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.
Starting your Master's at the Institute of Education and Child Studies
Welcome! Below you will find all the information you need to get off to a good start. Read everything carefully so that you are well prepared for your new training.
All classes will take place on campus of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.
If you have received your unconditional Admission Statement, you are admitted to the Master’s programme. You took steps to register in Studielink, paid the tuition fee and now you can start the Master’s programme.
If you have questions about your registration, please contact Student Affairs Front Office.
This outline shows the structure of the different specialisations in English of the Master' programme in Education and Child Studies. This is the outline of the Master's Programme Education and Child Studies (Research).
In the online Prospectus each course is described extensively. You will find information about the content, the learning outcomes, the instruction form, the requirements for passing and the literature.
Information about the course literature can be found in the online Prospectus. Bear in mind that changes can be made in the reading list. These changes will be announced at least five weeks before the course begins.
In addition, each course has its own module with more information in the digital learning environment Brightspace. Books can be ordered at any (academic) bookstore. Order your books in time. Delivery times sometimes mount up to two weeks.
Readers can be ordered via webshop ReaderOnline.
We expect you to have access to a laptop when you come to study at Leiden University. If you do not have a laptop, we advise you to purchase a laptop. For certain subjects, such as computer practicals, it may be a requirement to bring your laptop to lectures or work groups.
A Windows laptop or an Apple MacBook with an up-to-date operating system will be sufficient for your studies, as well as a device with Unix. We do not recommend using a Chromebook. A Chromebook can only be used if the student installs the statistical programs R and Rstudio using advanced options.
Operating system:
| Windows |
10 or later versions |
| macOS | 12 or later versions |
| Unix (and Unix-like) |
Ubuntu 20/Debian 11 |
Processor:
Any 64-bit processor is enough. Only very old devices use 32-bit processors.
Storage:
Minimum: 1GB empty storage.
Recommended: At least 10GB empty. A new laptop usually has minimum 128GB.
RAM:
Minimum: 1GB. Recommended: At least 4GB.
4GB is usually the minimum you can find in a new laptop.
The digital timetable of all courses can be found in MyTimetable. Any changes will be announced here, so check the timetable regularly. The timetable for the next academic year is available from of August 1st.
ULCN stands for ‘University Leiden Community Network’. When your registration at Leiden University is finalized you receive a letter with your personal ULCN-account and your password. You need these in order to be able to use uMail, Brightspace and uSis, the most important internet facilities for students.
uSis is the internet application in which personal information and study results of all students are registered. Elaborate information about uSis and uSis support is available on our website.
Students must register themselves for all course components (lectures, tutorials and practicals) they wish to follow. You can register via My Studymap up to five days prior to the start of the course.
It is also mandatory for all students to register for each exam (and retake) and to confirm registration for each exam in My Studymap. This is possible up to and including ten calendar days prior to the examination. You cannot take an exam without a valid pre-registration and confirmation in My Studymap.
NB If the exam concerns a paper or a practical assignment, you do not need to register in My Studymap.
Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.
Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.
The Master's project (20 ECTS) is a mandatory part of all Master's specialisations of the Master Education and Child Studies. You will receive all information by email about the Master's projects on offer and how to register for a project. You do not need to register for the Master’s project in My Studymap.
On our website you'll find information about the Master’s project.
While writing your Master's thesis, you can make use of the Master Thesis Lab.
Each specialisation in the Master’s programme Education and Child Studies contains an internship.
The Prospectus Master’s Internship contains information about the objectives of the internship, the preparation, implementation and support.
This prospectus can also be found on the website of the Internship Bureau.
The Institute of Education and Child Studies publishes a Welcome brochure. Here you will find all kinds of information that can help you quickly find your way within the Institute of Education and Child Studies and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.
Download the Welcome brochure Education and Child Studies ››
- Student Service Centre (SSC) on the ground floor of the Pieter de la Court Building, about registration of grades and enrolment in classes and exams via uSis, etc.
- The study advisers of the Master’s programme Education and Child Studies and the Master’s programme Education and Child Studies (Research) about drawing up your study plan in the master, study progress, personal situation.
- Psychological counselling for international students
What to arrange before your studies begin
Make sure that you start applying for housing or finding housing yourself early. On the housing page you can find more information about arranging accommodation.
As an international student, you will also need to take care of a number of practical matters before and after arriving in the Netherlands:
- check if and how you should request visa or a residence permit;
- insurances and health care;
- open a Dutch bank account;
- make an appointment to register yourself with your new municipality.
Please inform yourself about these and other steps:
Prepare your stay at Leiden University
As a student of Leiden University you’ll receive a student account (ULCN account). This gives you access to the university’s systems and work stations. You'll first need to activate your ULCN account.
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.
Compulsory for all components
You must enrol for all components of your study programme, such as lectures, seminars and exams. This applies to both compulsory elements and elective credits. If you are not enrolled, you may not participate. You can enrol via MyStudymap.
Exceptions
Are you a full-time first-year bachelor's student, are you following a pre-master programme, or are you following courses whilst being registered at another Dutch university? If so, different enrolment procedures apply. You will receive further information by email.
Read more about course and exam enrolment via MyStudymap
Support and advice
The studyadvisors of your program are experts when it comes to anything related to your studies. Whether you're facing personal study-related issues or have questions about practical matters, the academic advisors are ready to assist you. They offer advice and guidance in making study choices and creating a study plan. If you experience delays in your studies due to special circumstances, report this immediately to your academic advisors.
You can find the contact details of the academic advisors here.
The Student Services Centre (SSC) of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is the point of contact for all your practical study questions. You can contact the SSC for questions about: course and exam registration, study results, and other practical, administrative matters.
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 key facilities
Brightspace is Leiden University’s online learning environment.
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 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.
All the details of your studies are recorded in uSis. From your first registration as a student until your graduation.
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.
Leiden University offers many study places where you can study in peace. One of these study places is the Social and Behavioural Sciences Library, which is located in the Pieter de la Court Building. This library has 150 regular study places and 60 computer study places.
You can read more about the library and other study facilities on the website.
Get more out of your student days
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.
Make the most of your time as a student and become a member of the Leiden University Fund (LUF). The LUF offers grants for research, internships, study abroad and more. Members are entitled to discount on a wide range of activities such as surfing, stand up paddling and Museum Night. You will also receive invitations for traditional Leiden events and be kept up to date on new subsidies and prizes.
Discover all the opportunities offered by the LUF and maximize your potential.