Factsheet Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 2024-2025
Institutional information
Name of Institution Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Erasmus Code NL AMSTERD02
Address VU International Office
De Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Coordinator Phone number Region
Iris de Vries (she/her) +31 20 598 4691 Europe
Dorien Boerrigter-Jansen +31 20 598 8697 North America, Africa, UK
Regional Coordinators (she/her) and Middle East
Monique van Reij +31 20 598 6387 Asia, Oceania and Latin
(she/her) America
Website www.vu.nl/exchange
E-mail [email protected]
Semester dates and application procedure
Academic year The academic year runs from the start of September to the end of June and is
divided into semester 1 (Fall) and semester 2 (Spring).
Arrival days, orientation and introduction programme are scheduled during
the last 2 weeks of August (semester 1) or the Friday before the start of
semester 2. Exchange students are expected to attend the orientation and
introduction programme.
2024-2025
Semester 1: 02/09/2024-31/01/2025
Semester 2: 03/02/2025-27/06/2025
Nomination deadline Nominations can be submitted in our online portal.
Deadlines for nominations (please note that we prefer to receive nominations
as early as possible!):
• 1 April (Semester 1 or full academic year)
• 1 October (Semester 2)
A confirmation e-mail will be sent to both you and the nominated student
after the nomination has been entered and the student will be informed
automatically about the (online) application procedure.
1
Application procedure Nominated students will also apply through our online portal. The web link to
the online application will be communicated to nominated students only.
Students should finalize the online application procedure before:
• 15 April (Semester 1 or full academic year)
• 15 October (Semester 2)
Deadlines are strict when students need a visa and/or housing via the
university.
Students wishing to participate in courses at Master’s degree level need to
have finished a Bachelor’s degree by the start of their exchange. They need to
submit proof when applying by means of a (copy of a) Bachelor’s degree, or an
official statement that the student will have obtained the degree before the
exchange.
Relevant e-mail and General: www.vu.nl/exchange
website E-mail:
[email protected]Other options If there are more students interested in VU Amsterdam for a semester than
can be nominated in the framework of the exchange agreement, there is the
possibility for them to come as fee paying non-degree students in our
Semester in Amsterdam programme.
VU Amsterdam also offers credit-bearing Summer- and Winterschool
programmes.
Recommended language skills
Language of instruction Dutch and English
Level of English C1 (TOEFL IBT at least 92, academic IELTS 6.5)
required for student
mobility Students at undergraduate level (Bachelor): selection of students with
sufficient level of English language proficiency (C1 level) is the responsibility of
the home university.
Students participating in Master’s degree courses: Proof of English language
proficiency according to VU Amsterdam’s requirements is mandatory for
students participating in courses at Master’s level. Exempted are students who
have completed at least two years of a fully English-taught programme no
longer than two years prior to the exchange or students who are enrolled in a
completely English-taught Master’s degree.
Level of English C1 (TOEFL IBT at least 110, academic IELTS 7.5)
required for teaching
staff
Level of Dutch required C1 (advanced level, NT2)
(for courses in Dutch
only) Proof of Dutch language proficiency is mandatory for visiting students who
wish to participate in courses taught in Dutch.
Exempted are only students who have completed at least two years of a fully
Dutch taught programme no longer than two years prior to the exchange.
2
Course information and grading
Courses Information about courses and minors available to incoming students can be
found on the website and students can search for courses in our exchange
study guide.
Restrictions:
- Courses in the fields of Psychology and at our School of Business and
Economics have limited capacity. Therefore, incoming exchange
students majoring in Psychology, Business and Economics are given
priority in registering for courses in these subject areas. Students with
different majors can apply for courses in these fields but should be
prepared to adapt their course choice in case these courses are full.
- Bachelor’s students are not allowed to follow courses at Master’s
level, unless these courses are also mentioned in the exchange
courses overview under Bachelor’s courses.
- Dutch taught courses are not always available to exchange students,
even when having good proficiency in Dutch. Students should check
with [email protected] if there is a list available of courses taught in
Dutch in their subject area.
Transcript of records After the exams, teachers have 4 weeks to publish the results. Once the
student has obtained the results of all the exams and papers he/she completed
during the exchange, the student can request an official transcript at the VU
International Office. A digital copy of the transcript will be sent to the students’
home university and – on request – a hard copy as well.
Grading The Dutch grading scale runs from 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest and 10 the
highest grade. A student passes with a grade 6.0 or higher and fails with a
grade 5.0 or lower. On average 75% of the students who pass have a grade
between 6.5 and 7.5. Less than 5% of the students get a grade 9. Less than 1%
get a 10.
ECTS % Quality Assessment Dutch grade
10% Excellent/Very good 8.0 - 10.0
25% Good 7.5 - 7.9
30% More than satisfactory 7.0 - 7.4
25% Satisfactory 6.5 - 6.9
10% Sufficient 5.5 - 6.4
Fail 0.0 - 5.4
More information on Dutch grading and conversion can be found on the
website of the Nuffic: www.nuffic.nl.
Relevant e-mail and Courses and credits: Courses - More about - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
website (vu.nl)
E-mail: [email protected]
3
Services
Welcoming programme Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers international students Arrival and
Introduction days before the start of each academic semester. The
programme consists of social activities, information about registration at the
municipality, sports and cultural facilities for students, ICT, opening a bank
account, etc. Students are most strongly advised to attend this orientation
programme.
Dutch language courses Students can take Dutch language courses at the Department of Dutch as a
Second Language.
Studying at VU with a Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers facilities for students with a disability. The
disability partner institution or the student should contact the VU International Office
at [email protected] around the time of nomination to check if we can provide
all necessary support and facilities.
Student counselling For issues such as study progress, motivation, family matters, adjusting to life
in the Netherlands, discrimination, disputes with lecturers, students can
contact one of the student counsellors.
Accommodation After they have applied for the exchange programme, students can apply for
accommodation through the International Office
A handling fee of €250 per semester is required for this service. Students will
be informed about the procedure after uploading their application package.
Housing cannot be guaranteed. Students housing can only be rented for the
full period (semester or a year).
The number of rooms available is limited and accommodation is assigned on a
first paid, first served base. We cannot guarantee accommodation for every
student but the International Office will do its utmost to find suitable
accommodation for every individual.
For staff members, accommodation will be arranged through the department
they will be visiting.
Visa Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam will apply for a visa and/or a residence permit
on behalf of the exchange student or staff member (if necessary). Students
will be informed about the procedure after uploading their application
package. For staff members, visa and/or a residence permit will be arranged
through the department they will be visiting.
Insurance Health insurance is mandatory for all students and visiting staff.
EU citizens can apply for an EU Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Non-EU citizens
need to arrange their own private health insurance. VU Amsterdam
recommends students and visiting staff insurance company AON (though
students and visiting staff have the possibility to select their own insurance
that will cover their stay in the Netherlands).
Relevant website www.vu.nl/exchange
