Internships, research, fieldwork, summer schools and more
There are many other types of activity you can do abroad to enrich your studies and gain international experience. Find out about the options available to you.
Options related to your study programme
Depending on your study programme, there might be a range of international activities available to you. Some may be compulsory or optional parts of your programme. Others are extra-curricular activities that you can choose to follow to complement your studies. Activities might include:
- Internships
- Research and fieldwork
- Fieldtrips and excursions
- Subject-specific summer or winter schools
- Mandatory study abroad activities
- Clinical clerkships (co-schappen)
- Moot courts
- Study association trips
Approval and registration
Is your activity abroad part of, or associated with your Leiden University studies? In other words, do you want to receive study credits or funding via the university, or have the activity included on your transcript? If so, you must first gain approval from your study programme. After gaining approval, you must also register your activity in Leiden University’s study abroad portal. This will enable the university to contact you in case of emergencies.
Refer to your faculty or study programme tab
For information on the activities available to you and how to arrange approval and registration in the study abroad portal, click on your faculty or study programme tab.
Options for students of all faculties
There are also a number of international activities that are available to students of all faculties. These include:
Summer and winter schools are offered all over the world. Please note: Summer and Winter schools are part of our regular exchange agreements and therefore students will have to pay the summer/winter school fees themselves. Please check the respective partner website for more information about the costs.
Safe destination
You may not go abroad for study-related activities to a country for which negative travel advice has been issued. Visit the Health and safety page and read Leiden University Regulations on Studying Abroad for more information.
As a student of the Faculty of Science there are a range of activities you can do abroad as part of, or alongside, your studies. On this page you can find out about the options available to you, how to request approval and how to register your activity after gaining approval.
Make sure to click on the activity type to unfold more information about the activity you are interested in.
Types of activity
How to find a research project or internship abroad
If you want to go abroad for a research project or internship, you are not limited to our exchange partner universities. You can choose to do your research project at any university, but also at any other organization or company. As long as your study programme approves.
Note: Biology students can also consult the Workflow Internship Abroad - Biology. Other students can refer to the Workflow Internship Abroad.
Application for a research project or internship
Step 1
There are no strict application deadlines for research projects or internships. However, there are application deadlines for scholarships and it will take time to arrange all the practical and administrative matters. Therefor we advise to start looking for a research project within Europe at least 6 months, and outside Europe at least 9 months, before departure.
Teaching staff of your study programme and/or your study advisors may have recommendations for organisations which will fit with your specialisation or interest.
Be sure to check the different websites for worldwide vacancies, for example Graduateland and Going Global. Also take a look at the reports written by other students about their study abroad experiences in the student reports database, which you can filter on the basis of country, faculty and type of activity abroad. Leiden Career Services posts current vacancies, and opportunities can also be found on the Science International Office's Brightspace page (under Faculty of Science (FWN)). Another good resource is WilWeg.nl's stage page (Dutch).
You can also make an appointment with the Science International office for advice on scholarships and practical matters.
Step 2
When you apply for a research project or internship, we recommend you send your preferred host organization the following:
- Your motivation letter
- Your CV
- A recommendation letter of a professor in Leiden who knows you well
- Your latest transcript of records with a conversion table of your grades (in English). You can request a transcript via Transcript@science.leidenuniv.nl
The Science Career Services offers a free CV and cover letter check during their walk-in hours. You might also want to use the Europass platform, to easily create a CV and upload it on your LinkedIn profile.
Step 3
Are you welcome to join your host organisation? Ask the host organisation for an official letter of invitation, including the start and end date of your research project, a short project proposal (summary), the name & address of your supervisor and a signature.
Please note: All research projects need to be supervised by a member of the academic staff + a representative of the host organization providing the internship.
Step 4
Send the letter of invitation and project proposal to a Leiden staff member, almost always a researcher, and ask if he/she is willing to act as home supervisor.
To have your obtained credits abroad count towards your degree here, you will need to ask permission from the Board of Examiners after receiving your invitation. Ask permission from the Board of Examiners via your study advisor. You can send them the official letter of invitation together with your motivation. Mention the amount of ECTS you expect to earn.
Note: Please refer to the Workflow linked above.
Step 5
Let the Science International Office know where you are going via outgoing@science.leidenuniv.nl and we can assist you further with scholarships, registration in our university portal, and other questions you may have.
Please remember to also send a copy of the official invitation letter, project information and the permission of the Board of Examiners to the Science International Office.
Scholarships
Your scholarship is dependent on the location and duration of your research project or internship.
- EU-destination (including Norway): Erasmus+ for Traineeships
- Non-EU destination: LUSTRA+ Scholarship
- Non-EU destination: Holland Scholarship. The Holland Scholarship is a selection grant requiring motivating documents. The annual deadline is April 1 of the preceding academic year.
- USA: Dutch2USA Internship Program. This is a grant for low-income Dutch students (ontvangers aanvullende DUO beurs) with a minimum 7.0/10 GPA. Funding is for a maximum of 6 months. Start your application 6-9 months in advance. Annual deadlines are March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31
- Scandinavia: ULLA grant. This grant is open to MSc Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences students going on exchange to or conducting research at Uppsala University, the University of Helsinki or the University of Copenhagen.
You can search through the summer and winter schools in the field of Science in the overview of summer and winter schools. If you want to receive credits for your summer/winter school, you must obtain permission from the Board of Examiners from your study programme. Contact your study advisor for more information.
Types of activity| Study Abroad Festival 2021
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If you want to receive university credits, funding or recognition on your transcript for your activity abroad, you must first request approval from your study programme. You can find instructions on how to do so in the information on your activity type above.
After gaining approval
Once you have the necessary approval from your study programme, you must register your activity in Leiden University’s study abroad portal.
Why
By registering in the Study Abroad portal, you enable Leiden University to make sure you have selected a safe destination and to contact you in case of an emergency abroad. If you will receive study credits, university funding or recognition on your transcript for your activity abroad, registration in the study abroad portal is obligatory.
When
Register in the Study Abroad portal as soon as you have gained permission from your study programme for your activity abroad - and at least 2 weeks before departure. If you will go abroad within 2 weeks, get in touch with your faculty contact person for instructions.
How
- Log into uSis > click on the Study Abroad tile > select ‘Register another type of study-related activity abroad’.
- Enter the requested data, upload the required information, then click on submit. Please include your internal and external supervisors' contact details, your own contact details abroad, and proof of approval from your study program (a screenshot of the ProjectMAP approval or an e-mail confirming the dates, content and ECTS of your activity abroad).
- If you have the necessary approval and your destination is safe, the university will approve your registration. Your registration details will be approved as soon as possible, and your travel destination will be checked a month before departure. When your details are approved, you can apply for scholarships through uSis. When your destination is approved, you may depart for your activity abroad. Remember to check the travel advice before departure in case the safety situation changes.
- As soon as possible, enter your contact details abroad in the Study Abroad portal - in the ‘During your stay’ section. Remember to keep your contact details updated whilst abroad so we can reach you in case of emergencies!