words, do you want to receive study credits or funding via the university, or have the activity included on your transcript? If so, you must first gain approval from your study programme. After gaining approval, you must also register your activity in Leiden University’s study abroad portal. This will enable the university to contact you in case of emergencies.
Refer to your faculty or study programme tab
For information on the activities available to you and how to arrange approval and registration in the study abroad portal, click on your faculty or study programme tab.
Options for students of all faculties
There are also a number of international activities that are available to students of all faculties. These include:
Summer and winter schools are offered all over the world. Please note: Summer and Winter schools are part of our regular exchange agreements and therefore students will have to pay the summer/winter school fees themselves. Please check the respective partner website for more information about the costs.
Safe destination
You may not go abroad for study-related activities to a country for which negative travel advice has been issued. Visit the Health and safety page and read Leiden University Regulations on Studying Abroad for more information.
As a student at the Faculty of Science, there are a range of activities you can do abroad during your studies. On this page you can find out about the options available to you, how to request approval, and how to register your activity after gaining approval.
Approval and Registration
If you want to receive university credits, funding or recognition on your transcript for your activity abroad, you must first request approval from your study programme. You can find information on how to do so per activity type below.
After Gaining Approval
Once you have the necessary approval from your study programme, you must attend a mandatory Health & Safety session, and you must register your activity in Leiden University’s study abroad portal. Find the instructions under ‘Register in the Study Abroad Portal’.
Application for a Research Project or Internship
Step 1) Find a Research Project or an Internship
If you want to go abroad for a research project or internship, you are not limited to our exchange partner universities. You can choose to do your research project at any university, organization or company, as long as your study programme approves.
There are no strict application deadlines for research projects or internships. However, there are other matters to take into account in your planning, such as the arrangement of practical and administrative matters and scholarship application deadlines. We therefore advise to start looking for a research project within Europe at least 6 months, and outside Europe at least 9 months, before departure.
How can you find opportunities?
- Contact a professor in your field or your study advisor, they may have recommendations for organisations which will align with your specialisation or interests.
- Check different websites for worldwide vacancies like JobTeaser, GoinGlobal and WilWeg.nl's stage page (Dutch).
- Consult the Student Reports database to read about other students’ study abroad experiences. You can filter reports on the basis of country, faculty and type of activity abroad.
- Check Leiden Career Services for current vacancies.
- Occasionally, opportunities are advertised on the Science International Office's Brightspace page (under Faculty of Science (FWN)).
Step 2) Apply for a Research Project or an Internship
When you apply for a research project or internship, we recommend you send your preferred host organization the following:
- Your Motivation Letter
Science Career Service can provide feedback on your motivation letter. - Your CV
Science Career Service can provide feedback on your CV. You might also want to use the Europass platform to easily create a CV. - Letter of Recommendation
Ask for a letter of recommendation from a professor in Leiden who knows you well. - Transcript of Records
You can request an up-to-date copy of your transcript via transcript@science.leidenuniv.nl Be sure to include a conversion table for your grades (in English).
Step 3) Obtain the Required Invitation Documents
Are you welcome to join your host organisation? Ask the host organisation for an official letter of invitation. This should include the start and end date of your research project, a short project proposal (summary), the name and address of your supervisor, and a signature.
Please note: All research projects need to be supervised by a member of the academic staff and a representative of the host organization.
Step 4) Find an Internal Supervisor
Send the letter of invitation and project proposal to a staff member in Leiden and ask if they are willing to act as your internal supervisor. This will almost always be a researcher. Your internal supervisor will be your research project or internship’s contact person / responsible person at Leiden University.
Step 5) Obtain Approval from your Study Programme
To include your obtained credits in your degree in Leiden, you will need approval for your research project or internship abroad approved from your study programme. This approval can be obtained via either the Board of Examiners or ProjectMAP (BSc and MSc Biology and MSc BPS). You can contact your study advisor to request permission from the Board of Examiners. They will require your official letter of invitation, your motivation and the amount of ECTS you expect to earn. In ProjectMAP, you can fill out and submit the online agreement with your supervisors.
Step 6) Complete the Administrative Requirements in Leiden
Contact the Science International Office know where you are going via outgoing@science.leidenuniv.nl and we can assist you further with scholarships, registration in our university portal, and other questions you may have.
Read the information available on the Health & Safety page, and attend a mandatory Health & Safety session before departure. If you are unable to attend a session, please contact the Science International Office via outgoing@science.leidenuniv.nl.
Complete your uSis registration. Find the information on how to do so below, under ‘Register in the Study Abroad Portal’.
Step 7) Apply for Scholarships
Your scholarship is dependent on the location and duration of your research project or internship.
- EU-destination (including Norway): Erasmus+ for Traineeships
- Non-EU destination: LUSTRA+ Scholarship and NL Scholarship. The NL Scholarship is a selection grant requiring motivating documents. The annual deadline is April 1 of the preceding academic year.
- USA: Dutch2USA Internship Program. This is a grant for low-income Dutch students (ontvangers aanvullende DUO beurs) with a minimum 7.0/10 GPA. Funding is for a maximum of 6 months. Start your application 6-9 months in advance. Annual deadlines are March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31.
- Scandinavia: ULLA grant. This grant is open to MSc Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences students going on exchange to or conducting research at Uppsala University, the University of Helsinki or the University of Copenhagen.
Subject-specific Summer and Winter Schools
For the most up-to-date overview of summer and winter schools in the field of Science, we recommend you check out the overview on our Brightspace. Find us under 'My courses' > 'Faculty of Science (FWN)' > 'Science International Office'.
If you want to receive credits for your summer/winter school, you must obtain approval from the Board of Examiners of your study programme. This applies for summer and winter schools for extracurricular credits of for credits as part of your study programme. Contact your study advisor for more information.
Complete the Administrative Requirements in Leiden
Contact the Science International Office know where you are going via outgoing@science.leidenuniv.nl and we can assist you further with scholarships, registration in our university portal, and other questions you may have.
Read the information available on the Health & Safety page, and attend a mandatory Health & Safety session before departure. If you are unable to attend a session, please contact the Science International Office via outgoing@science.leidenuniv.nl.
Complete your uSis registration. Find the information on how to do so below, under ‘Register in the Study Abroad Portal’.
Register in the Study Abroad Portal
Why
By registering in the Study Abroad portal, you enable Leiden University to make sure you have selected a safe destination and to contact you in case of an emergency abroad. If you will receive study credits, university funding or recognition on your transcript for your activity abroad, registration in the study abroad portal is obligatory.
When
Register in the Study Abroad portal as soon as you have gained permission from your study programme for your activity abroad - and at least 2 weeks before departure. If you will go abroad within 2 weeks, get in touch with your faculty contact person for instructions.
How
- Log into uSis > click on the 'Study Abroad' tile > select ‘Register another type of study-related activity abroad’.
- Enter the requested data, upload the required information, then click on submit. Please include your internal and external supervisors' contact details, and proof of approval from your study program (an e-mail from your study programme confirming the dates, content and ECTS of your activity abroad or a screenshot of the ProjectMAP approval).
- If you have the necessary approval and your destination is safe, the university will approve your registration. Your registration details will be approved as soon as possible, and your travel destination will be checked a month before departure. When your details are approved, you can apply for scholarships through uSis. When your destination is approved, you may depart for your activity abroad. Remember to check the travel advice before departure in case the safety situation changes.
- As soon as possible, enter your contact details abroad in the Study Abroad portal, under the ‘During your stay’ section. Remember to keep your contact details updated while you are abroad so we can reach you in case of emergency!
After Your Return
Study Abroad Report
Your experiences and tips are a great source of information for other students who would like to study abroad. Just before you return, Leiden University will send you a mail asking you to submit a report about your studies abroad, using this template. Please upload your student report in the study abroad portal, and also e-mail the Science International your student report via outgoing@science.leidenuniv.nl so we can upload this to the Student Reports database.
Scholarship Requirements
Did you receive a scholarship? Be sure to check the scholarship requirements, and submit all the required documents on time.