When going abroad for any study-related activity, it is important that you follow Leiden University’s health and safety advice. You can find out more about the destinations that you may and may not travel to, how to prepare for a safe trip and the precautions you should take at your destination. Please register your travel abroad on the Study Abroad portal and attend a mandatory Health & Safety session. These sessions are organised once a month, except in July and August.  

Keep in mind that not all international opportunities you pursue during your studies can be recognised in terms of ECTS. Be sure to check with the International Office and your study programme whether you will receive approval and credits for your activity.  

Be sure to create a financial plan, especially if you plan to go abroad or to pursue an unpaid internship or volunteering experience. Leiden University offers a number of scholarships, including some for research and internships abroad. You can find more information here. 

If you are moving abroad for an international opportunity, be sure to find accommodation in advance and make the necessary arrangements for your current accommodation in the Netherlands, especially if you plan to return to the Netherlands after your experience abroad. Websites and Facebook groups can be helpful in finding accommodation but be cautious of spams. Be sure to have a plan B when it comes to housing abroad and contact the FGGA International Office for advice if you have not received confirmation of housing abroad at least a month prior to your departure. 

You can access international experiences during your studies if you have a disability. As with the rest of your studies, it may require a little more planning and support. Discuss your plans or ideas with the Senior Exchange Officer and with the Fenestra Disability Centre to discuss the possibilities and also make the necessary arrangements with your host university. If you incur additional costs during your experiences abroad due to a disability, you can request additional funding: 

• Are you going to a European country? You can request additional funding via the Erasmus+ programme.  

• Are you going to a country outside Europe? You can request additional funding via the Fenestra Disability Centre.

When going abroad, consider travelling by bus or by train. You can find more information on studying abroad more sustainably here.  

Going abroad or seeking an international working or internship experience can create a lot of paperwork. Keep in mind that Leiden University cannot provide administrative support for all of the different options listed on this webpage. Please contact the FGGA International Office to discuss your specific situation. 

Keep language challenges in mind if you are a non-Dutch speaker in the Netherlands or if you are moving to a country where you do not speak the local language.  

Different requirements apply for work or internship opportunities if you are Dutch, an EU citizen or a non-EU citizen. Be sure to check in advance whether you need a Visa, work permit or study permit.  

There are more ways to gain international competencies besides the activities listed on this website. Simple things like interacting or working together with international peers and staff at FGGA can go a long way. Additionally, The Hague is an international city and our university an international community. Don’t forget to recognise the opportunities for internationalisation that are available to you on campus.  

Many universities offer opportunities for summer and winter schools. These are short programmes that you can take during winter or summer break, which means that they will not interfere with your regular course load and give you the opportunity to obtain extra credits. It is a great way to get the complete ‘study abroad’ experience, meet people from different countries and universities, and discover new topics and study areas. Even though a summer or winter programme can look expensive, it is usually cheaper than an entire semester exchange abroad.  

Summer and winter schools will be announced on this website, the Brightspace pages of your study programme and through the Summer Schools Teams channel. If you independently find a summer or winter school organised by an accredited research university and you would like to participate in it, be sure to contact the International Office for more information on the procedure. Here you can look for summer schools in Europe independently.  

The application process depends on the programme: it usually consists of an application form with a short motivation letter and proof of language proficiency. Sometimes there are certain GPA or degree requirements. You can apply for summer schools in the spring and winter schools in the fall. 

Average duration: 1 to 4 weeks. 

Extra costs: Keep in mind that you usually need to pay a separate tuition fee in addition to your Leiden University tuition fee. Sometimes partner discounts, tuition waivers or early-bird discounts apply, and some schools offer scholarships.  

You can study abroad as an exchange student in the fall or spring semester. Leiden University has partner agreements with many universities worldwide. Eligibility criteria, destinations, deadlines, costs and scholarship opportunities can be found on the study abroad website. 

Average duration: six months. 

Extra costs: For exchange programmes, you only need to pay the Leiden University tuition fee; the tuition fee at the host university is waived. 

You can study abroad as a free mover in the fall or spring semester. As a free mover, you can study abroad independently at any accredited research university that accepts you. You are not limited to the partner agreements of Leiden University. Be sure to register and check the procedure to have your credits transferred with the International Office before departure. Keep in mind that you need to pay tuition fees to both your host university and Leiden University to remain registered as a student. More information can be found here. 

Average duration: six months. 

Extra costs: Free movers need to pay both the Leiden University tuition fee and the host university's tuition fee.  

A research project abroad or doing (thesis) fieldwork abroad is not only a fun and educational experience, but also a great asset to your CV. Find out about the opportunities offered by your study programme and read more about how to arrange a project abroad here.   

During your studies you will acquire a good theoretical basis. But what about practical experience? By doing an internship, you have the option to get a clearer picture of a particular position or sector. Many study programmes offer the opportunity to do an internship or research project, either as a compulsory part of the curriculum or to earn elective credits. An internship or research project abroad, or at an international organisation in the Netherlands, is not only a fun and educational experience, but also a great asset to your CV. Read more about how to arrange an internship or project abroad.   

Finding a suitable internship is your own responsibility. There are some useful websites to find internships: TRAIL , LinkedIn, The Hague International Centre, Humanity Hub, United Nations or Global Experiences. You can also visit the websites of companies and organisations that you are interested in for vacancies and volunteering opportunities. 

Keep in mind that most internships are unpaid or underpaid. Nevertheless, they are considered a working opportunity and thus require you to be legally eligible to work in the country where you are doing your internship. Check out this website for more information about working in the Netherlands while studying. 

The Hague is home to a lot of international organisations and institutions and thus offers many opportunities in terms of volunteering in international work environments. 

Finding a suitable volunteering opportunity is your own responsibility. There are some useful websites and databases to find volunteering opportunities abroad or at international organisations and companies: LinkedIn, Humanity Hub, AIESEC. You can also directly check out the websites of companies and organisations that interest you for current vacancies and volunteering opportunities. 

There are several active study associations at FGGA. Getting involved with them by joining a committee or by going on their international study-related trips allows you to travel, visit international organisations and gain international experience, while meeting other students from your study programme and expanding your network. Trips usually vary from one to ten days. Often you need to be a member of the association to sign up for the study trips. Contact the travel committees or general board members of your study programme's student associations to inquire about upcoming trips and how to participate: 

• Bestuurskunde, Management van de Publieke Sector & Public Administration: B.I.L. short trip committee and long trip committee 
• Security Studies & Crisis and Security Management: L.S.A. Custodia 
• Leiden University College: Fortuna 
• International Relations and Diplomacy: IRSA 

There are also several student associations in both The Hague and Leiden where you can meet fellow students. Some associations are focused on a sport, a religion or music, and some are more internationally focused than others. These organisations organise a wide range of activities, from sailing trips to parties and workshops to lectures or study trips abroad.  

There are options to join the study association of your programme as a board or committee member and options to join interdisciplinary associations or boards. This is a good way to meet students from all over the globe and to familiarise yourself with working together with people from different cultural backgrounds. Having experience in organising (study related) activities also looks good on your CV. Find a complete overview of study and student associations on these websites: 

• Student and study associations in The Hague 
• HOP week 
• Erasmus Student Network The Hague 
• Student associations in Leiden 
• Orientation Week Leiden 

A blended intensive programme (BIP) combines online teaching with a short physical stay abroad. Students can spend a week at another participating university and work together with students from other universities.  

It is possible to earn credits and apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship. You can apply if your study programme participates in a BIP.  You can contact the FGGA International Office for more information. If your study programme does not participate in a BIP, it is also possible to join BIPs that are organised by other universities, if they are open for external students. Find more information in the BIP database.  

Average duration: 2-4 weeks (1 week of physical mobility, 1-3 weeks of virtual mobility). 

Extra costs: There are no extra tuition fees if Leiden University is one of the participating universities. 

Learning a new language opens a new world for you. You can learn a new language by taking a language course at Leiden University or together with a fellow language buddy. You can reach out for a language buddy through the Act of Kindness pillar in Wijnhaven, study or student associations, Facebook groups or language courses at the Academic Language Centre.  

With your Leiden University bachelor's degree, you can apply for many master's programmes abroad that are related to your degree. Keep in mind the deadlines for applying for a master's programme are often very early and application procedures can be time consuming.  

If you are a master's student and would like to continue your academic journey as a PhD student, you can consider applying for a PhD programme abroad. Use your network (for example your lecturers, thesis supervisor or international classmates) for advice and to learn more about their experiences.   

Average duration: 1-2 years for master’s programmes, 3-5 years for PhD programmes. 

Extra costs: vary, depending on the programme. 

Leiden University offers several minors with a chance to go abroad. The minor is essentially be taught at Leiden University but has a component such as a field study or course taking place abroad. The minors that are offered by Leiden University are subject to change every year. Please refer to this website to check which minors are offered at Leiden University and the minors that are taught with its partners TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam (LDE).  

Do you want to gain international experiences while staying in the Netherlands or at home? Then virtual options might be a good fit. These options can vary depending on your interests and availability, but you can find some examples below. Contact the International Office and your study advisors to discuss whether you can receive credits for these options.  

Collaborative Online International Learning

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) connects classrooms from two or more universities from different parts of the world. COIL projects are based on the involvement of teachers and students, with different geographical origins, language and culture, for the development of collaborative teaching and learning processes using online communication tools.  

The COIL model does not merely promote students from different countries sharing an online classroom. Rather, COIL creates equitable team-taught learning environments where staff members from two cultures work together to develop a shared syllabus, emphasising experiential and collaborative student learning.

Online Courses

Online courses are a great way to gain international competences by learning new academic or non-academic skills and knowledge. Taking courses online allows for more flexibility since they are done remotely and usually without a fixed schedule. Check out websites such as Coursera and MOOC to find out about free online courses that you can take during or after your studies at FGGA.  

Attending international lectures and panels organised at the university or joining multicultural events in The Hague can help you expand your knowledge of international topics and perspectives, as well as gaining other personal and intercultural competencies. You can find out more about international events and lectures through communications from your study programme, the faculty student newsletter, the faculty social media, the Leiden University events webpage or The Hague events website.