Liberal Arts and Sciences: Global Challenges (BA/BSc)
Application and selection
All applicants for LUC go through a selection process. You enter the selection process by applying in Studielink and submitting a complete application in the Leiden University application portal.
The application procedure
The application for LUC's programme consists of several steps:
- Apply for Liberal Arts and Sciences: Global Challenges in Studielink. To create a Studielink account and for additional instructions, please view these step-by-step plans.
- Activate your account for the Leiden University application portal.
- Submit your application in the Leiden University application portal.
To understand what you need to do and submit in the application portal, please view this manual. You can find the required documents under the 'Required documents' section.
The selection procedure
All applicants go through a selection procedure that consists of three elements:
1. Assessment of the paper application
2. LUC Experience and reflection
3. Selection
Your application is holistically evaluated on various aspects, taking into account all components and not focusing on one in particular. The Admissions Committee also looks for students who are self-motivated and are enthusiastic about what is on offer at LUC, in particular the theme of Global Challenges.
1. Assessment
The Admissions Committee reviews your application to assess whether you have a diploma that is considered sufficient for admission and how likely it is that you meet the diploma and English language requirement. If you do not meet the minimum diploma requirements, you will be informed.
The Admissions Committee reviews your academic skills and potential, English proficiency and writing, mathematics skills, motivation for the programme, extracurricular activities and willingness to engage.
While the Admissions Committee reviews your application, you can already complete your LUC Experience and submit your reflection.
2. LUC Experience and reflection
Because studying at LUC is a unique experience with small classes, high student participation and a thematic focus on global challenges, a part of the selection process focuses on experiencing what it would be like to be a student at LUC, and reflecting on this experience.
The Admissions Office will provide you with an online form through which you submit a 150 word reflection. This reflection will be added to your application and will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee together with the documents you submitted when you applied.
Aligned with the Liberal Arts and Sciences ethos, you choose how you wish to experience LUC. On the LUC form, one of the required documents, you indicate how you intend to do this by selecting your preferred option. The following options are available:
LUC offers Experience Days which you either attend online or in person at LUC. Please note these are not the same as an Open Day or online webinars. At an LUC Experience Day you will attend an information session about Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Global Challenges, join a sample class and close the day by joining a campus tour. The reflection you write will be about the sample class you attend, not the rest of the experience event.
There are two Experience Days you can attend in person and three which are offered fully online.
- 31 October 2024 (online)
- 8 November 2024 (in person at LUC)
- 30 January 2025 (online)
- 14 February 2025 (in person at LUC)
- 20 March 2025 (online)
During a student for a day experience you will be matched with a first year LUC student and will join one of the classes to experience what it is like to study at LUC. Student for a day experiences are limited in number and a regular/introductory Campus visit or LUC101 meeting are not the same. The reflection you write will be about the class you attend, not the rest of the experience event.
For more information and how to sign up for a student for a day, please view the information here.
If you select a one on one talk, you will have an online conversation about the global challenges with one of LUC’s teaching staff. You will write your reflection about this talk.
These talks are available in the following periods:
- Early Bird applicants: 27 January to 28 February 2025
- Regular applicants: 7 April to 9 May 2025
You will be able to select your own date and time for the conversation through an online booking system.
The Admissions Office will provide you with the necessary practical information. Please note that the conversation will be in English and is conducted through Microsoft Teams. Make sure that you take your time to read what is stated on the LUC website about the global challenges theme and what you have answered in your motivation letter. Your motivation answers will be the starting point of the conversation.
3. Selection
Once the Admissions Committee reviewed your application including the online reflection form, a final decision about your admission to LUC’s programme will be made together with the Dean of LUC.
Because there are 200 places in our programme, with the guarantee of housing on the LUC campus, not everyone who applies can be admitted. In a few situations Early Bird applicants can be re-considered for admission in the second round. Decisions are communicated on a rolling basis, depending on when you submit your application and provide the online reflection form.
Please note that it is not possible to defer the start date of your studies if you receive an offer. Should you wish to start the following academic year, you will have to re-apply.