Honours Academy

Education

Honours education offers students an extra challenge. In our educational testing ground, they follow their curiosity, step outside the box and prepare themselves for the future.

About honours education

The Honours Academy organises honours education for high-school students, bachelor and master students. They always follow honours education as an addition to their regular education.

Honours education is outside-the-box: students from different backgrounds follow education together and seek connections with society. Honours education is also a testing ground for teachers to experiment with innovative teaching.

Contrary to what is sometimes thought, students do not have to pay extra tuition fees for honours education at Leiden University. Pupils do pay a contribution for participation in PRE-College and PRE-Classes.

Honours for every stage of study

The Honours Academy of Leiden University aims to be a place where every motivated student can get the best out of themselves. To this end, a variety of educational programmes have been developed for vwo pupils, bachelor's students and master's students.

Are you a student? On the student site, you find up-to-date information about the honours opportunities in your stage of study!

For secondary school students (vwo), the Honours Academy offers Pre-University College and Pre-University Classes. These two programmes are aimed at students who are looking for an extra challenge in addition to their regular schoolwork and are interested in experiencing university education. The goal is to help school students discover their interests and further develop their talents. The participants are supervised by Leiden University, which gives them the opportunity to already have a taste of what it is like to be a student.

Honours College (30 EC)

The Honours College offers motivated students extra education in addition to their regular studies. Students can choose between following a faculty track at their own or another faculty. The Honours College is characterised by contact between many different students and cross-pollination between different disciplines.

Bachelor Honours Classes (5 EC)

Bachelor Honours Classes are small-scale interdisciplinary courses on current topics, with plenty of focus for personal development and discussions. It is mandatory for Honours College students to take a Bachelor Honours Class, but non-honours Leiden University students are welcome to apply as well.

LDE Sustainability Honours Programme (15 EC)

This interdisciplinary programme enables motivated second- and third-year bachelor's students to develop both their fundamental knowledge of sustainability and their practical skills by tackling 'real-world' sustainability challenges. The programme is a cooperation between the Honours Academies of Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam and TU Delft.

LDE Space & Society Honours Programme (15 EC)

This programme introduces second- and third-year bachelor's students from all fields of study to the multi-faceted nature of the space sector, from space law and governance to technology. The aim is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to develop into innovative thinkers, problem solvers and effective leaders. The programme is a cooperation between the Honours Academies of Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam and TU Delft.

Designing Your Life (2-5 EC)

Desinging Your Life helps bachelor's and master's students at Leiden University map out their life path and face the future with confidence. Designing Your Life is offered through university-wide skills modules and Honours Classes and through collaborations with faculty Career Services.

Leiden Leadership Programme (15 EC)

The Leiden Leadership Programme, in which both Dutch and international students can enrol, is unique in that it equips students with the necessary leadership knowledge, insights and skills to increase their social impact through seminars, skills training and carrying out a practical assignment.

Master Honours Challenges (3-10 EC)

Master Honours Challenges are small-scale interdisciplinary courses on current topics, with plenty of focus on personal development and discussions. A new selection of classes is offered each year, which means that students are always working on topical themes and the latest research.