Application and admission
Find out how to apply for the Honours College and what the admission requirements are.
Two application periods
When you apply for the Honours College depends on your intended start date.
| 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 2027, 21:30 hrs | 26 February 2027 |
| bachelor year 2, first semester | May (bachelor year 1) | 30 June 2026, 21:30 hrs | 10 July 2026 |
Goal of the admissions procedure
The goal of the procedure is to assemble a diverse group of students who:
- are curious and motivated. In this way, we create a stimulating learning environment in which everyone can bring out the best in themselves.
- come from a wide range of study programmes, ensuring the programme is truly interdisciplinary and students learn from each other’s perspectives.
- are able to complete the programme without affecting the progress of their regular degree.
Admission requirements
Your start date determines which admission requirements apply to you.
Requirements application period 1 (December - half of February)
In the first year of your bachelor, you may 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 highly motivated to participate in the Honours College during your bachelor.
- You have sufficient time to follow an extra programme of 20 EC.
- Your grade point average is 7.0 or higher.
- You have successfully completed all bachelor courses to date.
To ensure that participation does not interfere with your regular studies, a continuation check is conducted in August (see more information below).
Requirements application period 2 (May - June)
If you did not take a first-year honours course, you may still join the Honours College in the second year of your bachelor's programme. For the May–June application, the following requirements apply:
- You have broad intellectual interests.
- You are highly motivated to participate in the Honours College during your bachelor's programme.
- You have sufficient 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's programme within the first year. If you have not yet received all your grades, you may submit your application with the grades you do have. In August, a continuation check will be conducted to verify that you still meet the requirements (see more information below).
How and where can I apply?
To apply, please complete the application form that will be available on this page during the application period. Below you will find important information that you will need to provide or upload together with 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 to receive
- Transcript: a recent transcript of grades and your grade point average
- Two written statements:
- Motivation for participation (500–1500 characters, including spaces)
- Explanation of how you plan to combine honours with your bachelor degree and other activities (500–1000 characters, including spaces)
- Course preferences: only applicable to the December-February application. 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, there the Honours College has room for approximately 400 bachelor’s students. If there are more suitable applications than available places, academic background will be considered to ensure a diverse intake across the various bachelor programmes. In exceptional cases, selection may be decided by a lottery.
Next steps
After receiving a decision 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. Within a few weeks, you will be added to the Honours College Brightspace page. The admissions message will also inform 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 re-apply 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. Within a few weeks, you will be added to the Honours College Brightspace page.
Because some students may not yet have received all their first‑year results by the May–June application period, a continuation check will take place in August. This check assesses whether you have obtained 60 EC in your regular bachelor’s programme and still have a GPA 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 are able to follow an additional programme and have the intention to complete it. However, especially in the first year, results may vary, and your grades at the time of application may not be a proper representation of your future results.
To ensure that participation does not interfere with your regular studies, a continuation check takes place 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 GPA is still 7.0 or higher. If you have taken a first‑year honours course, we will also check whether you have succesfully completed this course.
If you do not pass the continuation check, you will be informed via your Umail address no later than 21 August 2026. If you do not hear from us, you may proceed with the course application which starts on 24 August 2026.
No additional costs
There are no additional costs for applying to the Honours College. As with regular courses, you may still need to pay for items such as textbooks.