Welcome to Leiden University
Will you soon be joining Leiden University? Here you can find all the information you need to get your studies off to a good start.
Joining a bachelor's or master's programme?
Find out what you need to know and arrange by clicking on your faculty or study programme tab.
Following exchange or study-abroad courses?
Find out what you need to know and arrange by clicking on your exchange faculty tab.
Following courses at more than one faculty? For course-specific information, select the relevant exchange faculty (top of the page). For general information, select any of your exchange faculties.
Welcome at the Faculty of Humanities. All information you will need to start with your studies, you will find on the programme's tab from 15 August 2024 onwards.
Is there no information yet, or did you not find an answer to your question? Please contact the co-ordinator of studies.
On Academic Freedom
You are now a part of our academic community. Here at Leiden University, we pride ourselves on our motto Praesidium Libertatis – bastion of freedom – and cherish the tradition of academic freedom.
What do we expect of you?
A vital component of academic freedom is an open culture in which we can disagree with one another yet still feel safe, a culture that gets us thinking and could even cause us to change our views. This benefits us. And you too have a part to play.
To arrange before your studies
An introduction week is the best way to get to know your new city, student life and your fellow students.
Your LU card is your university ID card. It gives you access to a range of facilities. Make sure to request your LU card before starting your studies.
Make sure you know where you have to be and when on your first day.
As an exchange student at Humanities, the administration office will enrol you for your preapproved humanities courses and exams - with the exception of resits. You do not need to enrol yourself in uSis for your humanities courses and first exams.
See the Exchange - Humanities tab on the course and exam enrolment page for further details.
Support and advice
Incoming exchange coordinator
Do you have questions about your courses, exams or Erasmus forms. As an international exchange student, you can get in touch with your faculty or institute's incoming exchange coordinator.
During your time as a student you will probably face a variety of challenges. Both in terms of studying and personal development, you might need a little help from time to time. Find out how you can boost your wellbeing and who you can turn to for support. Read more about wellbeing
Get to know the facilities
Here, on the student website, you can find a wide range of practical information about your studies.
Select your study programme
When you first visit the website, you will be asked to select your study programme to continue.
- By selecting your study programme, you can access information that is specific to your particular programme and faculty.
- By visiting the site as a guest, you can only access general, university-wide information.
The website will remember your selection. This means you won’t have to make a selection next time you log in from the same device.
Tabs: from general to specific
If you have selected your study programme, you will sometime see more than one tab on a page:
- The tab on the left contains general information.
- The tab in the middle contains information from your faculty.
- The tab on the right contains information from your study programme.
Your student card is your proof of registration as a student of Leiden University. The student card is a digital card and can be found in the University Leiden app after activation.
All the details of your studies are recorded in uSis. From your first registration as a student until your graduation.
Brightspace is Leiden University’s online learning environment.
As a student of Leiden University you will be issued with a university email address: uMail. All correspondence from the university will be sent to this address. You can set up your uMail account so that all mails will be forwarded to your own email address.
The indispensable app for Leiden University students. Here you can find all your personal study information in one place. Log in once and access your schedule, results, available computers and university news anytime and anyplace.
Get more out of your student life
By joining an association you'll meet lots of people and get more out of student life. As well as student and study associations, there are also a range of social associations in Leiden and The Hague, for example sports, religious or cultural associations.
As a student of Leiden University, you have access to a wide range of affordable sports via the University Sport Centre (USC) in Leiden and The Hague.