Leiden study system

Students in Leiden are entitled to good teaching and good supervision. For their part, there are some conditions they have to meet to ensure that they complete their studies within the time allotted.

Extra supervision

Leiden University has developed the Leiden Study System. This means that students receive extra supervision during their programme. At the start of their studies, each student has an interview; in addition they have sufficient teaching hours, they work in small mentor groups and have regular meetings to discuss the progress of their studies.

Binding study advice

The Leiden Study System ensures that students have good supervision, with extra support in the first years of their study programme. On the other hand, the system also imposes certain requirements on students in terms of their study progress. Students who do not meet these requirements may receive a negative binding study advice after the first year, which means that they will be unable to enroll again in the same programme, or another programme with the same first year curriculum (propaedeuse), at Leiden University for a period of four years. 

Study plan

At the end of the first year, students draw up a study plan. The idea behind this is that by making and keeping to this plan they will progress more smoothly through their second year. Adequate feedback from the department helps them to study as successfully as possible so that they can earn their bachelor’s degree within three years and move on to a master’s.