FSW students can apply to any one of the following Honours Colleges:

• Science, Society and Self (FSW)
• Crossing the borders in World Archaeology
• Governance and Global Affairs
• Humanities Lab

The Individual Track.
We no longer offer this track, as Science, Society and Self is already designed to create your own individual programme. 

The Double Bachelor Plus Track.
This track is available if you are following two bachelor degree programmes at the same time, at least one of which is at Leiden University. To receive the Honours Certificate you only need to take 5 EC extra in addition to the two bachelors, in the form of an Honours Class. Additionally, the rule is that both bachelor’s programmes must be completed within a specific amount of time (depending on the total number of unique credits that you will obtain) and with a GPA of at least 7.0.

Yes, if you want to go abroad within your bachelor’s programme you can still combine this with Honours College. If you stay abroad for less than six months, this normally poses no problems. If you plan to stay abroad for longer than six months, different arrangements may need to be made. 

First of all, Honours is a lot of fun! You can learn about topics that make you curious, and it offers you new experiences and the opportunity to make new friends. The teaching in the Honours College is provided by great teachers and experts, and you learn together with students who are just as motivated as you. You get the opportunity to do a societal and/or research internship, explore different areas of your study, or explore a completely different field. The Honours courses you did will be mentioned on your bachelor’s degree certificate, and you also receive an Honours Certificate. 

LUC is a broad English-language bachelor’s programme (Liberal arts) of 180 EC, where you live with your fellow students in the same building. The Honours College (HC) offers you an extra 30-EC programme in addition to your regular bachelor’s programme in Leiden or The Hague. HC-students also have their own location – Oude Sterrenwacht – where some Honours Classes are taught.

Yes, you can join the Honours College at the start of your 2nd year. If you do this you miss the “introductory module” (5EC) that our Honours programme starts with. This is not a big problem. You just have to catch up to those 5 EC to achieve the total of 30 EC for your Honours Certificate within the next 2 years. However, the number of places available for new Honours students in the second year are more limited, so it might be more difficult to get in. Also, if you plan on studying abroad for a semester in your third year, it is advisable to start your Honours programme in your first year. 

To join an Honours College, the government states you have to be in the best 10% of your bachelor’s programme. The university therefore requires an average grade of 7.0 or higher. However, if you haven’t achieved this average grade yet, but still want to join the Honours College, don’t hesitate to apply anyway! Having broad interests and high motivation is also important and therefore contributes to acceptance into Honours College. You can highlight those in your application.

Of course! Students from other disciplines are very welcome to apply for the FSW Honours programme!

Absolutely! You can still take part in any of the Honours tracks. The faculty (FSW) track is a lot of fun, but if you are doing two bachelor’s we recommend the “Double Bachelor Plus" track. This track is available if you are doing two bachelor’s degrees at the same time, at least one of which is at Leiden University. To receive the Honours Certificate you need to take one Honours Class in addition to the two bachelor’s programmes to provide you with the required extra 5EC. Additionally, the rule is that the two bachelor’s programmes both need to be completed within a specific amount of time (depending on the total number of unique credits that you will obtain), and with a GPA of at least 7.0.

It is important to us to view our students holistically. This means that even if your grade average is slightly below 7.0 at the time of application, you can compensate with the motivational letter. We are looking for passionate and curious learners more than a labeled grade. Of course, the feasibility of participation in the programma is also very important and thus something we take into account.

To get your final certificate at the end of your degree you will need to have an average of 7.0 or higher.  

This can differ slightly per year and will be around hundred students.

Applying in the first year has its advantages because you can already start collecting your Honours credits, which means you can spread out the 30 EC over 2.5 years instead of just 2. Additionally, we can accept more students in the first year than in the second. The first year of the course is also designed as an introduction to the working style and atmosphere of our Honours College, so there is also a lot of time and space to get to know your fellow Honours students. 

There are many ways to learn about specific topics that are not part of our main programme. There are Honours Classes that are spread out over different disciplines and faculties, allowing you to broaden your knowledge outside the track programme. There is also an opportunity to do a research or societal internship in a field of your choice. Also, you are allowed to take one LUC course and one regular bachelor’s course for your Honours programme (please note the requirements, which you can find in the Prospectus).