• Go to the Prospectus.
• Click on ‘Exchange’ at the bottom of the screen.
• On the next page use the filters on the left side to filter the results by semester, faculty, level etc.; or search for courses according to specific criteria by using the search bar at the top of the screen.
• Click on a course you are interested in, then check the following information in the right-hand menu to find out if the course is suitable for you:  

First, check with your home university how many credits you need to take at Leiden University. The normal full-time study load is 30 EC per semester. 

To be admitted as an exchange/study abroad students, you must be admitted to at least 15 EC for one semester. However, your home university will usually require that you take more credits than that. Make sure you are admitted to sufficient courses to meet your credit requirements before arrival!

Leiden University uses the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). For further information on our credit and grading system please see EC and grading information.

Are you interested in a course, but the course dates in the prospectus have not yet been updated for the upcoming academic year? You can still select the course. In general, most courses offered in one academic year will be offered again the following year. If the course is later cancelled, you will be informed via the online application portal and invited to make a new selection.

Some faculties have additional criteria that you must take into consideration when choosing courses. You can find these here below. Do you have further questions? See the next section on Questions about courses. 

Faculty of Science

• Science courses have strict admission requirements. Make sure you meet these requirements before selecting a course. In your letter of motivation (see required documents) explain clearly why you believe you are qualified to follow your selected Science courses.
• Different degree programmes at the Faculty of Science have overlapping schedules. When selecting courses at the Faculty of Science, we advise you not to choose courses from different degree programmes. You can see which degree programme a course belongs to by looking under ‘Part of’ in the prospectus course description.
• If you wish to do a whole BSc minor programme, you cannot combine this with courses at other faculties. The minor is a full-time course of study.

Faculty of Social and Behavioural Science

Psychology 

• Course selection is final. You cannot add or drop courses after 1 July (fall semester) or 1 December (spring semester).
• For courses in period 2 of the first semester:
  • Exams take place in January or early February. It is not possible to reschedule exams or make alternative arrangements (such as online exams). So if you need to be home in January, do not select psycholgy courses in this period.
  • Exam resits take place in the second semester (period 3), so do not select these courses if you find it important to be here on the resit date. 
  • Be aware that first-semester university housing contracts end in mid-January. So if you take courses in this period, you may need to arrange accommodation for the final weeks.
• For level 400 courses:
  • Exam resits take place the following semester or in late summer. Do not select these courses if you find it important to be here on the resit date. 
  • All 10 EC level 400 courses are offered twice a year. In the prospectus you will see, for example, 'block 1, block 3'. This means you can do the course in either block (not that you have to attend both blocks).

Institute of Political Science

• Our courses are taught both in Leiden and at our campus in The Hague. Please check the location of the course you prefer to follow. If you want to combine courses taught in The Hague with courses taught at our Department (or other Faculties) in Leiden,  please take the door-to-door travel time into consideration.

Leiden Law School

• If you are joining Leiden University on a university-wide exchange agreement, you may take a maximum of 15 EC of law courses. If you are unsure what type of exchange agreement your university has with Leiden, check with your home university coordinator. 
• Many law courses have a specially adapted timetable with early exams and minimal course overlap, making them ideal for exchange and study-abroad students. In the online prospectus these have a catalogue number starting with 22989.

• You may also follow law courses with a different catalogue number, i.e. not starting with 22989, as long as these are open to exchange students in the prospectus. But be aware that they may have overlapping classes or later exams. 

Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC)

• As courses at LUMC are fulltime, it is not possible to combine them with courses at other faculties. However you can add an internship in order to fill a whole semester, both in terms of workload and study credits.

Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA)

• The Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs is located in The Hague. If you want to combine your FGGA courses with courses at other faculties located in Leiden, please take the door-to-door travel time into consideration.
• Public Administration: English-taught bachelor level courses are only offered in the Fall semester.
• Leiden University College (LUC): You cannot combine LUC courses with courses at other faculties. If you study abroad at LUC, you will be admitted to a package of courses amounting to 30 EC per semester.
• Security Studies: courses are only open to direct partners of the Institute of Security & Global Affairs or the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs. If you are joining Leiden University on a university-wide exchange agreement or an agreement with another faculty, you may not follow Security Studies courses. If you are unsure what type of exchange agreement your university/faculty has with Leiden, check with your home university coordinator. 

Faculty of Humanities

• If you are joining Leiden University on an Faculty of Humanities exchange agreement, you have to take a minimum of 15 EC of Humanities courses. If you are unsure what type of exchange agreement your university has with Leiden, check with your home university coordinator. 
• For courses scheduled in the first semester, some exams may take place in January. If you need to be back at your home university in January, inform your lecturer and the Humanities International Office upon arrival so we can look into possible alternative arrangements. 
• Our courses are taught both in Leiden and at our campus in The Hague. Please check the location of the course you prefer to follow. If you want to combine courses taught in The Hague with courses taught at our faculty (or other faculties) in Leiden,  please take the door-to-door travel time into consideration.