Application and admission
Find out how you can apply for the Honours College and what the admission requirements are.
Two application periods
What moment you want to start with the Honours College, decides what application period you need to follow. In 2025-2026, the following deadlines apply:
| Starting the Honours College in: | Application starts in: | Application ends: | Results no later than: |
|---|---|---|---|
| bachelor year 1, second semester | December (bachelor year 1) | 14 February 21:30h | 26 February 2027 |
| bachelor year 2, first semester | May (bachelor year 1) | 30 June 21:30h | 10 July 2026 |
Guiding principles of the admissions procedure
The goal of the procedure is to assemble a diverse group of students who:
- are curious and motivated. This creates a stimulating learning environment in which everyone can bring out the best in themselves.
- come from a wide range of educational backgrounds, ensuring the programme is truly interdisciplinary and students learn from each other’s perspectives.
- can complete the programme alongside their regular studies without effect on their academic progress. After all, the Honours College is intended as an addition to your bachelor’s.
Admission requirements
The date you start determines which entry requirements you must meet:
Requirements application period 1 (December - half of February)
In the first year of your bachelor, you can apply for a first-year Honours College course (5 EC) in the second semester. The following criteria apply:
- You have broad intellectual interests.
- You are very motivated to participate in the Honours College during your bachelor.
- You have time to follow an extra programme of 20 EC.
- Your grade point average is 7.0 or higher.
- You have passed all bachelor courses thus far.
To ensure that participation does not affect your regular studies, a continuation check is carried out in August (view more info below).
Requirements application period 2 (May - June)
If you did not take a first-year honours course, you can still join the Honours College in the second year of your bachelor. For the application period in May–June, you following requirements apply:
- You have broad intellectual interests.
- You are very motivated to participate in the Honours College during your bachelor.
- You have time to follow an extra programme of 20 EC.
- Your grade point average is 7.0 or higher.
- You have completed 60 EC of your bachelor within the first year. Haven’t received all your grades yet? Submit your application with the grades you do have. In August, a continuation check will be done to see if you still meet the requirements (view more info below).
How and where can I apply?
To apply, please complete the application form that appears on this page during the application period. Here are a few important details that you need to fill in or attach as a file during your application.
- Personal details: name, student number, contact details.
- Academic details: faculty, bachelor’s programme(s) you are currently enrolled in, and exemptions you have received or expect
- Transcript: recent transcript of grades and your grade point average
- Two written statements:
- Motivation for participation (500–1500 characters, including spaces)
- Explanation of how you will combine honours with your bachelor and other activities (500–1000 characters, including spaces)
- Course preferences: only applicable to the application in December-February. See course application for more information.
Apply now!
Bring me to the application formAfter your application
After you have applied, you will be informed by the admissions committee whether you have been accepted. You will receive this notification no later than the date listed in the table at the top of this page.
Selection procedure
Each year, around 400 bachelor’s students can take part in the Honours College. If there are more suitable applications than available places, academic background will be taken into account to create a balanced representation of the different bachelor programmes. In exceptional cases, a lottery may be used.
Next steps
After receiving the message from the admissions committee, you can expect the following:
After application period 1 (December to mid‑February)
Have you been accepted?
Congratulations! You are now an Honours College student and will be added to the Honours College Brightspace page within a few weeks. The admissions message will also tell you which first‑year honours course you may take in March.
To ensure that the Honours College does not affect the progress of your regular degree, a continuation check will take place in August. This check looks at whether you have passed the first‑year honours course, obtained 60 EC in your regular bachelor’s programme, and still have an average grade of 7.0 or higher.
Have you not been accepted?
If you were not selected in February, you may try again during the May–June application period. The admission requirements for this period are listed above.
After application period 2 (May to June)
Have you been accepted?
Congratulations! You are now an Honours College student and will be added to the Honours College Brightspace page within a few weeks.
Because some students may not yet have received all their first‑year results during the May–June application period, a continuation check will take place in August. This check looks at whether you have obtained 60 EC in your regular bachelor’s programme and still have an average grade of 7.0 or higher.
If the continuation check shows no issues, you can apply for honours courses at the end of August, together with the other upcoming second‑ and third‑year Honours College students.
Have you not been accepted?
Then unfortunately you cannot take part in the Honours College. During your master’s programme, however, you will have the opportunity to apply for master’s‑level honours education at Leiden University. You can explore the options on our overview page Honours education at Leiden University.
Continuation check
If you are admitted to the Honours College, we assume that you have the capacity to follow an additional programme and the intention to complete it. However, especially in the first year of study, results can fluctuate, and the snapshot taken at the time of application may not fully reflect how your studies will progress.
To ensure that participation does not negatively affect your regular studies, a continuation check is carried out in August. This check looks at whether, by the end of your first year, you have obtained 60 EC in your regular bachelor’s programme and whether your average grade is still 7.0 or higher. If you have taken a first‑year honours course, there will also be checked whether you have passed this.
If you do not pass the continuation check, you will be contacted via your Umail address no later than 21 August 2026. If you do not hear anything, you may join the course application process, which begins on 24 August 2026.
No additional costs
There are no additional costs associated with applying for the Honours College. As with regular courses, you may, however, incur costs for purchasing items such as textbooks.