Factsheet Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 2023-2024
Institutional information
Name of InstitutionVrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Erasmus CodeNL AMSTERD02

Address

VU International Office
De Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Regional Coordinators

AfricaDorien Jansen+31 20 598 8697

Asia

Monique van Reij+31 20 598 6387

EuropeIris Jager-de Vries+31 20 598 4691

Latin America

Monique van Reij

+31 20 598 6387

Middle East

Dorien Jansen+31 20 598 8697

North America

Dorien Jansen+31 20 598 8697

Oceania

Monique van Reij+31 20 598 6387

Websitewww.vu.nl/exchangeE-mailinternationalrelations@vu.nl

Semester dates and application procedure
Academic year

The academic year runs from the start of September to the end of June and isdivided 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 ofsemester 2. Exchange students are expected to attend the orientation andintroduction programme.
2023-2024
Semester 1: 04/09/2023-02/02/2024
Semester 2: 05/02/2024-28/06/2024

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 tothe 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 theuniversity.
Students wishing to participate in courses at Master’s degree level need tohave finished a Bachelor’s degree by the start of their exchange. They need tosubmit 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 theexchange.

Relevant e-mail andwebsite

General: www.vu.nl/exchange
E-mail: incoming@vu.nl

Other options

If there are more students interested in VU Amsterdam for a semester thancan be nominated in the framework of the exchange agreement, there is thepossibility for them to come as fee paying non-degree students in ourSemester 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
required for student
mobility

C1 (TOEFL IBT at least 92, academic IELTS 6.5)
Students at undergraduate level (Bachelor): selection of students with
sufficient level of English language proficiency (C1 level) is the responsibility ofthe home university.
Students participating in Master’s degree courses: Proof of English language
proficiency according to VU Amsterdam’s requirements is mandatory forstudents participating in courses at Master’s level. Exempted are students who
have completed at least two years of a fully English-taught programme nolonger than two years prior to the exchange or students who are enrolled in acompletely English-taught Master’s degree.

Level of English
required for teachingstaff

C1 (TOEFL IBT at least 110, academic IELTS 7.5)

Level of Dutch required(for courses in Dutch
only)

C1 (advanced level, NT2)
Proof of Dutch language proficiency is mandatory for visiting students whowish 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 befound 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 andEconomics 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 withdifferent 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’slevel, 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 checkwith incoming@vu.nl 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 thestudent 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 tothe students’ home university and – on request – a hard copy as well.

GradingThe Dutch grading scale runs from 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest and 10 thehighest grade. A student passes with a grade 6.0 or higher and fails with agrade 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

ECTS gradeDutch grade

10%

Excellent/Very goodA

8.0 - 10.025%

GoodB

7.5 - 7.930%

More than satisfactoryC

7.0 - 7.4

25%

SatisfactoryD

6.5 - 6.9

10%

SufficientE

5.5 - 6.4

FailF

0.0 - 5.4

More information on Dutch grading and conversion can be found on thewebsite of the Nuffic: www.nuffic.nl.

Relevant e-mail andwebsite

Courses and credits: Courses - More about - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam(vu.nl)E-mail: incoming@vu.nl

3Services
Welcoming programmeVrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers international students Arrival andIntroduction days before the start of each academic semester. The
programme consists of social activities, information about registration at themunicipality, sports and cultural facilities for students, ICT, opening a bankaccount, 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 adisability

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers facilities for students with a disability. The
partner institution or the student should contact the VU International Office
at incoming@vu.nl 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 lifein the Netherlands, discrimination, disputes with lecturers, students cancontact one of the student counsellors.

Accommodation

After they have applied for the exchange programme, students can apply foraccommodation 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 thefull period (semester or a year).
The number of rooms available is limited and accommodation is assigned on afirst paid, first served base. We cannot guarantee accommodation for every
student but the International Office will do its utmost to find suitableaccommodation for every individual.
For staff members, accommodation will be arranged through the department
they will be visiting.

VisaVrije 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 (thoughstudents and visiting staff have the possibility to select their own insurance
that will cover their stay in the Netherlands).

Relevant website

www.vu.nl/exchange4