Welcome to Leiden University
Will you soon be joining Leiden University? Here you can find all the information you need to get your studies off to a good start.
Joining a bachelor's or master's programme?
Find out what you need to know and arrange by clicking on your faculty or study programme tab.
Joining an exchange or study-abroad programme?
Find out all you need to know for your semester at Leiden University on the website for international exchange and study abroad students.
Your time as a student at Leiden University will soon begin. Read here what you need to do to find your way quickly and prepare optimally.
What to arrange before your studies begin
Make sure that you start applying for housing or finding housing yourself early. On the housing page you can find more information about arranging accommodation.
As an international student, you will also need to take care of a number of practical matters before and after arriving in the Netherlands:
- check if and how you should request visa or a residence permit;
- insurances and health care;
- open a Dutch bank account;
- make an appointment to register yourself with your new municipality.
Please inform yourself about these and other steps:
Prepare your stay at Leiden University
As a student of Leiden University you’ll receive a student account (ULCN account). This gives you access to the university’s systems and work stations. You'll first need to activate your ULCN account.
Your LU card is your university ID card. It gives you access to a range of facilities. Make sure to request your LU card before starting your studies.
Make sure you know where you have to be and when on your first day.
In this Academic Year Calendar Psychology you will find all holiday and exam dates of the academic year 2023-2024.
In the Prospectus you will find all detailed information about the courses you will follow, including the learning objectives, assessment method and literature per subject. You will also find the registration codes for courses and exams here.
Through the system MyStudymap you are able to register for courses and exams. Course enrolment opens on 13 December 2023 at 1pm. After you have enrolled for courses, your personal study schedule will be visible in MyStudymap.
More information about course registration and the informational presentation of your master's specialisation can be found on the Start Course Enrolment page.
You can order the books you will need during the first block via the webshop of our study association Labyrint. You can buy English books at a lowest price guarantee compared to other suppliers if you are a member of Labyrint.
It is also possible to buy your books elsewhere, but always make sure that the ISBN code matches so that you are sure you are buying the right book. Updated versions of books often appear. Using an older version of a book is at your own risk as the information may not fully match with what you are supposed to study.
The books you will need vary per specialisation and course and can be found in each course description in the Prospectus
Get to know the city and your fellow students
An introduction week is the best way to get to know your new city, student life and your fellow students.
The Master's Kick Off event is meant for all students who are starting their master’s programme and research master's programme in Psychology in Leiden. On this day, you will meet the coordinator of your specialisation and your fellow students, and receive important information about the master's programme, study advice and practical information.
Support and advice
The study adviser gives advice about study planning and progress. In case of personal, medical or family circumstances students can talk to their study adviser to discuss the situation, the need for professional help, the consequences for their study progress, and the possible options for minimising study delay.
Contact details of the study advisers of the Master in Psychology
The Student Services Centre (SSC) of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is the point of contact for all your practical study questions. You can contact the SSC for questions about: course and exam registration, study results, and other practical, administrative matters.
During your time as a student you will probably face a variety of challenges. Both in terms of studying and personal development, you might need a little help from time to time. Find out how you can boost your wellbeing and who you can turn to for support. Read more about wellbeing
Get to know key facilities
Here, on the student website, you can find a wide range of practical information about your studies. By selecting your programme when logging in, you can view information that is relevant to you. Find out how to get the most out of the student website
Your student card is your proof of registration as a student of Leiden University. The student card is a digital card and can be found in the University Leiden app after activation.
All the details of your studies are recorded in uSis. From your first registration as a student until your graduation.
Brightspace is Leiden University’s online learning environment.
As a student of Leiden University you will be issued with a university email address: uMail. All correspondence from the university will be sent to this address. You can set up your uMail account so that all mails will be forwarded to your own email address.
The indispensable app for Leiden University students. Here you can find all your personal study information in one place. Log in once and access your schedule, results, available computers and university news anytime and anyplace.
Leiden University offers many study places where you can study in peace. One of these study places is the Social and Behavioural Sciences Library, which is located in the Pieter de la Court Building. This library has 150 regular study places and 60 computer study places.
You can read more about the library and other study facilities on the website.
Get more out of your student days
By joining an association you'll meet lots of people and get more out of student life. As well as student and study associations, there are also a range of social associations in Leiden and The Hague, for example sports, religious or cultural associations.
Study Association Labyrint
Study association Labyrint is there to help you during your studies. As a member, you receive a discount on summaries, tutoring and all Labyrint activities. This study association also organises various activities: from lectures and congresses to parties and social activities.
Labyrint has few obligations, so you can decide for yourself how active you become within the association. Will you only become a member for the discounts or will you commit yourself with a small group of fellow students to organise the most fantastic activities? For more information, see the website of Labyrint.
As a student of Leiden University, you have access to a wide range of affordable sports via the University Sport Centre (USC) in Leiden and The Hague.
Contribute to your study programme
The Master's Programme Committee consists of both staff representatives and students and is responsible for the constant process of adjusting and modifying the education programme, for instance, by means of education evaluations, both small-scale and large-scale. The Master's Programme Committee acts as adviser to the Board of Education.
Every year in September the students of the Master's Programme Committee are chosen. You can apply for this committee and play a role in improving the programme.
The International Student Platform (ISP) is mainly concerned with educational problems specific for international students. But there is enough space to discuss all possible bottlenecks that international students are facing during their stay at Leiden University.
International students who want to have a say in our education programme are welcome to apply to become a part of the ISP.